Richmond Colts hosted a Legacy Day on Sunday morning at the RAG, bringing together current and former players for one of the final matchdays of the season.

The day is designed to reconnect former players and parents with the current squad, giving everyone the chance to return to the club, catch up with teammates and enjoy a morning of rugby together. With the event falling on Mother’s Day, mums arriving at the ground were also welcomed with a glass of prosecco before the games got underway.

Strong numbers meant Richmond were able to field two Colts sides across the morning.
On Pitch 2, in front of a large crowd of family and friends, Richmond faced Battersea Ironsides in sunny but windy conditions. It proved to be an entertaining contest with plenty of attacking rugby from both sides in a match that swung back and forth, but Richmond finished strongly to secure a 30–20 win.

Meanwhile on the back pitches, the second Colts side took on Cobham. It was a competitive game throughout, with Cobham eventually coming out on top 41–20 despite a battling performance from Richmond.

While the rugby provided plenty of entertainment, the purpose of the day went far beyond the results.

At 17 and 18, rugby - like many sports, often sees a large number of players step away from the game as they move on to university, work or other opportunities. Legacy Day was introduced by Head Coach Ollie Cross to help keep players connected to the club and remind those who may have drifted away that they are always welcome back.

Sunday offered the opportunity to bring many of those people back together, reconnecting former teammates, welcoming back past players and showcasing the sense of community that sits at the heart of Richmond Rugby.

As Cross explained, “Our goal for Legacy/Mother’s Day was simple: to reconnect our past players and parents with our present. Some of this group have spent well over a decade together. Parents on the touchline, players on the field, which adds up to a lot of cold Sundays and a lot of shared memories.

While some players may no longer be playing at Richmond, their friendship groups often still remain within the club. Sunday gave us the opportunity to bring as many people back together as possible and reflect on everything we have shared over the years.”

The Colts programme continues to provide experiences that help strengthen those bonds. In January, the squad travelled to Dublin, where they watched a Champions Cup fixture and played against a formidable Lansdowne RFC during the tour.

We hope everyone who was involved in Sunday’s Legacy Day had a great time!

If you would like to play for our Colts team or any other team within our rugby set-up, please contact rugby@richmondfc.co.uk