It always intrigued me why grown men wanted to throw themselves around a cold, wet, muddy field. I didnt understand the rules(and still dont understand them all, but then again does anyone!).

I have always favoured rugby over the girly game that they call poofball, I followed the big games, Internationals and cup finals from then on, only on television though as no one in my immediate family has the remotest interest in the game.

I started at De Montfort University in 1995 and there was still not an inkling of being a Tiger. I would see the ground everyday going into Leicester on the bus. It was shortly after starting my degree that my interest in rugby was rekindled.

Not by any amazing revelation, but by meeting some of the Lutterworth Rugby team in The Meridian, a bar on the Meridian Business Park, which has now turned into a McDonalds. They invited me down to watch them play, but I never had the confidence to go on my own!

It wasnt until I started a second degree in 1999 at the University of Derby, based in Nottingham, that my passion re-emerged. There were a couple of lads on my course that liked rugby.

I started off watching games in my local pub. Then I started to have to watch the games in my local when I went home. It wasnt until I was sitting in my local (Lutterworth) watching the Tigers playing. It dawned on me that they were only playing 13 miles away, and that there was no reason why I couldnt go and watch the game at the ground.

I was on placement in the summer of 2000 at LRI and was living at home (Lutterworth) for a few weeks and saw a poster stating there was an open day on Sunday 20th August. I thought it would be interesting to go, I plucked up the courage and got to Welford Road.

When I walked in there were a few people wandering around. I went for a walk and saw a few people that I vaguely recognised, to be completely honest at the time I wasn't sure who the all the players were.

I spotted Lloydy someone I certainly recognised standing in front of the shop. There were kids getting autographs from a few people. I found some posters on the floor of the clubhouse and went into the shop to buy a pen.

I marched up to Lloydy and asked him to sign this poster. It was from the Daily Telegraph advertising the new season. It had a picture of M*** D***** on it and all the players took great delight in signing over his face, I've still got it today up on my wall at work. I think I got Lloydy, Johnno, Will Johnson, Backy, Rowntree anmd a few others.

After that day I went to the home games more and more frequently. I decided it might be a wise investment the following year to purchase a season ticket, 2001- 2002. I have been hooked ever since, I went to the end of season player awards, Nottingham, Cardiff and most recently Twickenham.

My allegience will never change I consider myself to be a true Tiger, once a Tiger always a Tiger as they say.

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