Cheika ‘embracing’ challenge of Tigers' reputation

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika is relishing the challenge of living up to the club’s reputation in his first English Premiership season.

The Australian was appointed head coach in June, replacing fellow countryman Dan McKellar who left after the Tigers finished eighth in a disappointing 2023-24 campaign.

Cheika, who most recently led the Argentina national team, said he knows what it takes to succeed at a big club like Leicester who have won 11 Premiership titles.

“I’ve been in that environment before and I like the challenge,” Cheika told BBC 5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“Often other people don’t like you because of the reputation and I like to be in that position

“You have to embrace it as that is the reason why you come here. You want to learn about the history and make some of your own.

“If I didn’t want this challenge then I wouldn’t have taken it.”

Cheika previously spent time with New South Wales during his playing days and is drawing on that experience.

“I played for a club in Australia that had a big reputation for years and a successful history,” the 57-year-old said.

“When you go to these clubs you have to decide if you are going to live up to the reputation or if you are going to take that reputation left by others and move it forward and make it better and make a change.

“The Martin Johnsons’, Geordan Murphy’s and [Rory] Underwood's are all those players who have played at Leicester.

“That is what they want you to do. They don’t just want you to live off their reputation. It’s good to have a reputation but you have to push that on and use it as an advantage.”

The former Australia head coach said it is “hard to get a gauge” how good Leicester can be until the new season begins.

“I need to get on the ground, you need to be competing with those teams to understand the league,” he said.

Cheika, who led Irish side Leinster to a European Champions Cup victory against his new club in 2009, will take charge of his first game away at Exeter Chiefs on 21 September.

“I’ve been in the Celtic League - now the URC - the Top 14, which I haven’t mastered, and now the Premiership is something I want to master," he added.