Colchester Kings ready to host UK’s International Gay Rugby Finals

Colchester will take centre stage in UK LGBTQ+ sport this weekend as it hosts the International Gay Rugby (IGR) UK Finals Day, an event expected to attract hundreds of players, supporters and visitors from across the country.

The town is hosting one of the largest LGBTQ+ sporting events in the UK, with the finals taking place on Saturday, 25 April at Raven Park, Cuckoo Farm Way, home of the Colchester Kings rugby club, East Anglia’s first LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby team.

More than 200 players from teams nationwide are expected to travel to Essex for the culmination of the IGR league season, bringing a significant boost to the local economy as well as celebrating inclusion and diversity in sport.

The Colchester Kings will both host and compete on Finals Day after a standout season. The club secured their place with a dominant 57-5 victory over Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents in March, winning the IGR South Division 2 title and earning the right to contest the national finals on home ground.

Matches will get under way at 12pm, with the Kings facing Manchester Village Spartans at 1pm. Alongside the rugby, organisers have planned a full programme of entertainment, including live music, food and drink stalls, and family-friendly activities throughout the day.

Club vice-chair James Silverstone said hosting the finals was about far more than the rugby itself.

“This isn’t just a final for us - it’s a moment for Colchester,” he said. “To be able to bring a national LGBTQ+ sporting event here, and to do it off the back of our strongest season, means a huge amount. We’ve always said this club is about more than rugby – it’s about giving people a place where they feel they belong”.

Kings captain Tom Crudgington added that playing the final at home carried special significance for players who have not always felt welcome in traditional sporting environments.

“For a lot of us, rugby hasn’t always felt like a space we could fully be ourselves in. This club changed that, and now we get to play a national final at home, surrounded by a community that’s backed us all the way,” he said.