Monday 7 December 2015 16:35, UK
Ben Youngs has joined Leicester captain Ed Slater, centre Manu Tuilagi and fly-half Freddie Burns in agreeing a new contract at the club.
Youngs, who graduated out of Leicester's academy to make his first-team bow in 2007, was the skipper for much of last season before handing that honour to long-serving lock Slater.
Slater, 27, made his 100th appearance for the club against Bath in November and guided them to their fifth Aviva Premiership win in six games this season at the weekend.
Meanwhile Burns, 25, has scored nearly 200 points for the Tigers since arriving from Gloucester before the start of last season, during which he made 28 appearances, but he is yet to feature in the current campaign after fracturing his jaw during the pre-season programme in October.
"When I first came to Tigers last summer, I always thought of it as a long-term move for me, not a short-term fix, and I'm very happy to have agreed a new contract to stay," said Burns, who has played five times for England.
"Leicester is a great club with a lot of history and hopefully this group of players can add some history of their own."
Youngs, who has 52 caps for England, added: "The fact my dad was a Leicester Tigers player and that I can play
alongside my brother in the Tigers team here each week is very important to me.
"I've been at the club for a long time and it's a great experience to be involved at a club with that strong family connection."
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: "Freddie has worked very hard since he arrived last summer and he is enjoying his time with the club, working with head coach Aaron Mauger and the rest of the coaching team and the squad.
"He is really keen to continue to develop his game and progress his career with us and I'm very happy he has committed to stay here.
"Ed has made a massive contribution over the last six seasons as a Leicester Tigers player. He is the club captain because he is an outstanding player and an important member of the first-team squad both on and off the field.
"We're very happy that he has agreed new terms beyond the end of this season and we look forward to seeing his continued influence on those around him as well as his development as a player in this environment.
"Ed is among the English-qualified players and leaders at the heart of the squad, which is extremely important to the culture of the club."
Tuilagi, 24, is another Leicester academy product and has spent his entire career at the club while winning 25 caps for England.
He had been the subject of speculation about his future in recent months because his previous deal at Welford Road was due to expire at the end of the season.
He told the club website: "The Tigers has been a big part of my life and following my brothers into the team here was a very proud moment for me.
"The club always wants to be successful, the players and coaches set very high standards and we are always looking to improve. It is a great club and I'm very settled here. The club and the supporters have been very good to me.
"The way the team has been playing this season is very exciting with Aaron Mauger as head coach and that is another reason I'm looking forward to getting back out on the pitch in Tigers colours."
