Wasps

What Wasps does

Wasps Rugby Football Club is a historic English rugby union club founded in 1867, currently in a post-administration rebuilding phase after entering administration in October 2022 and being removed from the RFU Championship in May 2023. The club's intellectual property, brand, history and memorabilia were acquired from administration in November 2022 by HALO22 Limited, an entity owned by Christopher Holland, who now serves as Chairman & CEO. Wasps is owned by Loxwood Holdings and operates under a leadership team that includes CEO Andy Scott, with former internationals Kenny Logan and Peter Scrivener on the main board. The club historically competed at the highest level of English and European rugby, having won 6 English Premiership titles (including three consecutive 2003-2005) and 2 Heineken Cups (2003/04 and 2006/07), and previously played home matches at the 32,000-capacity Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Wasps' commercial offering centers on the men's and women's professional rugby teams, supporter memberships (including the 'The Buzz' email newsletter), matchday ticket sales, merchandise through its website storefront, and corporate sponsorship packages (with Vodafone as principal partner on a multi-year extension and HTDL as website sponsor). The club serves rugby supporters, season ticket holders, corporate sponsors seeking brand association with a heritage rugby brand, and local communities across Coventry/Warwickshire, Greater London, and the planned new Kent catchment. Revenue streams documented include matchday and ticket revenue, corporate sponsorship (kit, principal partner rights, digital), merchandise and retail, and future stadium/property enabling development in Kent.

The club's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging a 150+ year heritage, a global fanbase, fan pledge campaigns, and a multi-channel presence across YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and a sponsored website. The club is not currently fielding a professional team and is focused on securing a permanent home — having secured development land in Kent in November 2024 with active engagement of Sevenoaks District Council — to underpin a return to professional rugby. Technology infrastructure is conventional (no proprietary systems disclosed), and the club explicitly identifies its primary problems as the lack of a permanent stadium, post-administration financial sustainability, and the need to re-enter a professional competition aligned with its values.

Name

Wasps

Legal name

Wasps Rugby Football Club

Website

https://wasps.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wasps Rugby Football Club is a heritage English rugby union club founded in 1867, currently rebuilding after 2022 administration and 2023 RFU exit. It serves supporters, corporate sponsors, and local communities, with planned permanent stadium development in Kent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Rugby Club / Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

Keywords

• Professional rugby club
• Rugby union team
• Matchday ticketing
• Sports sponsorship
• Rugby merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Longford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Matchday and Ticket Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for home games at stadiums including Ricoh Arena (32,000 capacity) and potential groundshare venues
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship including principal partner rights (Vodafone 3-year extension), kit and retail deals, and website sponsorship (HTDL)
3. Merchandise and Retail: Kit and retail deals generating club record revenues; merchandise sales through website and stadium venues
4. Stadium and Property Development: Long-term stadium development plans including new venue in Kent with complementary enabling development and property opportunities

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wasps Rugby Football Club operates professional men's and women's rugby union teams competing in English rugby competitions, offering matchday entertainment, supporter memberships, merchandise, and corporate sponsorship packages. Founded in 1867, the club is rebuilding after entering administration in October 2022 and is currently seeking to return to professional rugby through a planned new stadium development in Kent and re-entry into an appropriate league.

Product overview

Wasps is a professional rugby union club offering men's and women's competitive rugby teams, supporter memberships, and fan engagement. The club competes in professional leagues and operates community programs. As a sports organization, Wasps does not offer a traditional technology product portfolio with modules or SaaS offerings. The club has a rich history spanning over 150 years and has won multiple championships including the Heineken Cup and Premiership titles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wasps Men's Rugby Team

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,524 attendance record at Ricoh Arena
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HTDLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite sponsor - UK-based digital agency specializing in high-performance websites, digital strategy, and online growth. Provides website design, development, performance optimization, security, and ongoing digital support.
• Sevenoaks District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority engaged with Wasps to identify suitable stadium location in Kent. Working together on planning stages for new stadium development that meets club and community needs.
• Broadstreet RFCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarwickshire rugby club providing training base facilities for Wasps during their period based in Coventry.
• Atlas / Worcester WarriorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity under Loxwood Holdings. Wasps provided financial assistance to help Worcester Warriors recover and explored using Sixways ground for temporary training and playing facilities.
• Andy ScottcoreOthersAppointed CEO; former CEO of 188Bet and Interim CEO of Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation. Part of new management group leading club recovery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harlequins: London-based professional rugby union club competing in the Premiership; founded in 1866, making it a direct historical and operational analogue to Wasps as a long-established English rugby club with similar heritage and catchment.
• Leicester Tigers: One of England's most decorated Premiership clubs operating out of Welford Road; comparable as a long-established, multi-title-winning English rugby club pursuing large-stadium matchday and sponsorship economics.
• Saracens: Premiership rugby club based in north London with multiple league and European titles; highly comparable as a similarly heritage-rich English rugby club with strong commercial and sponsorship profile.
• Worcester Warriors: English rugby club that also entered administration in 2022 and is rebuilding under new ownership; the closest peer given shared administration history, English rugby pyramid context, and the Loxwood Holdings connection.
• Bath Rugby: Premiership rugby club operating from the Rec in Bath; comparable as a long-standing English professional rugby club with similar matchday-driven revenue model and premium hospitality focus.
• Northampton Saints: Premiership rugby club based at Franklin's Gardens with multiple league titles; comparable as a similarly historic English club with a strong fan base and ticketed matchday product.
• Exeter Chiefs: Premiership rugby club at Sandy Park with multiple recent titles; comparable as a professional English rugby club of similar scale, focused on regional stadium-led matchday revenues.
• London Irish: London-based professional rugby club that also entered administration (2023); a close analogue as a heritage English rugby club undergoing post-administration restructuring and league re-entry efforts.
• Sale Sharks: Premiership rugby club based at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford; comparable as a similarly established English professional rugby club competing for sponsor and fan attention outside the traditional London/M4 corridor.
• Bristol Bears: Premiership rugby club playing at Ashton Gate in Bristol; comparable as a similarly scaled English professional rugby club with a stadium-sharing arrangement and active community-led growth strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waspsrugby
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WaspsRugby1
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaspsRugby
• Instagraminstagram.com/waspsrugby
• TikToktiktok.com/@waspsrugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wasps