This week we have three exciting home games for you at Mill Road this weekend. The A XV face Ipswich Y.M., the Cavaliers take on Felixstowe and the Roundheads welcome Mersea Rhinos. Meanwhile the 1st XV travel to South Woodham Ferrers and the Ravens visit Wimbledon.

Our 1st XV take on South Woodham Ferrers, a team that currently sit at the bottom of the league table. This doesn't mean that it's a game for Colchester to relax into. With the league being so tight at the top, points difference stats are key so Colchester need to use games like these to try and increase their edge over the teams they sit with at the top of the league. With a strong team selected we're hoping for a great result this weekend. Live score updates will be tweeted on @ColchesterRFC and highlights of the game will be on our Instagram stories @colchesterrugby. Kick off is at 2pm and if you would like to come and support, the directions to the ground can be found here.

Our Ravens also hit the road tomorrow as they visit Wimbledon IIs at 2pm. They put in their best team performance last weekend during their win over Ealing, so they're taking this positivity and strength into tomorrow's game. If you'd like to go and support you can find the direction to Wimbledon's clubhouse here.

The A XV host Ipswich Y.M. tomorrow and are striving for a win in an attempt to recover from their heartbreakingly close loss last weekend. The boys will be kicking off at 2pm- so make sure you're at Mill Road to check them out.

The Cavaliers also battle it out at home as they welcome Felixstowe to the fortress that is Mill Road. Cavaliers managed an impressive win last time they met with Felixstowe earlier in the season, beating them 14-64. The players are hoping for a similar result this weekend, and if successful, this could be a very entertaining game. Make sure you're at Mill Road for the 2pm kick off to catch the match.

We have a very special game on Pitch 1 tomorrow as our Roundheads play Mersea Rhinos at 3pm under the floodlights. Why so special, I hear you ask? Alan Goggin, a Colchester RFC stalwart and Roundheads regular, is celebrating his 70th birthday the best way we can imagine- playing for CRFC! This is an incredible achievement and to celebrate, we're giving him the full CRFC treatment- including playing on pitch 1 under the floodlights in front of the ever loyal Mill Road home crowd. This is such a special moment for Alan and his team mates so please join us in celebrating!

The clubhouse will be open from 12pm onwards for you to grab some refreshments before cheering on our team at Mill Road.

#COMEONCOL

Youth on Sunday

Most of our youth section take a break from fixtures this weekend to refocus on skills and strategy as they return to coaching delivered by our dedicated and expert coaching team. We're also hosting the Eastern Counties U13s festival so Mill Road will be buzzing with activity. All the weekend's activity below:

Bring in the New Year with Colchester RFC- buy tickets online

2017 has been a great year for CRFC and we're determined to get 2018 off to the best possible start with a huge New Year's Eve party up at Mill Road.

From 7.30pm until 1am we're providing special drinks deals at the bar to rival every venue in Colchester including a free glass of prosecco on arrival. We’ve got a brilliant DJ to supply the tunes, a delicious buffet and a photo booth, all we need is YOU! Gather your friends and family and join us for this mega event. Colchester RFC knows how to have a good night- and our New Year’s Eve Party will be no exception!

We also have extremely reasonably priced taxis available exclusively for this event which you can pre-book with Claire beforehand, saving you the headache of finding a taxi.

You can buy your tickets at the bar with Claire now, and at only £15 for an adult and £7 for a child you’re getting a real bargain! You can buy your tickets online here, but please note there will be an admin fee applied- for fee free tickets (try saying that after a few pints!) come up to the bar to buy your ticket direct with us!

1st XV: The Review, with John Smith

Every week Senior Chairman Jon Smith writes a review of the 1st XV's last game and a separate preview to the next game. These articles will give you the behind the scenes low down on what goes on with our 1st XV and an insight into the inner workings of our club. This week, Jon previews the 1st XV's away visit to South Woodham Ferrers.

"The victory over Eton Manor was the best possible way for our lads to bounce back and the victory, combined with the quality of the second half performance, has laid the foundations for our visit to South Woodham Ferrers this weekend.

South Woodham Ferrers, along with Diss, were promoted into London 1 North on the back of an excellent campaign where they showed superb home form, losing just one game over the course of the season. They have found life difficult in this division, but they should not be underestimated having recorded home wins over very capable teams such as Old Priorians and Old Haberdashers. Every team in the division can provide a real challenge and at no point we will ever take a game lightly.

In terms of selection, there are minor changes to the side (in the forwards) due to availability issues. A number of our players have weekend work commitments and believe it or not some of them have a life beyond rugby! The most noticeable change comes in the back row, where Harrison Pickett makes a welcome return to the starting line up, but Dan Whiteman is unavailable due to his work schedule. So, for the first time in a couple of years, all three Pickett brothers will be back in the starting XV - it's a welcome sight for us, not so much for South Woodham Ferrers! Although the side will undoubtedly miss the contribution Whiteman makes to the side in terms of his work rate, link play and carrying, we have the quality and personnel to adapt.

The back line is unchanged. George Liversidge and Will Brown will continue in the centre after a really promising performance against Eton Manor. Will Brown continued his excellent form, particularly in defence, where he maintained his 100% complete tackle record. Although Manor didn't stage too many attacks, our boys finished the game with 91% of tackles completed without error. In addition to accuracy in defence, our analysis showed an extraordinary number of ball carries; something we will be aiming to replicate this weekend."

You can read Jon's full report on our website here.

Player Profile: Pat Murphy

Team: Ravens

Position: Back Row

How long have you been playing at Colchester?
4 and 1/2 years

Which opposition do you most look forward to playing against and why?
Bury St Edmunds, it’s a local derby for us and is always a physical game

Growing up, who was your all time favourite rugby player?
Easy- Brian O’Driscoll

When did you last score a try?
Last weekend against Hertford

Do you get nervous before a big game?
Yes, a little bit

Who is the funniest in the squad?
KP (Kieran Payne)

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t eat yellow snow!

If you were playing for the opposition, which Colchester player would you be most nervous to face? Why?
Will Brown and Brett Cutbush, they’re both intelligent rugby players with gas, and Will seems to slip out of every tackle made on him!

If you could invite any 3 people, dead or alive for a dinner party who would it be and why?
David Attenborough, Micky Flanagan, and Adolf Hitler. They’re all interesting people.

If you ever found yourself auditioning for a music competition what song would you sing and why?
Celion Dion’s My Heart Will Go One from Titanic, what a belter!

Stock up on all your CRFC stash at our Clubhouse Shop

Our CRFC club shop is open Thursday evenings 7pm-8pm and Sunday mornings 9.30am to 12.30pm for you to grab all the CRFC goodies you need.

We've got playing kit, hoodies, socks, gumshields, new hats and scarfs and much more all ready for you to buy. With the weather getting colder, we recommend you check out the shop so you can stay warm in CRFC style!

Colchester Rugby Club gets social- Eton Manor-Try Lights!

There's plenty going on across our social media all the time. Keep up to date with all CRFC news, rugby content, events, and video highlights. We announce the Man of the Match every weekend over on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so make sure you're following us to keep up to date! A selection of our SIX magnificent tries scored against Eton Manor have just gone live on YouTube, so check them out here.

So, make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop. You can also find videos of all the tries from this season and last on our YouTube channel and all the behind the scenes action and live game highlights are on our snapchat: colchesterrugby.

Good luck to all our players in action this weekend and we look forward to seeing you at Mill Road soon!