Parling: Leicester Tigers must keep evolving to win silverware

Leicester Tigers must keep "evolving" to turn consistency into silverware, head coach Geoff Parling has said.

Parling made the comments to BBC Radio Leicester ahead of Sunday's league opener against Saracens, as Leicester begin a new Prem campaign, England's top division of club rugby union BBC Sport.

It is Parling's second season in charge. His first brought 12 wins from 18 league games and a fourth-place finish. Leicester then lost in the Prem semi-finals.

They did lift a trophy. Leicester won the Prem Cup, the domestic knockout competition that runs alongside the league. In Europe, they reached the last 16 of the Champions Cup, the top club tournament across Europe.

That European run ended painfully. Bordeaux Begles beat Leicester 64-14 in the last 16. Bordeaux went on to win the whole competition.

The record shows how close Leicester have stayed to the top. They have reached the Prem semi-finals in four of the past five seasons. They won their 11th English title in 2021-22 under Steve Borthwick.

They were back in the final in 2024-25. Bath beat them that day. It was Michael Cheika's final match in charge before Parling took over.

Parling knows the club well. He won two league titles with Leicester as a player before moving into coaching. He left a role as Australia assistant coach to return to Welford Road.

Sunday brings an immediate test. Saracens visit for round one, and a fast start matters in a league where only the top four reach the play-offs.

For supporters, this means patience and progress in equal measure. Parling is not promising a rebuild. He wants small improvements across attack, defence and the set-piece, the scrums and lineouts where possession is won.

What makes this stand out is the balance of last season. A cup win and a top-four league finish showed promise. A heavy European defeat showed the gap to the very best.