Leicester Tigers Face Uphill Battle to Compete with Premiership Women's Rugby Elite, Says Head Coach Tom Hudson

Leicester Tigers head coach Tom Hudson believes his team must "work overtime" to bridge the gap between themselves and the established clubs in Premiership Women’s Rugby this season. Following a tough debut campaign that saw Tigers finish bottom of the table, Hudson is determined to see the team progress quickly as they prepare for another challenging season.

Hudson, who was promoted to head coach after previously serving on Vicky Macqueen’s backroom staff, is focused on driving the squad forward through adaptation and relentless hard work. "We have to catch up," Hudson told BBC Radio Leicester. "We have everything we need to hit the goals and achieve what we need for this season."

For Hudson, the key to Leicester's growth lies in outworking their competitors. He highlighted the need for an intense commitment to improvement, noting that simply matching the training intensity of more established teams won’t be enough. "We can’t even do 5% more; we have to find ourselves 15-20% better in every aspect," he said. "We haven’t got time to sit down and do nothing; we’ve got to catch up and build far quicker."

The Tigers begin their season against reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury on October 6. Reflecting on last year’s heavy 52-14 defeat at Kingsholm, Hudson is determined to ensure his players are better prepared for the challenge this time around. "Last year, we got bullied by the occasion and on the field," he admitted. "We looked like rabbits in the headlights. This year, we need to make sure we understand the occasion better so we can perform better on the field."

With a fresh approach under Hudson, Leicester Tigers are aiming to shake off the struggles of their first season and establish themselves as a competitive force in the league. While the task ahead is steep, Hudson’s message is clear: there is no room for complacency as the Tigers work to close the gap on the Premiership’s top teams.