Roisin McBrien admits Leicester Tigers had to overcome some early nerves before securing a winning debut in women’s league rugby on Sunday.

Travelling to Bishop Auckland Ladies in the opening round of Women’s Championship North 1 for the team’s first-ever competitive fixture, Tigers banked five points in a 57-5 victory and they now look forward to a home debut in Round 2 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday, October 1.

Back-rower McBrien was on the mark with one of the first-half tries as Tigers attacked from long range for five of their six scores to lead 38-0 at that stage, before adding three more after the break.

She said: “It was definitely a bit nervous for us at the start, there were some handling errors. But once we got into it, the tries started flowing.

"There were some good tries from quick breaks, I think it shows the workrate of the girls to chase them down and get into those positions to score. There were team tries too, which shows how we’re working together.

“The forwards went quite well at lineout, the scrum went well, we defended well too as a team. But there’s definitely more to work on.

“It’s just really good to finally be in a league instead of just the ‘friendly’ games.

“You’re in a competitive game, it’s just great to be part of this team coming together, with your mates – what’s not to smile about!”

A Cheltenham team who topped Championship North last season are the opposition for the Tigers’ opening home game. Kick-off on October 1 is at 1.00pm and tickets are available now.