The boxing and rugby worlds collided in St Albans on Friday night in aid of Rugby for Heroes and Irish Hearts.

Inside 360 event management hosted a star-studded evening at St Albans Polo Club that featured a Ferrari California and an Audi R8 from Supercar Experience, the London Cheerleaders, sporting memorabilia, DJ Spoony and Thompsons@Darcy’s Michelin star food; and at the centre of it all were legends and up-and-coming names from boxing and rugby.

Perhaps none were bigger than Steve Collins Snr, the owner of the farm the Polo Club sits on, who famously beaten Chris Eubank for the WBO super-middleweight title. He took on corner duties for the fights throughout the night, starting with his son, Steve Collins Jnr, who fought Craig Hawkins, the Scarlets hooker.

It was the first of four light-hearted bouts on the night that featured former Commonwealth champion Chris Okoh, former British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight Mike Alldis, former All Black Craig Newby and London Welsh full-back Paul Sampson.

The highlight of the night, though, apart from DJ Spoony, who was on top form, was Paul ‘Silky’ Jones, the first British-born light-middleweight world champion. The 47-year-old entertained the crowd with his witty barbs as well as his punches throughout the fight.

At the core of the whole evening, though, was the charities, and R4H founder Alan Lamb couldn’t have been happier.

“It was a great night for the charity,” he said.

“The three rugby lads did a fantastic job in their support of Rugby for Heroes.”

Hawkins, who fought Okoh, added: “I loved it. It’s a fantastic charity and, personally, it was something a bit different. The boxers were great sports and it was good to meet all the guys.”

Organiser Niki Hobbs, director of Inside 360, rounded up the night, saying: “The girls have been great, the boxers enjoyed it and we’ve helped two worthy causes.”