Rugby Farm

What Rugby Farm does

Rugby Farm (operating as Rugby Farming Group) is a privately held, family-owned Australian fresh vegetable producer headquartered at 22 Hoods Road, Gatton, Queensland. Founded in 1912 by Ernest Hood and now run by his grandsons Matt and Dan Hood (third generation), the company grows, packs, processes, and transports fresh produce across approximately 14,000 acres strategically dispersed across multiple Queensland growing regions, including the Lockyer Valley (Gatton HQ), South Queensland (Amiens), and North Queensland (Bowen). It supplies major Australian retailers (notably Coles for prepared vegetable packs) and "numerous export markets" year-round with a core SKU portfolio of Baby Broccoli, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Corn, and Wombok, plus value-added prepared packs (Broccoli florets, Vegetable Medley, Stir fry mixes, Diced Butternut Pumpkin).

Production relies on agronomic practices that include drip/trickle tape irrigation, cover crops, certified compost application, drone (UAV) monitoring for weed and pest pressure, the Ladybug automated weed remover co-developed with Sydney University, and biological pest control using beneficial insects as part of an integrated pest and weed management (IPM/IWM) programme. Logistics is operated in-house through Rugby Transport, a wholly owned subsidiary established in 2006 that runs a fleet of more than 25 prime movers delivering daily to Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, and also provides third-party haulage services. Rugby Farm and Rugby Transport hold a fully accredited food safety programme (level 3 Food Quality plan), HACCP, and Trucksafe accreditations.

Rugby Farm generates revenue through B2B one-time sales of fresh and prepared produce to enterprise retail and export customers; pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are negotiated bilaterally. The GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by long-tenured supplier relationships with major Australian supermarkets and direct sales outreach to export buyers, supplemented by a marketing website and online employment intake. The commercial proposition centers on year-round supply consistency, vertically integrated freshness control via Rugby Transport, and sustainable production practices.

Name

Rugby Farm

Legal name

Rugby Farm

Website

https://rugbyfarm.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rugby Farm is a privately held Australian family-owned vegetable producer operating roughly 14,000 acres across multiple Queensland regions. It grows, packs, processes, and transports fresh produce year-round to Australian retailers including Coles and to export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Farming

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Leafy Greens Farming (Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard) (AFAGADAA)

Keywords

• Fresh vegetable production
• Vegetable farming
• Prepared vegetables
• Agricultural transport
• Produce supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Rugby Farming Group grows, packs, processes and transports fresh produce to supply key customers. They grow and process Baby Broccoli, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Corn and Wombok all year round. Also produces prepared vegetables for Coles including Broccoli florets, Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, Broccoli and Carrot, Diced Butternut Pumpkin, Traditional Stir fry, and Vegetable Medley.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rugby Farm is a large Australian farming operation that grows, packs, processes and transports fresh vegetables — Baby Broccoli, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Corn and Wombok — and supplies them year-round to key customers across Australia and to export markets. It also produces prepared vegetable packs (Broccoli florets, Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, Broccoli and Carrot, Diced Butternut Pumpkin, Traditional Stir Fry, Vegetable Medley) for Coles, and runs Rugby Transport, an integrated logistics fleet.

Product overview

Rugby Farm is a large Australian farming operation operating as a vertically integrated business. The core offering consists of fresh vegetables (Baby Broccoli, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Corn, and Wombok) grown, packed, and processed year-round across multiple Queensland growing regions. The product portfolio includes a sub-brand of prepared vegetable packs (Broccoli florets, Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, Broccoli and Carrot, Diced Butternut Pumpkin, Traditional Stir fry, Vegetable Medley) sold through Coles. Rugby Transport provides integrated logistics and transportation services to support the farming operation and serves external customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rugby Transport: Transport and logistics division established in 2006 as part of vertical integration strategy. Operates fleet of over 25 prime movers delivering to Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne daily. Accredited under Trucksafe and HACCP.

Products and services

• Fresh Vegetables (Baby Broccoli, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Cabbage, Sweet Corn, Wombok)

Quantifiable outcome

• Chemical usage reduced through biological pest control using beneficial bugs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ColescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRugby Farm supplies pre-prepared fresh vegetable packs to Coles including Broccoli florets, Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, Broccoli and Carrot, Diced Butternut Pumpkin, Traditional Stir fry, and Vegetable Medley. This is a significant retail partnership for their prepared vegetables product line.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OneHarvest: OneHarvest is a leading Australian supplier of fresh-cut, value-added salads and prepared vegetables to major supermarket and food-service customers — directly comparable to Rugby Farm's Coles prepared-vegetable business.
• Mulgowie Farming Company: Mulgowie is a large Australian family-owned vegetable grower (sweet corn, broccoli, beans, leafy greens) supplying major supermarkets year-round — a near-direct comparable in acreage scale, crop mix and family-ownership structure.
• Perfection Fresh: Perfection Fresh is one of Australia's largest privately held fresh-produce companies, growing and packing a broad range of vegetables and salads for major retailers — comparable in customer base, scale and product mix to Rugby Farm.
• Mitolo Group: Mitolo Group is a major South Australian family-owned fresh-produce business growing, packing and distributing potatoes, onions and carrots nationally — a comparable vertically integrated Australian vegetable grower-packer supplying major retailers.
• Fresh Select: Fresh Select is an Australian grower-packer of fresh vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower and leafy greens) supplying major retailers; comparable in product range, customer base and growing-region footprint to Rugby Farm.
• Costa Group: ASX-listed Costa Group is Australia's largest horticultural producer, growing, packing and marketing fresh produce (including broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens and value-added prepared lines) across multiple regions — directly comparable to Rugby Farm's vertically integrated model.
• Moraitis Group: Moraitis is a long-established Australian family-owned fresh-produce grower and packer supplying supermarkets and food-service customers nationally — a comparable scale player in Australian fresh vegetables.

Broad incumbents

• Bonduelle: Bonduelle is a global leader in canned, frozen and prepared fresh vegetables with significant Australian operations — a broader incumbent that competes for retailer shelf space and prepared-vegetable contracts at scale.
• Dole plc: Dole is a global fresh-produce major with diversified fruit and vegetable operations; relevant as a broad incumbent competitor in the supply of fresh and prepared vegetables to retail and food-service customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RugbyFarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rugby-farm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Rugby Farm