Geoff Parling 'protecting players' with angry reaction to ball kicked by TV host

Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Leicester boss Geoff Parling says he was protecting his players when he was involved in a heated exchange with TV presenters ahead of their Gallagher Prem match with Gloucester at Villa Park on Saturday.

Footage showed TNT Sports' Craig Doyle inviting Liam MacDevitt to attempt a conversion, saying it was an initiation as a new member of the presenting team.

MacDevitt sent his kick from out on the touchline towards the posts in the direction of where Leicester players were warming up, prompting a furious response from Parling.

He marched over, pushing Doyle out of the way after the presenter asked: "Would you sign him Geoff?".

"It's f****** not on," Parling said.

Doyle apologised for the language, saying: "Geoff's not happy about that."

Cheer up Geoff!pic.twitter.com/dOSiKBM0vG

— RugbyInsideLine (@RugbyInsideLine) March 28, 2026

Speaking after the game to BBC Radio Leicester, Parling said: "The producer from TNT has just come and apologised to me. They had something set up that wasn't passed with anybody, without our knowledge.

"I'm very wary I need to protect my players and certainly balls flying towards our players that could go anywhere where there's an injury risk, then I'm obviously not going to be happy."