Telusa Veainu is back in ‘Tigers Town’ and ready to do his bit in kick-starting Leicester’s Premiership campaign.

After playing a starring role for Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the Tigers fullback is back in the East Midlands and cannot wait to be back on the pitch with his Leicester team-mates.

Veainu was met with a huge ovation when he and new recruit Tomas Lavanini were presented to the Welford Road crowd ahead of kick-off in Saturday's Premiership showdown with Gloucester and says the chance to walk back out onto the pitch reignited the flame inside him to get back on the pitch for Tigers.

"It was great being back at Welford Road on Sunday and getting the chance to walk out on the pitch and see the fans,” said the Tigers fullback.

"I love this place, I am excited to be back and ready to go again for Tigers ... I can't wait to get back out there and do my bit for this team."

Leicester suffered a second successive defeat in the new Premiership season at the hands of Saracens on Sunday afternoon and Veainu admitted it wasn’t “an ideal start” but backed his fellow Tigers to turn it around.

"Yeah, it hasn't been an ideal start … nobody is saying otherwise or hiding from that but we're confident in what we have in place and this group is capable of big things,” added Veainu.

“Don’t write us off.”

Looking back on the World Cup in Japan, the Tongan international said: "It was a great experience, Japan was amazing and the support was incredible.”

"We would have liked to have gone further but we have seen how tight this tournament has been and the level of rugby being played, it was a tough competition.

"I'm proud of the efforts of the whole Tongan squad, we worked hard and fought hard to show what we're about and did ourselves proud."