An exceptional forward with natural strength and an all-round appreciation of the game in 272 appearances for Tigers, Colin Martin also had a far-reaching contribution to the club, bringing a tactical awareness to the game and also introducing the idea of coaching which paved the way for the successful era of Chalkie White and the John Player Cup kings of the late 1970s/early 1980s.

A New Zealander with a hard edge associated with his country’s playing style, Martin captained Leicester in 1960-63, represented the Barbarians and led Midland Counties in a draw with the Springboks in 1960 and also Leicestershire and East Midlands against New Zealand three years later.

A great leap forward came in Martin’s appreciation that a coach could work alongside a captain to get the best out of the whole team, and his work alongside team captain David Matthews produced a template for the teams which followed.