Four wins in a row, and our 1st XV are determined to continue their streak this week as they travel away to Chingford tomorrow. Chingford currently hold fortress over the top of the league, also unbeaten and with 4 win bonus points under their belts, it's going to be a great contest for our 1st XV. This weekend could see a serious league table shuffle and Chingford is only 1 hour down the road, so if you're able to make the journey we know our boys would seriously appreciate the support, you can find the address for Chingford RFC here, kick off is at 3pm.

After a dedicated display at home last weekend, our Ravens are back out at Mill Road this weekend as they host Henley II XV. Despite their losing to some of the top teams in the league, Colchester Ravens have scored more points than Henley so far, so hopefully this could be the break that our Ravens deserve. Get along to Mill Road for the 3pm kick off to cheer on our players!

Our unbeaten A XV play their fourth game of the season against Hadleigh at home on Saturday. Hadleigh currently sit just one point below to the A XV in the table so will be striving for a win, however our players are determined to protect their winning streak so this could be a very interesting and physical game. Catch the game on pitch 2 at 3pm tomorrow.

Our Cavaliers and Roundheads both get a well deserved rest this weekend- enjoy it guys, back into the fray next weekend!

As always our bar will be open from 12 noon for you to grab your drinks before the games kick off and join in the celebrations!

#COMEONCOL

Youth Rugby Season gets underway this Sunday

With fresh boots on their feet and preseason training under their belts, our youth section are raring to get stuck into their new season this weekend. All the games have been confirmed and you'll be able to watch 3 exciting home games up at Mill Road. Our U16s and U14s both host Cambridge whilst our U13s play Mersea, all kicking off at 11am. The entirety of the weekend's fixtures can be seen below.

1st XV: The Preview, with John Smith

From now on, Senior Chairman Jon Smith will be writing 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 in an insight into the inner workings of our club. Jon's review of last weekend is already up on the website here. In this week's preview Jon explains the team selection for the Brentwood game and what our players can expect to come up against.

"The 1st XV faces their toughest challenge of the season so far, a 1st vs 3rd, top of the table collision at the Lea Valley Fields. It could be a classic because we share identical ambitions - promotion to the National Leagues. The only thing that separates the two sides in the league is one bonus point.

Chingford narrowly missed out on promotion to National Three last season following a nail-biting extra-time, play-off defeat to Tunbridge Wells. After this disappointment Chingford have clearly started the season with purpose and four consecutive bonus point wins. This season they are building a side around Cameron Meakin - the former East Grinstead scrum half who has been a consistent performer in the National Leagues for a number of sides. Alongside Cameron will be fly half Scott Meakin, also a former member of the team formerly branded as 'G-Force' (aka East Grinstead RFC) by former sponsor Gavin Gleave when he led East Grinstead into the National Leagues.

There are a couple of changes to the Colchester side that defeated Brentwood last weekend. Firstly, we are delighted to see the return of Shelford Meads at centre alongside last week's Man of the Match, George Liversidge. Shelford has been a revelation and alongside Liversidge they have started to emerge as a very dangerous and powerful centre pairing. Against Brentwood Liversidge made some fabulous runs and carried the ball with power and pace. As I said in the review of the Brentwood victory, George has made stunning progress and having watched the match video several times it is clear to see that sides are really going to struggle to contain a centre who possesses such power and pace, especially when he's 6'4" and 110kgs!

Lining up on the bench for his competitive senior debut is exciting utility back Lewis Williams. Lewis has been starring for the Ravens in testing games against National League opposition such as Bury, Tring and Canterbury. Everyone who has played with Lewis has praised his courage, guile and ability to cover virtually any position from scrum half to full back. Again, our policy of developing homegrown players and 'one club philosophy' is proving successful in a world where so many other clubs rely on aggressive recruitment and payment.

This season the Colts have come under the leadership of the Senior Section so we will be keeping an eye on their progress and results. So many of our Colts are making the transition into the Senior sides and it is a really exciting time at Colchester RFC. This week the Colts will be heading off to play Cambridge Colts (in their fabulous new kit, kindly sponsored by Whitehall Resources!) on Sunday morning.

The squad is:

1. Thomas Carver-Hardy 2. Drew Tierney
3. Jonny Barnes 4. Elliot Adams
5. George Acland-Shannon 6. Sam Lines (Captain)
7. Jack Harvey 8. Finlay Nuttall
9. Ollie Allen 10. Sam Borges
11. Adam Siddle 12. Luke Williams
13. Jonah Varala 14. Ollie Eves
15. Ben Simpson

16. John Lynch 17. Ewan Waters
18. Kit Walch 19. Josh Clark
20. Tom Coats 21. Cameron Dix
22. Joe Boone 23. Manny Wright

Good luck boys!"

You can read Jon's full report, including an exclusive look at the 1st XV line up on our website here.

Colchester RFC's Fireworks Evening: 5th November

We've got exciting news as we launch our new, annual Fireworks evening for Colchester RFC Supporters and their families!

We're packing Mill Road full of delicious food & drink, fairground rides, fun activities, and most importantly; FIREWORKS on Sunday 5th of November.

Keep an eye out on our website and social media as we reveal in due course all you can look forward to on that day. However, we can confirm there will be a Forwards vs Backs eating competition so rally up your teammates to get involved so we can finally put to rest who's the best!

You can purchase an adult ticket for £7, child ticket for £5 and a family (2 adults, 2 children) for £20. Tickets will be available from the bar this weekend, and you can also reserve you tickets by emailing here.

International Tickets for Wales vs Australia

As much as us English hate to admit it, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff is a fortress for rugby and builds one of the best atmospheres on the rugby international circuit. We have some tickets available to purchase for any club members who would like to go to the Wales vs Australia game on the 11th of November with the U16s, each ticket is £54 and if there's enough interest we'll organise a coach to take you there too! So to secure your ticket to one of the best venues in the world, email Dan here.

Harry's 'hero' try now available for you watch!

Our try-lights are now up on YouTube for you to bask in their glory. Three excellent 2st XV tries in the game against Brentwood last weekend include a showcase of strength from Ollie Pickett and backs Will Brown and Harry Barton at their best! Check out the footage of the tries here.

Support your club and get a free pint? Take a look at our new Patrons scheme...

Established some years ago by two former 1st XV Captains, the CRFC Patrons Scheme is a revenue generator to support our 1st XV squad and helps pay for items the Club finds harder to afford from our other income sources. This can include after training food, physios and legitimate travel expenses. It is a great way in which individuals can help sustain our 1st XV at the current level and provide a springboard to move higher back into the National Leagues.

For £150* per annum, you'll get

- Free entry to all 1st XV matches at Mill Road
- Patron’s name alongside the shirt number in each Match Programme
- Patron’s name on the Patron Board in Clubhouse
- An invite to one of 2 home games with a pre match complimentary private reception and lunch
- Entered in a Draw for 2 complimentary tickets to an England game

So, that free pint we were talking about..

Brand new to the patrons scheme, if your shirt scores a try during a home game, or is awarded Man of the Match, you'll get a free pint! You must be in the bar after the game when the announcements will be made in order to receive your beer, so make sure you're at every 1st XV home game and cheer on your number!

*plus the cost of a CRFC membership

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch? Not at Colchester RFC

If you join the CRFC Double Centurion Club then you can choose one of our club lunches to attend*, and we’ll treat you to a three-course meal- on us!

We still have plenty of numbers available in the DCC and if you sign up before Saturday you will be entered into September’s Draw which boasts a 1st prize of £250 and a 2nd prize of £50.

Why would you want to join?

+ It’s only £5 a month (less than an [expensive] cup of coffee!)
+ You’ll be entered into monthly draws with prizes of £250 and £50
+ The October draw 1st prize is £750 and April’s draw 1st price is a whopping £1,500!
+ Best yet, all the profits go straight back into Colchester RFC

So now’s your chance, email Kim at kim@amnesiaflowers.com and bag your ticket now!

*Subject to availability

Stock up on all your CRFC stash at our Club House Shop

Our CRFC club shop is open Wednesday and 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...

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! This week George Liversidge was awarded the title as he pushed forward from inside centre throughout the first half and presented a consistent threat .

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!