For 17 seasons of his 18-year career, Richard Cockerill has come to epitomise exactly what being a Leicester Tiger is all about. A warrior on the pitch during his time at Welford Road, winning five league titles and two Heineken Cups, Cockers took up the reigns as head coach in 2009 and hasn’t looked back since, leading the English giants to successive Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup Final.

Soar Magazine met with the club’s Director of Rugby to talk about his career, how the game has developed over the years and his remaining ambitions…

Whilst keeping track of his rivals over the summer, Richard is only concerned with one club.

“I just focus on us. We identify who we need, what holes we need to fill, what fits inside the squad cap and deal with that accordingly. Obviously you keep one eye on what other clubs are doing, but you can only control what you do.

“The salary cap is a great leveller and there are lots of good sides. Saracens and Bath have had new investment and are doing well, so they’re all threats. Northampton, Wasps, Gloucester and all those top sides will always be a threat. It’s a very tough competition, anybody can beat anybody on the day and it always starts on a pretty even keel.”

Richard sees the salary cap as a necessary evil, but as the game expands he can see it being withdrawn.

“I think the salary cap is necessary to a certain point, but clubs like Leicester are trying to make the product bigger, better and stronger. We’re developing our stadium and trying to improve. We want to be allowed to grow and I think moving on the salary cap at some stage will be part of that.”

Whilst Richard didn’t have specific plans to coach Tigers during his playing career, he always hoped to stay close to the sport.

“I wanted to stay in rugby because I’ve been involved all my life. After playing professionally for ten or so years, I wanted to stay in the game. It didn’t necessarily have to be at this level, but I wanted to be involved somewhere.”

Richard’s spells as acting coach came before the arrival of Marcelo Loffreda and after the departure of Heyneke Meyer, and Cockers concedes that making the transition from player to coach and running the rule over former team-mates took a bit of getting used to.

“Maybe I was a little bit naive in the first instance and that made it difficult, but you soon get used to it and get the playing side out of your system. Once you know you want to make coaching your profession, the transition is not overly hard. You’re learning as you go but it’s about adapting and adjusting to that. I’ve been lucky enough to coach and deal with some very good players so that’s helped enormously.

“As a player you remember core stuff from the coaches you’ve worked with. Obviously Pat Howard was a big influence. I’ve learned bits and pieces from Heyneke Meyer and Marcelo Loffreda and working with experienced coaches like Matt O’Connor is a big help.”

Cockerill explained how he deals with the pressure and expectancy that comes with working for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“I work as hard as I can, do what I do and hope it’s enough. So far that’s been ok. There is no magic formula for us, it is good players, working hard and literally trying to get better every day. We want to be putting ourselves in the knockout stages of the Premiership and the Heineken Cup and we’ll be working hard to get there.”

Richard spent two seasons playing for French side Clermont Auvergne and sees the experience as beneficial to his coaching career, particularly when attracting foreign talent to Leicester.

“It helps with coaching as you see a different perspective and how other people do things. Coming back gave me the opportunity to see Leicester from the outside which was quite interesting. It was about a life experience, learning a different language and seeing a different culture.

“It gives me some empathy with foreign players joining Tigers because I know what it’s like to move country and relocate your family. I think that helps when we talk to players from around the world.”

When considering the highlights of his career, the determined Cockerill sights pulling on a Leicester jersey and representing his country as moments that gave him most pride.

“Being involved in a very good Leicester team and enjoying it for so long stands out. The sum of our parts was far greater than our individuals at times. Obviously playing for my country was another major highlight.”

Richard is happy to have played when he did and been involved in coaching as the game has developed.

“I think the balance of having played amateur and professional gives me a good balance of how I view the game. I’m happy with my lot from a playing perspective and I’ll use that and my life experiences to be as good a coach as I can.”

Whilst playing hooker in his first test for England, Cockers famously got in the face of New Zealand’s Norm Hewitt during the All Blacks’ renowned pre-match Haka. Richard explained this spur of the moment reaction.

“I was just wound up to play. It was one of those things that happens in sport. We were trying to face down the Haka and stand up against our opposite number and obviously I got too close! That’s sport and that’s the way I played the game. It wasn’t pre-planned, it was just the adrenaline at the time.”

When asked about his ambitions to coach at international level, Richard reaffirmed his commitment to bringing further success to Tigers whilst praising the job former team-mate, Martin Johnson, has done with England.

“I just want to do as well as I can for Leicester and I’m sure opportunities will arise. I’m not going to work for Leicester forever and at some stage I’ll have to move on, but I would never target jobs. If an opportunity came with England at some stage you’d consider it but at the moment my concentration is on Leicester and making sure that’s as successful as it can be. Hopefully that will last for a few seasons yet.

“I think Johnno’s done a good job in hard circumstances. He can only pick the players that are available and he’s had a lot of injury concerns. If England get everybody fit and on form going into the World Cup, they’ve got a good opportunity. There are only four or five teams that can win the World Cup and England are one of them.”

Richard revealed what he does to relax away from the game, including keeping an eye on the next generation of Cockerill rugby talent.

“It’s difficult because rugby was my hobby and now it’s my profession. I’ve got three young kids who crave my attention so it’s Saturday mornings at ballet and swimming, and rugby at Market Harborough on Sunday’s with my son.

Born in nearby Rugby, Cockers ended the interview with some praise for his adopted home.

“Leicestershire is a fantastic sporting county. I’ve lived here for the last 15 years or so and it’s a great place. Now we’re getting players from all around the world, they say, ‘Leicester, where’s that?’ Then they see the villages and the countryside and say, ‘Actually this is a really nice part of the world isn’t it?’ It surprises people.”