Mattioli Woods Welford Road

Leicester Tigers have called this place home since the late nineteenth century, moving from the Belgrave Road Cycle and Cricket Ground to the land between Aylestone Road and Welford Road. The pitch is a natural surface, maintained with a sub-membrane system to ensure consistency in all weather. It is the only professional rugby ground in the city, and the proximity of the street to the stands means visitors can hear the cars rumble past as the crowd roars them on.

It has hosted games for the England men’s and women’s sides, and the Saxons, but it holds a special place in history for its past international fixtures. The old black and white photographs show a much smaller crowd packed into simple wooden stands, watching a match between England and Ireland. The ground is not just a venue for domestic rugby; it has seen the world’s best touring sides, including the New Zealand All Blacks, who played there in the early twentieth century when the attendance reached thirty-five thousand. The current scale of the stadium is the result of a major redevelopment in the last decade, which added seating to the North and West stands. The old sponsor boards have come and gone, but the structure remains the same. The football association sometimes lists the capacity differently, but the number on the card is the one used by the club.