The Slater Cup, contested between Gloucester and Leicester Tigers, is one of the highlights of the Premiership season.
Not only is it a showcase of two of the oldest Premiership clubs battling it out for glory in the west, but it is also for a great cause.
The match between the two was named after former Leicester and Gloucester lock Ed Slater in 2022, after he was forced to retire that same year due to being diagnosed with MND.
It was the Tigers who came out on top at Villa Park on Saturday, in a six-try effort which ended 17-36.
However, the day was somewhat overshadowed online by what happened pre-game.
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What happened at Villa Park?
As TNT Sports were getting on with their coverage ahead of kick-off, a small segment involved Liam MacDevitt, ex-footballer and pundit, taking an attempt of kicking for the posts.
However, the Leicester squad were well into their warm-up underneath those posts at the time and head coach Geoff Parling was far from pleased with a rogue ball flying towards his players.
Parling marched straight over to the TNT crew and directed most of his anger towards lead presenter Craig Doyle, shouting ‘No, it’s f*****g not on! Get off the pitch!’.
The sweary response was bad enough for audiences, but when Parling then pushed Doyle, still in front of the cameras, the altercation became even more sour.
Both Doyle and MacDevitt hurriedly moved away from the coach and towards the touchline, where the rest of the TNT pundits were waiting, as Doyle had to make an apology for the foul language.
PICTURE: Getty Images
How did fans and the media react?
Immediately, the altercation was seen by thousands online, with most of the anger being thrown at Parling, who was slated for his aggressive response.
However, some online did see where his frustrations came from. At the end of the day, Parling was protecting his players who were warming up for a big game.
In such a high-contact sport, injuries are common and are always aimed to be reduced. Having a rugby ball fly towards a team at full pelt is something that simply can be avoided.
After the game, the Leicester boss told the BBC that he had received an apology from the TNT producers.
What was Parling’s reaction?
Parling told the media: “They (the presenters) had set something up that wasn’t passed with anybody to our knowledge.
“I’m very wary that I need to protect my players and certainly balls flying towards our players that could go anywhere.”
Despite receiving an apology, he also issued one of his own for the way the situation was handled, in a statement released by Leicester Tigers.
“I would like to apologise for the incident pre-game,” Parling said on Sunday. “It is important we stay a family-focused game and it wasn’t appropriate for viewers to see that.”
🐯 | Geoff Parling has confirmed that he's received an apology from the Prem's official TV Broadcaster, after an incident pre-match.
— BBC Sport Leicester (@BBCRLSport) March 28, 2026
The incident has been clipped up and shared widely on social media.
🔗 https://t.co/y6S5nhdnU1 pic.twitter.com/igFchdMdnb
Overreaction or justified?
Ultimately, it seems there is no bad blood between the broadcasters and Leicester, but it is glaringly clear that this incident could have been avoided if the silly decision to kick a ball directly into a warm-up had never happened.
Yes, we live in a time where broadcasters are having to get more creative to evolve the viewing experience, or create views online, but there is a line. That line was crossed on Saturday.
In a world where player welfare is at its peak, the fact that the incident was allowed to go ahead was ludicrous and Parling had every right to complain.
But ultimately, he should have remained professional and handled the situation differently, knowing full well he was live on TV to thousands of families around the UK.
Simply put, an incident like this gives rugby a look which they have been desperate to move away from for quite some time.
READ MORE: Gloucester 17-36 Leicester Tigers: Quick-fire Tigers put Cherry & Whites to the sword
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