At Letchworth Rugby Club, rugby has always been about more than what happens on the pitch.
The club has long taken pride in supporting good causes, local charities and the wider community, with fundraising becoming part of the club’s identity alongside matchdays, minis, youth rugby and senior competition. As a "founder" member supporter of Garden House Hospice Care, the club has donated more than £60,000 over the past decade, helping support vital local care for families across North Hertfordshire.
March continued that tradition in impressive style, with three separate events raising significant funds for important causes, and once again showing how the rugby community comes together when it matters most.
Supporting MND through a memorable evening with Andy Powell
Earlier in the month, the club hosted a hugely enjoyable sporting dinner featuring former Andy Powell, the former British & Irish Lions and Wales national rugby union team international known as much for his larger-than-life stories as his playing career.
The evening brought together club members, supporters and guests for a four-course dinner, fundraising activities and plenty of laughter, with raffle prizes, auction lots and Andy’s trademark storytelling creating a brilliant atmosphere throughout the night.
The event raised £500 for local Motor Neurone Disease support, contributing towards awareness and support connected to a disease that continues to touch many within the rugby world.
Little Ruggers lead the way for Doddie’s cause
At the end of the month, the club’s youngest section showed exactly what rugby community spirit looks like.
Organised by Matt Marsden and the Little Ruggers, a charity match between parents and former players took place at the club, creating a brilliant afternoon for children, families and everyone connected with minis rugby.
With raffles, donations and fantastic support throughout the day, the event raised £2,600 for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, the charity established by former Doddie Weir to fund research into Motor Neurone Disease.
It was one of those afternoons that perfectly reflected what grassroots rugby does so well - bringing generations together, creating fun for children and parents alike, and raising money for a cause that resonates deeply across the game.
Ladies Day delivers laughter, atmosphere and support for Breast Cancer UK
The club’s senior section also delivered one of the standout social occasions of the season with Ladies Day, held before the home fixture against Old Northamptonians RFC, which saw Legends run out 64-33 winners in a high-scoring contest.
The day featured a packed pre-match lunch, a lively atmosphere around the clubhouse, and plenty of post-match entertainment, with the players heavily involved in organising the event under skipper Josh Sharp.
In keeping with the fundraising theme, the first team wore a special pink kit which was then auctioned after the match, alongside the players themselves - with each successful bidder gaining an hour of player service after the game, whether that meant drinks fetched, chairs pulled out, or general good-humoured obedience. The whole thing created plenty of laughter and added to a vibrant afternoon at the club.
The event raised nearly £3,000 for breast cancer awareness, with special thanks going to Sophie Hogg and Ian Parkhouse, collecting money for the players raffle which generated £1,400, alongside all those who bid generously in the post-match auction.
The strength of the club’s atmosphere did not go unnoticed by visitors either. Visiting President of Old Northamptonians, former England Captain and British and Irish Lion, Bob Taylor, commented on what a strong club and community feel the day had created.
Across one month alone, the club raised well over £6,000 for charity. For a club that prides itself on being part of its local community, March was another reminder that the values of rugby - teamwork, generosity and looking after others, extend far beyond an eighty minute match.
And while results on the pitch matter, months like this show that some of the club’s most important victories happen off it too.
Photos of Ladies Day, 28 March by @maxp_creative
