Leicester Tigers chairman releases statement as rumours spread about the planned club hotel

Leicester Tigers chairman Peter Tom has reassured supporters that no club resources are being diverted from the playing side to development projects around Welford Road stadium.

In recent weeks rumours have been circulating regarding the building of a £22 million pound hotel in the summer of 2019, and whether or not those funds will detract from team resources.

The hotel will feature 3,300 square metres of reception, lounge and dining areas, aswell as a business centre, retail and lobby areas which open up on to a Tigers fan zone alongside a fitness suite, restaurant and fifth-floor ‘sky bar’.

Writing in his programme notes for Sunday’s home game against Racing 92, the Leicester Tigers chairman says: “I have received lots of emails and seen many social media posts regarding the fortunes of the club and one of the issues I would like to address is that the plans to develop the hotel and car parking next to the stadium does not in any way take away from investment in the playing side.

“This is not just in terms of paying up to the salary cap on the squad, but also in funding support for the team in terms of staff and the facilities around them.”

Looking at the back-to-back meetings with French opponents Racing, Tom adds: “For everyone who made the trip to Paris last week, it was a unique opportunity to participate in a game in an indoor arena and you will all have your own memories of the occasion.

“Unfortunately, the team could not come up with the win and had to settle for a point when you could argue we deserved more, but that is the game and Racing were good enough to make the most of their opportunities.

“Now we have to collectively improve on that effort again as we return to home ground.

“Geordan has been assured that, whatever he needs, we will provide and, as we speak, we are working on adding an indoor facility for training purposes at Oval Park.

“We are all working together to try to turn results around to get back to challenging for places in the end-of-season shake-up.

“As Manu put it last weekend, this is the time for all of us to stick together and support the team as much as we can. Your support plays a massive part every week and I know you will be with the team all the way today as you always are. Thank you.”