Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark joins the club from Buckinghamshire County, where she is Head Coach for the women’s team. Clark has extensive coaching experience, most notably at Saracens, where she was Forwards Coach for last year’s Premier 15s winning side. 

However, she will be most familiar to fans for her lauded playing career, one which saw the front-rower amass 137 caps for England, which, at the time, was the most won by any player, man or woman. 

Her international career saw her play in four World Cup’s (in 2006. 2010, 2014 and 2017) including playing a key role in England’s victory in the 2014 tournament, starting the final and playing the full 80 minutes at loosehead prop. In 2015, she was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to rugby.

When asked how she was feeling ahead of her move to the club, Clark said “I’m really excited at the prospect of coaching alongside the team at Tigers as well as the development of the playing group as they transition into a Premier 15s side. The league is a big unknown to many in the team but that’s exciting, I’m looking forward to them pushing themselves and helping the younger players to realise their potential but also pushing my own skills as a coach.” 

Clark will be balancing coaching with punditry in her role at Tigers, as her work as a broadcaster has gathered steam over the last couple of years. The prop’s CV is extensive even outside of playing, her commentary duties adding to coaching experience at Buckinghamshire, Saracens, Chesham Stags and Buckinghamshire University.

When asked about her diverse portfolio, Clark added “I’ve coached across many different levels, from grassroots to the elite and I think that that versatility can only help me in this role. Whilst playing at the highest level, I always enjoyed making decisions as to what the team needed and to now be able to do that from the side lines suits me.”