Leicester’s women’s team enjoyed a 10th successive win in the annual contest as they triumphed 27-0 in the opening match of the evening and the university’s men followed by regaining their Varsity crown with a 26-3 victory in front of a large and noisy crowd at the home of the Leicester Tigers.
Two early penalties from captain Jonathan Pryce set Leicester on their way and they ran in three tries to claim men’s victory.
A quick break from inside their own half ended with wing Jack Arundell running in on the left for the opening try and Pryce added the conversion for a 13-0 lead with a quarter of the match played.
The score remained unchanged until the fifth minute of the second half when Pryce landed a penalty from 40 metres out, but De Montfort quickly replied with their first points of the evening, Leighton Clarke kicking a penalty.
But Leicester lock George Newnham quickly snuffed out any chance of a comeback for De Montfort with a well-executed score from a close-range lineout for a 21-3 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Arundell capped a triumphant night for Leicester when he finished a fine break started in his own half by full-back Calum Howard.
In the women’s game, Leicester scored five times, though De Montfort defended stoutly as they were pinned back in their 22-metre area for almost the entire contest.
The first try came from wing Gemma Pierce as she finished good work in midfield by Fiona Fletcher, but Leicester were unable to find the finishing touch again until the last move of the half when centre Fletcher scored just to the right of the posts for a 10-0 interval lead.
Fletcher added a superb second in the early stages of the second half, taking a switch pass on the 22-metre line and beating two defenders on a powerful run to the tryline.
The fourth try quickly followed, flanker Candice Grayson scoring from close range, and wing Jessica Wells added the final score with a strong run in on the right to complete the first leg of the university's double.
