Our 1st XV are fully recovered from their rest weekend and raring to get stuck back into their rugby! This weekend they travel round the M25 to Ruislip RFC who currently sit 9th in the league. Despite winning 2 weeks ago against Old Haberdashers', our 1st XV weren't entirely satisfied with their performance so they dedicated an extra training session last week to ensure they're prepared for their next contest. With the pressure of varying injuries showing, veteran second rower and backs coach Lee Soper returns to the fray after hanging his boots up last year. Sopes is a class act so you'll want to see him in action! We'll also be joined by guest coach Nic Lloyd who is visiting from Scotland! If you fancy coming along to cheer on our 1st XV then you can find the directions here, and the kick off is 3pm.

Our Ravens came so close to victory last weekend against Redingensians, with only a last minute try and penalty snatching the win from their hands. This weekend they're back at Mill Road to take on Westcombe Park II XV. Westcombe Park are also yet to win a game this season, however unlike Colchester Ravens, they've also struggled to pick up any bonus points, so as a result sit below us in the table. Our Ravens are determined to capitalize on this and secure their first victory of the season. Our players are working so hard in the face of defeat and still continue to push on with everything they've got, so please come down to Mill Road tomorrow to support them in what should be a brilliant game. Kick off is at 2.30pm- we'll see you there!

Our A XV are also at home this weekend as they host Sudbury Talbots. This is another league table battle as Sudbury currently sit just below Colchester in the Eastern Counties 1 table in 4th place. Our A XV are still capable of competing for promotion this season having only lost twice, so this game is a great opportunity to push themselves further up the league table. It's another great clash for you to watch at Mill Road so come and lend your support for the 3pm kick off.

Our Cavaliers are back on the road tomorrow as they travel to Ipswich Y.M. Our Cavs currently sit 2nd in the table after only 1 defeat so much like our A XV, they're also pushing for promotion. It's only a short trip down the A12 so come along and support our Cavs as they do battle with Ipswich Y.M at 3pm, the directions to the club are here.

Our Roundheads are fully rested and eager to get back on the pitch as they take on Clacton Kestrels tomorrow. Clacton are yet to win a game this season and our veteran squad of Roundheads will be determined not to change that! Catch the game at 3pm at Clacton's home ground.

Our bar will be open from 12pm for you to grab a drink before cheering on our home sides.

#COMEONCOL

Youth on Sunday

Our youth section are taking a break from the games this weekend and spending their Sunday honing their skills with a coaching session. With special sessions run by the 1st XV players, our youth section will learn from their older and wiser (?!) counterparts! Last season's coaching masterclass was a great success, with Liam Pickett helping with tackling skills, Matt Wadling coaching evasion running and the Mitchell brothers (Mitch and Salad, not Phil and Grant!) helping our youth section with scrummaging. These sessions are always great fun and emulate the club values as a family community #AllOneClub

Upcoming Events at CRFC

Fireworks Extravaganza!

We are putting on a fantastic fireworks evening exclusively for you; our dedicated club members and supporters. The evening of Sunday 5th November will include a professional fireworks display taking place on the 1st XV pitch, a delicious BBQ run by our superb in house caterers as well as sumptuous home made paella, and of course Claire and her sparkling crew of bar staff will have all the best drink deals available for you.

We'll have inflatables and fairground rides for children to play on and our cheerleaders from Community day are back to provide the build up for the main event; the FIREWORKS! For more details of what you can expect, join our Facebook event here.

Buy your ticket now to bag your place for you and your family and friends, at the best fireworks event in Colchester (if we do say so ourselves!), you won't want to miss out! Reserve your tickets by emailing us here, or purchase them at the bar when you're next at the club.

Family Tickets (2 adult, 2 U18s): £20
Adult Tickets: £7
Child Tickets (U18): £5

Gates open at 4.30pm, we can't wait to see you there!

Things get Spooooooky at our Halloween Lunch

We've got only a handful of spaces at our Halloween lunch on the 28th of October. Join us and tuck into a delicious three course lunch before our 1st XV take on Letchworth Garden City out on the pitch.

Our fantastic in-house caterer Dawn is currently crouched over her cauldron as she concocts a wicked menu for you to enjoy, so in the meantime book your place now to secure the final few spaces.

Contact Maggie now by emailing her here to book a table for you and your friends.

Fancy dress is very much encouraged and the best outfits will be rewarded!

1st XV: The Review, 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 the Ravens and Colts games last weekend is already up on the website here. This week, in his preview, Jon looks at how our 1st XV will contend against Ruislip with a tricky weather forecast.

"The senior coaching team have been hard at work this week organising 4 squads - this weekend coincides with the start of the school half term break so availability can sometimes be an issue. Richard Holland, Andy Sutcliffe and Mike Howlett have organised the A XV and 4th XV teams to face Sudbury (home) and Ipswich YM (away) respectively.

The Ravens will take on Westcombe Park 2nd XV at Mill Road. The Ravens are fielding a strong side and plenty of players with plenty of 1st XV experience in the shape of skipper Andy Goodbourn and Eli Castle. We also welcome Dan Hexley back into action for Colchester RFC - Dan was the skipper of one of our great Colts sides and his presence will inject a little 'tenacity' into the front row. We are also looking forward to Zac Puckey making his senior debut. Zac put in an outstanding performance for the Colts against Braintree last week and he has impressed everyone at training this week with his superb attitude and determination. Zac has the potential to star in the back row, he's a quick around the field and aggressive with the ball in hand. Last week he made a raft of powerful breaks and the Braintree defence couldn't get near him!

The 1st XV travel to Ruislip RFC in Middlesex. Ruislip are currently sitting in 9th place in London 1 North, registering two wins so far this season; against Letchworth and Saffron Walden. Ruislip are an established London 1 side and they will be tough test for our boys. Elsewhere in the league fellow promotion chasers Chingford visit Fullerians and Amersham and Chiltern will host Saffron Walden. As a team we are well aware of the need to keep our momentum going and pick up invaluable bonus points whenever possible. With just seven points separating the top three sides, the leadership of the league could change hands over the course of two games - every point is precious. Colchester last faced Ruislip on March 28th 2015 in London 1 promotion season, running away with the game (19-83) after scoring 13 tries! On that day Callum Irvine, our captain at the time, weighed in with five tries and from memory ten different players contributed to the scoreboard!

Although you can never trust a weather forecast, everyone is predicting that Saturday will be wet and windy. Although storm "Brian" doesn't sound terribly threatening, the predicted 70 mph winds could have an influence on both the tactics and approach to the game. There is a significant slope at West End Road and both teams will have to consider modifications to line outs and their kicking game.

On Sunday a number of the 1st XV will be at Mill Road supporting our Youth coaches in some specialised aspects of the game. Brett Cutbush, David Higgins, Joe Reid, Rob Pickard and Simon Gray have pledged to give up their Sunday morning lie in in order to pass on their knowledge and expertise to help our young rugby players. There are so many aspects of sport that are dominated by professionalism, incentives and financial gain - it is great to see our players giving up their time and energy to support the future of the club. "

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

The Bouddica Belles are back!

The Ladies' Touch season recommences and you're invited to join!

This week the ladies' touch side The Bouddica Belles returned to training after the summer off.

The sessions are for all women over the age of 16, regardless of skill set or fitness level. It's a great opportunity for you to get into rugby without the contact. Expert coaches Paul Mills and Graham Seal will take you through the skills you'll need for touch rugby and you'll be into the swing of the game by the end of the session.

The taster sessions are completely free so come and give it a go! Sessions are every Wednesday on the far right pitches, 6.45pm-7.45pm.

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

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

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!

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!