Pezza brought a slice of New Zealand life, despite having been in England for 10 years, and Darren was the homegrown talent who has serviced the club so well over many years.

Tudor introduced the evening by thanking Paul Hayes, Sam Rossiter-Stead and David Clayton for organising the event, as it was a Members Association Evening and with their assistance there was a high turn out of members. The Members Association organizers events like the Roadshows and Members Evenings.

Managing Director, David Clayton agreed to take some questions from the audience, chaired by Tudor on a range of subjects that were obviously on member's minds:

Q In the re-development plans, would the terraces be retained and would there be more disabled facilities?
DC: We have already increased the disabled facilities, as we have put in an area in front of the club shop. In the re-development plans, we would keep the terraces. We would very much like to speak to Members about the plans that we have for the re-development of the Club. Talking about the terraces, the yellow lines that have been put down are in to comply with the "Green Guide" (from the Government) and is combined with increased stewarding. In terms of Granby Halls, any re-development would talk to Leicester Tigers and compliment us on our plans.

Q Why is the season ticket system at the turnstiles dyslexic?
DC: Members need to bring their season ticket booklet with them to every game, where it's a different letter, for security purposes.

Q Why has Franklins Gardens (Northampton) got all of the "A" Internationals?
DC: We put in a bid but conditions were that the RFU wanted the stadium that was holding the game to guarantee a minimum level of income.

Then it was swiftly over to Tudor Thomas who introduced the audience to two of the greatest players we have had at Tigers for a while, who always give 100% on the pitch and in Tudor's eyes, are stars, as when Tigers won Championship for the first time they took the trophy firstly to the disabled section.

Rugby-related questions - Leicester

Q Darren are you retiring at the end of the season?
DG: Yes, I am. I have had many good times, which you remember, and some bad times. The European Cup Final in Paris was very special, as it was the greatest stadium and I was very privileged to be part of the winning side. Before the game went professional, I put together a scaffolding business with my younger brother. He has done really well and developed the business and got contacts, so I will be going back to scaffolding. It will be a chance to meet normal people. But I would like to do some coaching, as I have enjoyed coaching the academy side this season.

Q So are you looking forward to Away Supporters trips in the European Cup?
DG: That would be okay; it would be nice to go to the south of France!

Q Perry, have you got plans to stay?
PF: My contract ends at the season but I would like to stay, despite being homesick. I hurt my foot against Beziers (away) and pulled a calf at Quins (Powergen Cup) but I am ready for selection.

Q In the European Cup Final at Cardiff, was there any cheating in the front row?
DG: I was disappointed in the game due to the referee. Munster tried to force me to stand up. They never pushed us back and only got into our half when they were awarded a penalty.

Q Have you got any special memories?
PF: The most memorable moments are after the game! When I was sharing with Darren in Paris and we won the European Cup for the first time, we found Cocky asleep in our room cuddling the battered European Cup and holding a pint! When we returned to Leicester we had a good drinking session in the European Lounge, which we don't normally do.
[Pezza went on to describe the one of the drinking games, from encouragement from the front row of TT and Pinky – you place a glass in a jug that is full of water and each person has to pour some beer into the glass and the person that sinks the glass has to drink all of the beer]

Q After everything that the club has achieved, what can the club go onto achieve?
DG: The last 3-4 years have seen a lot of achievement for Tigers, as well as the development of the backroom staff and the ground, which makes Tigers into a club where players want to join as it is such a fantastic club.

Q Have you got any nicknames?
PF: Pezza, Chunky and something that is un-repeatable! For Darren, it's Skins.

Q What are the £1million facilities at Oval Park like?
PF: Oval Park facilities incorporate a two-tier development - upstairs there is a complete weights area [and a viewing balcony] and downstairs there is the cardiovascular area with changing rooms, jacuzzi (where Darren sits with a cigar and glass of champagne) and plunge pool. As I have been out injured, I was at Oval Park when the Great British athletic team came to look round and they said we are very fortunate to have this facility.

Q Playing on the field takes a lot of concentration; do referees get on your nerves?
PF: Yes. Sometimes referees think that the crowd come to watch them. I like referees who play the game and get on with it, which makes the game flowing.
DG: What is annoying is the lack of consistency as what one referee does one week, the following week another referee will do something different. If there were more consistency, then referees would get more respect from the players.
PF: As a southerner, at each age group camp in New Zealand referees came and watched us playing, whilst we were being taught the art of the game and had an input. Whereas in Britain, I have only had a few scrummaging sessions with a referee.
DG: Leicester did have had a reputation, a few seasons ago, were our scrummaging was concerned, when we had "our friend in the middle". Nowadays, it is more like a dancing competition. Cocky has found it easy to adapt over in France, as it is a pushing competition. Whereas, Franck has found it hard to adapt. I think there are too many cameras and touch judges get involved too much, as the referees blow up for anything these days, like shirt-pulling which is part and parcel of the game.

Q Would you ever be a referee Darren?
PF: Would he be able to keep up? As if there was a try, he would need binoculars!

Q Which props that you have played against do you respect the most?
PF: It is difficult to scrum against a shrewd prop, i.e. one who bends the rules - especially Darren when we used to do live scrum sessions. Many loose heads would say Darren is the hardest to play against.
DG: I respect Califano for his scrummaging ability, when he was at his peak a few seasons ago for Toulouse and France. Oz de Rant was the strongest man I have come up against. I respect Leonard, Wiggy and Pezza for their amount of training and the energy they put into the game.

Q Who is the worst prop that you have played against?
DG: I would rather play against a prop that wants to take on me, not someone who wants to drop scrums.

Q Is the team good or bad with Oz?
DG: He is a fantastic footballer but sometimes tries to do too much by himself, but he is a great asset to the club.

Q Have you enjoyed the professional era?
PF: I feel very privileged that I have been involved. I think it has meant that players have been in each other's pockets more and more, with a new sense of camaraderie, but we don't go out for a drink with the lads enough. I would like to go out every 6 weeks for a good craic. But we have to look after our bodies more, these days. Cocky would tell anyone who thought that it was a cushy life i.e. a bit of training and off home to watch some TV, then they should bring their boots on a Monday morning!
DG: When Dean rang me to join the club, I was down at the pub!

Q What's the back-seat-of-the-coach all about?
DG: I have been doing it since I came here. It turned out that me, Cocky and Johnno always sat at the back and Backy was close by. When we'd had some beers, we would invite others to take the back seat.
On the way home from the 1996 Pilkington Cup, at the first island out of Twickers, we got off at an off-licence and filled the bus up with booze, again at the services at Toddington. We were singing on the tables and there was an all mighty punch-up. When we arrived at the Holiday Inn, no player had a blazer, shirt or tie, as it had gone out of the sunroof. Westy had 6 stitches and Dosser had 3 stitches.

England

Q Can you qualify under the residential rule to play for England, Perry?
PF: Yes, I would consider if I was asked, but I have not been asked.
DG: England are obviously keeping an eye on younger players to bring on their talent.

Q It looks like Wiggy will be playing at tighthead for England - comment?
DG: Tighthead is a completely different position. I couldn't play at loose head. Tighthead is a more confrontational position where you have to be strong to stay square, whereas loosehead involves agility and getting into gaps.
PF: When you switch sides in the scrum, it's like learning to write with your other hand - close your eyes, engage right and push like hell! [Sounds like having a baby to TT!]

Q Who will win the World Cup?
TT: Wales!
DG: It is out of 4 - Australia, New Zealand, France and England. It is very difficult, as I like the look of NZ as their backs look smoking, France will be difficult to stop and Oz will be good on home soil.
PF: It is hard to call. England will need to do well away from home on hard pitches. It is going to be a fantastic competition.

Tudor Thomas ended the evening by declaring that if Pezza and Darren were cut open, they would be red, green and white through and through [and TT thought that was her!] After the questions, TT and Pinky made crucial inquires into the possibility of being given a guided tour around the new training and gym facilities at Oval Park, offering their expertise knowledge of jacuzzi's - in other words, they can bring their bikini's at any given time to test the jacuzzi and plunge pool after a work-out on the new cardio and weight equipment. Apparently, Chuter is the guy to ask, so at the next Member's Evening we will be asking him if we can test the facilities!

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