City game in shade (4)
I believe the answer is:
ecru
'shade' is the definition.
(colour)
'city game' is the wordplay.
'city' becomes 'EC' (postcode for the City of London).
'game' becomes 'ru' (rugby union).
'ec'+'ru'='ECRU'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for ecru that I've seen before include "one of the colours" , "Strange cure for a colour" , "Beige shade" , "Light fawn colour" , "Raw linen colour" .)