Leicester's acceptance to join the Premier 15s competition next season shows Tigers have "made up for a lot of years missed" in developing the women's game, says team boss Vicky Macqueen.

Former England international Macqueen has worked as head of women's rugby since the team's inception.

"We want to do all we can to do right by the women's game," Macqueen said.

"For us, we are all open in saying Tigers should have done this a long time ago. Everyone says that and everyone inside the building knows that.

"I think we have certainly made up for a lot of the years we missed.

"We knew what our agenda was and it was then about how do we get there?

"We've had a blank piece of paper. The support to get the tools we needed to get this machine in motion has been immense."

Tigers, who are 11-time and reigning men's Premiership champions, had to prove they have the resources, personnel and facilities to join the women's top flight.

The club's links with Lichfield - a former top-flight club that was ousted from the elite level when the domestic game was revamped in 2017 - helped ensure they have a expansive development pathway as well.

Last season the team played as Lichfield-Leicester Tigers, with the identity of the side changing further this season with Lichfield now linked to Tigers as a feeder club.

They have quickly established themselves as a force in the Championship North competition, winning all nine of their games.

Macqueen, a Leicestershire local who played English club rugby at Lichfield and Saracens, has pieced together an eclectic squad at Tigers - one that includes a number of rugby newcomers - and hopes to build on it as they step into a competition awash with international stars.

Leicestershire rivals Loughborough Lightning, as just one example, are a side that includes England captain Sarah Hunter, former world player of the year Emily Scarratt and explosive 20-year-old Red Roses forwards Sadia Kabeya and Morwenna Talling.

"We 100% believe we would compete at the bottom end of the Premiership with squad we have," Macqueen told BBC Radio Leicester. "Without a doubt, the girls are 100% all in and the squad is really strong.

"Of course to bolster our squad will be important, and as we move forward we need to look at how that looks in detail. But essentially, our squad is where we want it to be."