Supporters enjoyed a Tigers Night In with a difference on Tuesday as they shared a special pizza masterclass with the players online.

Although restrictions remain on social gatherings, the club has been keen to continue to organise interactive events and teamed up with Pizza Pilgrims who arranged to deliver parcels of ingredients to the home of six Leicester Tigers players and numerous Tigers families who then gathered on Zoom to cook and chat.

Pizza Pilgrims chef Luigi Azzarone – who earned a warm welcome as he turned up in a classic shirt from the Tigers Captains Collection – talked through the ingredients in each parcel and took guests step-by-step through the secrets of making a top-class pizza.

There was also time for the players to get involved in question-and-answer sessions as they worked on their pizzas from their home kitchen.

Young prop Joe Heyes is among the keen cooks in the ranks, as witnessed when he prepared a meal with team-mates for The Bridge Homelessness to Hope centre in Leicester as part of the development squad’s support for the charity, and he was the first to take part in the chat.

Dan Cole, Richard Wigglesworth, Tommy Reffell, Ben White and Kini Murimurivalu also shared their culinary skills – and enjoyed the fruits of their labours – and took part in the chat with topics covering the season so far, staying motivated while training alone in lockdown, working with new head coach Steve Borthwick, the exciting crop of youngsters in the squad, the Six Nations and, of course, foodie favourites, including the big question of the night: Does pineapple belong on pizza!

Thank you to Pizza Pilgrims and to everyone who took part in the evening, and congratulations to Craig Footman who won a signed England shirt in the Tigers Night In draw.