Six Leicester Tigers players have been selected for the England elite squad for the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship, five of which were developed through the Welford Roadside’s prestigious academy.

Dan Cole, Louis Deacon, Tom Croft, Ben Youngs and Manu Tuilagi have all progressed through the youth ranks at Leicester Tigers, and have been named in interim England head-coach Stuart Lancaster’s 32-man squad.

Also in the squad is fly-half Toby Flood, the most experienced England international currently playing for Leicester Tigers; however Flood is set to miss the start of the tournament through his recent knee injury.

Tigers second-rower Geoff Parling is one of four players to also be elevated to the elite squad as temporary injury cover.

The fact that five of the six Leicester Tigers players have progressed through the club’s youth system is an incredible statistic – and one that Tigers’ director of rugby Richard Cockerill is quick to emphasise.

“We congratulate all of our players who have been chosen as part of the new England squads,” the former Tigers hooker said.

“It is particularly gratifying for the club to see that five of the six Leicester Tigers players in the senior squad have come up all the way through the ranks at the club, from the Academy up to establishing themselves in the first-team squad here and on into the Test rugby arena with England.

“Dan, Tom, Louis, Ben and Manu have all developed through the system here and are now key players in our squad.

“This club always retains a strong home-grown core and it says a lot for the strength of our set-up that so many of those players can develop here and go all the way to international status.”

A further four Leicester Tigers players have also been called-up to the new England Elite Saxons squad for the upcoming fixtures against Ireland Wolfhounds and Scotland A at the end of January.

Billy Twelvetrees, Thomas Waldrom, Anthony Allen and Micky Young have all been named in the squad along with the currently elevated Geoff Parling.

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