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Cryptic post leaves fans predicting England star's return to Tigers
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Leicester Tigers have teased on social media that they will be making an announcement at 7.30 pm this evening, and it didn’t take long for social media sleuths to work out it’s likely to be Freddie Burns returning to Welford Road as kicking coach.
The club posted footage on X of an arm hanging up a pair of boots on a dressing room hook before picking up a baseball cap, and fans soon worked out the boots were Adidas Predators, similar to the type Burns used to land a PREM title-winning drop goal.
Tigers boss Geoff Parling has been looking for a new kicking coach since last week, announcing that he was losing Alex Davies, who will join Steve Tandy’s Wales coaching team full-time on September 1.
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The former Bath Rugby, Yorkshire Carnegie and London Welsh star retired from playing in June 2020 and joined Tigers as first-team skills and kicking coach in 2023, and RugbyPass understands that Jimmy Gopperth was their initial choice for the job.
Gopperth, 43, who spent a season at the club with the Tigers after Wasps were liquidated in 2022, is now working as a Business Development Executive at Gallagher after finishing his career with Provence Rugby in France’s Pro D2.
Burns, 36, was a hugely popular figure with Tigers fans during his two spells at the club that yielded 719 points in 114 games, including a match-winning drop goal in the 2022 Prem Rugby final against Saracens at Twickenham.
Capped five times by England, he announced his retirement earlier this month following a stint at Romanian side Dinamo Bucure?ti, posting a statement on Instagram.
“As a child I dreamed of playing just one minute of professional rugby. To have lived this career for almost two decades is more than I ever imagined. I feel incredibly fortunate.
“To have represented my country was the greatest honour of my career,” Burns added. Nothing will ever compare to pulling on that jersey,” he said.
25.08.26 | 7.30pm 👀#COYT | #leicestertigers pic.twitter.com/JEs7FIadFu
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) August 24, 2026
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