Colchester Rugby Club held a reception for some of their most loyal sponsors to thank them for their vital contribution to the current success of the club, on and off the pitch.

“Everything we do out on the pitch is because of you guys,” head coach Mike Haywood told the attendees. “Thank you for your support.”

With around 25 sponsors, representing a range of local companies, individuals and other organisations in attendance, it was also a chance for the club’s financial supporters to learn more about plans for the future.

Hosting the breakfast gathering, club chairman Karl O’Brien reviewed the club’s current position, most notably with the first team now looking good for promotion and a return to National League rugby next season.

But he also pointed out that the club regularly fields four senior men’s teams, as well as the highly successful women’s team the Iceni, the Colchester Kings and the veterans’ team the Roman Ruins.

Karl also outlined the club’s community role, including links with local schools, and was quick to pay tribute to the sponsors, stressing that they play a vital role in the club’s on-going success.

Digital and social media guru Chris White then outlined some of the new things the club was planning to offer sponsors in the future, including short-form video profiles of sponsors’ activities to go on social media, plus enhanced coverage on the big screen TVs in the clubhouse.

Chris is also looking at refreshing sponsors’ advertisements in the Raven magazine and redesigning advertising hoardings around the first team pitch.

During his question-and-answer session, Mike was quizzed about how he saw the future for the first team, and how he was already preparing for next season if the team is playing in a higher league.

“This is an exciting club. We’ve got unbelievable facilities, we’ve got a great community we can tap into, we’ve got great sponsors like you guys. It’s exciting.

“National 2 is not the limit for me. I’m very competitive and this is just an exciting place to be.”

Karl was also asked about the financial challenges of playing in the higher league.

“You guys support us fantastically, but we do need more sponsorship to help us there. That will be key in helping us finance everything next year if we go up.”

To emphasise the requirement to maximise the club’s income, Karl outlined the sort of significant sums clubs in National 2 are paying to attract top players and to maintain their status in the fourth level of English rugby.

“We are talking to a number of other potential sponsors, and we feel confident we will get there, albeit we understand what a tough economic climate we’re in.”

Any organisation or individual who might be interested in getting involved with Essex’s most successful rugby club should get in touch with commercial manager Bill Rhys Jones via email at bill@colchesterrugby.co.uk