Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

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JP14
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Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by JP14 »

Another great piece of work from Williamson and co in the Media team but as this game was held in the infancy of the professional era Tigers are still donning alphabetic jerseys. When were the club prohibited from continuing this?

I would love the Tigers to wear ABC jerseys in preseason games on a side-note.
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teds
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by teds »

I would have said the prohibition started at the same time the game went professional but maybe my memory fails me again.
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Mark62 »

JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:38 am Another great piece of work from Williamson and co in the Media team but as this game was held in the infancy of the professional era Tigers are still donning alphabetic jerseys. When were the club prohibited from continuing this?

I would love the Tigers to wear ABC jerseys in preseason games on a side-note.
I’m not sure the premiership was that well covered back then. It happened when weekly live coverage started and Sky made the decision it would be too confusing for non rugby viewers if one side had letters and the other numbers. My guess would be around the turn of the century
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by kk20gb30 »

Heavens , remember this clearer than some of the games from the past two seasons...showing both my age and era.
Would concur on the idea of bringing back lettering on shirts for a preseason game or two - a great trip down memory lane , and I think an awful lot of fans would appreciate the spectacle and gesture , although comparatively small in real terms.Really would be a nice touch.Great times.
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ABClub
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by ABClub »

JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:38 am I would love the Tigers to wear ABC jerseys in preseason games on a side-note.
I always liked that the U18s still wear the ABC jerseys. A nice throw back to the clubs history.

It must feel particularly special for someone like Jack Rowntree in the academy given he will have grown up seeing pictures of Wig in those shirts.
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by JP14 »

Mark62 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:23 pm
JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:38 am Another great piece of work from Williamson and co in the Media team but as this game was held in the infancy of the professional era Tigers are still donning alphabetic jerseys. When were the club prohibited from continuing this?

I would love the Tigers to wear ABC jerseys in preseason games on a side-note.
I’m not sure the premiership was that well covered back then. It happened when weekly live coverage started and Sky made the decision it would be too confusing for non rugby viewers if one side had letters and the other numbers. My guess would be around the turn of the century
Ahh ok cheers!
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Mark62
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Mark62 »

JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 3:56 pm
Mark62 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:23 pm
JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:38 am Another great piece of work from Williamson and co in the Media team but as this game was held in the infancy of the professional era Tigers are still donning alphabetic jerseys. When were the club prohibited from continuing this?

I would love the Tigers to wear ABC jerseys in preseason games on a side-note.
I’m not sure the premiership was that well covered back then. It happened when weekly live coverage started and Sky made the decision it would be too confusing for non rugby viewers if one side had letters and the other numbers. My guess would be around the turn of the century
Ahh ok cheers!
You’re welcome. It was around the same time that premiership sides started putting names on backs of shirts too.
3 clubs were affected Tigers, Bristol who’s alphabet ran the other ways to Tigers, I.e. their fullback wore A ours O, and Bath who never used the number 13 shirt.

In these times of money calling all the shots it would be nice to see some of these old traditions, that have no cost implications, returning
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by JP14 »

Another thing that surprised me watching these throwbacks to the 90s was the better ball retention & transfer. Wonder if that could be replicated in a modern environment, especially with the choke tackle. Or is it outlawed as sealing off?
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JP14
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by JP14 »

What did Bath use instead of the 13 shirt?
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Mark62
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Mark62 »

JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:06 pm What did Bath use instead of the 13 shirt?
I believe their full back wore 16 so winger 15 and o/c 14. I may be wrong as the mists of time roll on
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Mark62 »

JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:06 pm Another thing that surprised me watching these throwbacks to the 90s was the better ball retention & transfer. Wonder if that could be replicated in a modern environment, especially with the choke tackle. Or is it outlawed as sealing off?
It is interesting especially with the back row of Wells Back and Richards how the tackled player often stayed on his feet and one of them would be in to rip the ball away. Down and Out old style
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Big Dai »

Mark62 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:12 pm
JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:06 pm What did Bath use instead of the 13 shirt?
I believe their full back wore 16 so winger 15 and o/c 14. I may be wrong as the mists of time roll on
I think that's right!
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Big Dai
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by Big Dai »

I was working in Toulouse when this game was on. Life would have been unbearable had we lost and I was especially grateful to Darren for scoring a try as I'd bragged up our front row prior to the game.

Not so cool was meeting Carbenau's mum in the Tavern Baverois after losing in the final. She was very gracious and said our supporters were fantastic.... But it would have been better had we won.

As for the shirts. The lighter green, letters and the town crest said "Tigers" more than the modern franchise based gear. Yes I'm old-fashioned., but you'll not change that.
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chipnchase
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by chipnchase »

Quorn RFC in Leicestershire still wear letters rather than numbers. They also only play friendlies as well :smt003
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Re: Tigers vs Toulouse 1997

Post by loretta »

Mark62 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:49 pm
JP14 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 3:56 pm
Mark62 wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:23 pm

I’m not sure the premiership was that well covered back then. It happened when weekly live coverage started and Sky made the decision it would be too confusing for non rugby viewers if one side had letters and the other numbers. My guess would be around the turn of the century
Ahh ok cheers!
You’re welcome. It was around the same time that premiership sides started putting names on backs of shirts too.
3 clubs were affected Tigers, Bristol who’s alphabet ran the other ways to Tigers, I.e. their fullback wore A ours O, and Bath who never used the number 13 shirt.

In these times of money calling all the shots it would be nice to see some of these old traditions, that have no cost implications, returning
IIRC, we, Bristol and Bath were tolerated in our eccentricity. However, the breaking point came when Quins started using squad numbers, rather than positional - apparently a similar system is used in wendyball. On a quick google, I'm afraid I can't find any confirmation, other than someone recalling it as part of an answer on reddit. Obviously, at that point Fatty Barnes had a meltdown and things were changed for the next season.

In my Googling, I found that Richmond also declined to use 13.
In my defence, I was left unsupervised….
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