Play Rugby USA
Play Rugby USA is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that uses its proprietary GoForward rugby curriculum to deliver sports-based youth development programs to approximately 2,500 underserved youth ages 10-18 annually across the Bronx and Harlem through after-school enrichment, the Play Rugby Academy, and government partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Play Rugby USA does
Play Rugby USA is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 by former USA Eagle Mark Griffin that uses rugby as a vehicle for sports-based youth development (SBYD), primarily serving youth ages 10-18 from underserved communities in the Bronx and Harlem. The organization operates four interlocking programs: the Play Rugby Academy NYC (flagship community rugby club with flag, intro-to-tackle, and competitive tackle teams), After-School Enrichment (values-based curriculum embedded in schools and community organizations), Train-the-Trainer (curriculum licensing with coach training and tournament support), and Saturday Night Lights (a partnership with the NYC District Attorney's Office serving 100 youth annually in Central Harlem). The annual NYC Rugby Cup tournament brings together 600+ students from 52 schools across all five boroughs.
The organization's core "technology" is its proprietary GoForward methodology — a values-based rugby curriculum teaching character and social-emotional learning (SEL) through branded values (Game Plan, Switch On, Try Makers, Get There, Play What You See, Review My Film). Outcome measurement is conducted through Algorhythm, a third-party psychometrics platform whose validated surveys place Play Rugby USA in the top 5 of 150 youth development programs nationally and document outcomes including 100% high school senior college enrollment, 81% positive youth development gains, and 88% improved physical fitness.
Play Rugby USA's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: individual donations via website, corporate sponsorships (DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation, adidas, RBC Foundation), foundation grants (Laureus USA, Women's Sports Foundation), event fundraising (Spring Gala, Golf Day, Casino Night, TCS NYC Marathon with $3,000 minimum runner fundraising commitments), and government/public funding via NYC DOE (PSAL, CHAMPS), DYCD 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and the District Attorney's Office. The organization reaches approximately 2,500 young people annually with a small core staff of 10-15 supplemented by part-time Youth Development Mentors and volunteer coaches.
Play Rugby USA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Play Rugby USA
- Legal name
- Play Rugby USA
- Website
- https://playrugbyusa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Play Rugby USA is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that uses its proprietary GoForward rugby curriculum to deliver sports-based youth development programs to approximately 2,500 underserved youth ages 10-18 annually across the Bronx and Harlem through after-school enrichment, the Play Rugby Academy, and government partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Play Rugby USA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports-Based Youth Development
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB), Youth Development & Sports Outreach Programs (EDAIAGAG), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)
Keywords
Where Play Rugby USA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Play Rugby USA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: General donations from individual supporters, facilitated through the organization's website donation portal and fundraising campaigns.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporations including DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation (3-year Sports Matter partnership), adidas (Changing Lives Through Sport grant), RBC Foundation USA ($50,000 grant), and others.
- Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Laureus USA Sport for Good grants ($25,000 in 2021 and 2022), Women's Sports Foundation Sports 4 Life grants, and others.
- Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Spring Gala, Golf Day, Casino Night for a Cause, and TCS NYC Marathon charity partnership. Marathon runners commit to raise minimum $3,000.
- Government/Public Funding: Partnerships with NYC Department of Education (CHAMPS program), DYCD 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants, and Office of the District Attorney (Saturday Night Lights program).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One-time | TCS NYC Marathon fundraising minimum |
| Subscription | Annual | HS Boys Head Coach salary range |
| Subscription | Annual | Senior Program Director salary range |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Play Rugby USA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Play Rugby USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers rugby-based youth development programs to underserved youth, primarily ages 10-18, in the Bronx and Harlem. Core offerings include the Play Rugby Academy (flag, intro-to-tackle, and competitive tackle teams), After-School Enrichment in partner schools and community organizations, a Train-the-Trainer partner program, the Saturday Night Lights initiative with the NYC District Attorney's office, and the annual NYC Rugby Cup tournament. Programs use a proprietary values-based curriculum (GoForward) combined with social-emotional learning to build character, life skills, and college/career readiness.
Product overview
Play Rugby USA is a nonprofit youth development organization that operates multiple interconnected rugby programs rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include: the After-School Enrichment program (values-based curriculum delivered at schools and community organizations), the Play Rugby Academy NYC (the flagship community rugby club with flag, intro-to-tackle, and competitive tackle teams for ages 10-18), and the Train-the-Trainer Program (enabling partners to deliver Play Rugby's curriculum with coach training and tournament support). Additional programs include Saturday Night Lights (a partnership with the NYC District Attorney's office) and the annual NYC Rugby Cup tournament. Together, these programs use rugby to build character, skills, and positive habits in youth from underserved communities across New York City.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Play Rugby Academy NYC
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of Play Rugby Academy high school seniors graduate on time and enrolled in college
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Play Rugby USA
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Play Rugby USA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Play Rugby USA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rugby New YorkcoreMulti-year partnership (2022-24) where professional Rugby New York (Major League Rugby) players are trained as Youth Development Mentors and assist the Play Rugby Academy. Both organizations believe rugby can be a force for good for young people. Rugby New York players coach both boys and girls Play Rugby programs.
- Coaching CorpscoreCoaching Corps is committed to training coaches and afterschool programs to cultivate an environment where kids experience trust, belonging, autonomy, and growth. They provided Play Rugby with access to their online portal, free of charge, to support the continued training and development of Youth Development Mentors. Play Rugby was featured as Coaching Corps Partner of the Month.
- NYC Department of Education - CHAMPScoreCHAMPS (Cooperative, Healthy, Active, Motivated and Positive Students) flag rugby tournaments - three-way partnerships with NYC DOE local schools. Play Rugby hosts Saturday morning tournaments in Brooklyn with hundreds of public school kids competing.
- New York Rugby ClubminorPartnership for combined Academy/NYRC Girls team that won the Rugby NY State Championship. Provided girls with unique experience and new friendships.
- NYC Office of the District AttorneycoreSaturday Night Lights (SNL) program partnership - youth development initiative that activates community spaces with sports (rugby), connects youth to resources and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. Serves 100 youth annually ages 11-18 from Central Harlem.
- NYC Department of Education - PSALcorePartnership since 2010 to host annual PSAL rugby tournaments bringing together teams from different boroughs. Play Rugby hosts the annual PSAL Rugby Championship and 7s tournaments.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Play Rugby USA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Right To Play: International nonprofit using sport and play to educate and empower children in disadvantaged communities. Comparable sport-for-development methodology and outcomes orientation, but with a global footprint rather than NYC focus.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization offering athletics, education, and character programming across a vast network of clubs. Comparable youth development mission and outcomes focus, but operates as a much larger, multi-sport incumbent.
- Police Athletic League (PAL): NYC-wide youth development organization offering athletics, arts, and education programs in underserved neighborhoods, including law-enforcement community partnerships. Comparable NYC underserved-youth focus and law-enforcement collaboration (Saturday Night Lights), but with a much broader multi-sport portfolio.
Direct peers
- Up2Us Sports: National nonprofit focused on sports-based youth development, training coaches and placing them in underserved communities. Comparable SBYD mission and train-the-trainer/mentor development model, operating at national rather than single-city scale.
- DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI): NYC-based nonprofit delivering sports-based youth development (baseball/softball, soccer, flag football) plus education to underserved East Harlem youth. Closely comparable mission, sport-as-development model, NYC geography, and college-readiness outcomes orientation.
- Figure Skating in Harlem: NYC nonprofit using figure skating to empower underserved Harlem girls through athletics, leadership, and academic support. Directly comparable single-sport SBYD model, NYC underserved-community focus, and girls/youth population.
- NYC Scores: NYC nonprofit operating school-based soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs for underserved public-school youth. Comparable model of embedding sports in NYC public schools combined with youth development outcomes.
Others
- Harlem Children's Zone: NYC nonprofit providing cradle-to-college services to underserved Harlem children, including after-school and enrichment programming. Listed as a Play Rugby partner/customer and operates an adjacent youth-development model in the same geography.
- KIPP NYC: NYC charter-school network serving predominantly low-income students with extended-day programming including athletics and enrichment. Operates in overlapping NYC underserved communities with comparable college-readiness outcomes orientation.
- Laureus Sport for Good (USA): Global foundation network funding sport-for-development programs, including direct grantmaker to Play Rugby ($25K Sport for Good grants in 2021 and 2022). Acts as a peer funder/ecosystem convener in the same SBYD space rather than a direct operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Play Rugby USA social profiles
Digital presencePlay Rugby USA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Play Rugby USA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Play Rugby USA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Play Rugby USA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Play Rugby USA
What does Play Rugby USA do?
Play Rugby USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers rugby-based youth development programs to underserved youth, primarily ages 10-18, in the Bronx and Harlem. Core offerings include the Play Rugby Academy (flag, intro-to-tackle, and competitive tackle teams), After-School Enrichment in partner schools and community organizations, a Train-the-Trainer partner program, the Saturday Night Lights initiative with the NYC District Attorney's office, and the annual NYC Rugby Cup tournament. Programs use a proprietary values-based curriculum (GoForward) combined with social-emotional learning to build character, life skills, and college/career readiness.
Is Play Rugby USA a public or private company?
Play Rugby USA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Play Rugby USA founded?
Play Rugby USA was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Play Rugby USA based?
Play Rugby USA is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Play Rugby USA make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, foundation Grants, event Fundraising and government/Public Funding.
Who are Play Rugby USA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Right To Play, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Police Athletic League (PAL). Direct peers are Up2Us Sports, DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI), Figure Skating in Harlem and NYC Scores. Others are Harlem Children's Zone, KIPP NYC and Laureus Sport for Good (USA).
Does Play Rugby USA have an API?
No public API is recorded for Play Rugby USA.
What industry is Play Rugby USA in?
Play Rugby USA's product category is Sports-Based Youth Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKACAF, Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues), with a secondary code of EDALAIAB, Club Sports Programs. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7997.