Retired fly-half Freddie Burns returns to Leicester as kicking coach

Freddie Burns has returned to Leicester Tigers as the club’s new kicking coach, signing a full-time contract at Welford Road after retiring from playing at the end of last season. The former England fly-half, who was a key figure in the club’s 2022 Premiership title triumph, closed out his playing career with Romanian side Dinamo Bucharest.

Burns, 36, had two spells as a player at Leicester and is the second former Tiger to join the coaching staff within the space of a week, following Craig Newby’s appointment as part-time forwards skills coach.

“I’m very excited to begin my coaching journey with Tigers. It’s a club I care deeply about and I’m excited to help try and get the best out of this group that has huge potential,” Burns said. “I’ve had a brilliant career in terms of where I’ve been able to play the game around the world, nothing comes close to this place though.”

Along with his two stints at Leicester, Burns also represented Bath and Gloucester in the Premiership, and played in Japan and New Zealand across a career that spanned multiple continents.

Head coach Geoff Parling, whose own playing days at Leicester briefly overlapped with Burns’ first spell at the club, welcomed the appointment. “We’re excited for Fred to start his full-time coaching career with us,” Parling said. “He will work with our kickers in both the first team and academy and is hungry to pass on what he’s learned across a distinguished playing career. He’s also a good person to be around, and someone that wants to add value to the environment.”

Burns will take charge of kicking development across both the senior squad and the Tigers academy as Leicester look to build on a squad Parling describes as having “huge potential”.