Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club

What Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club does

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club (CULTC) is a university-affiliated sports society founded in 1881, making it one of the oldest lawn tennis clubs in the world and seven years older than the Lawn Tennis Association itself. Operating from Fenner's, Gresham Road, Cambridge, the club provides competitive and recreational tennis to undergraduates, postgraduates, staff, and alumni of the University of Cambridge across a facility footprint of 3 hard courts and up to 8 grass courts in summer. Its core products are tiered Team Tennis Memberships (Blues, Grasshoppers/Ladybirds, Thirds, Fourths, and Fifths) competing in BUCS leagues and an annual Varsity match against Oxford, plus a Social Tennis Membership offering coached group sessions and open play.

The club generates revenue exclusively through annual membership subscriptions (Blues £200 down to M4/W4 £110, social members £75–£125, Summer Social £50–£90) and ancillary sponsorship from Zono for club-branded merchandise. Its go-to-market is community-led, with recruitment via the Cambridge Freshers' Fair and Sports Fair, trials in October for competitive teams, and open enrollment for social tennis, supported by a CamUniSport App integration for court booking. There is no separate incorporation, no external revenue base, and the organization operates under the University Sports Services framework with a 7-person student committee and traditional fixture partnerships with the LTA, All England Club, Queen's Club, and Roehampton. The membership base has grown from approximately 100 historically to over 300 in the 2024/2025 season.

Name

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club

Legal name

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club

Website

https://cultc.soc.srcf.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club, founded 1881, is a university sports society offering tiered competitive and recreational tennis membership to Cambridge students, staff, and alumni at Fenner's, with 9 BUCS teams, a Varsity fixture against Oxford, and over 300 members in 2024/25.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Club & Recreational Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKACAK

University/College Club Sports Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKACAE

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKAFAG

University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

SECONDARYEDALAIAB

Club Sports Programs

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Athletics, Recreation & Fitness

Keywords

• University tennis club
• Competitive tennis teams
• Social tennis membership
• Lawn tennis facilities
• Varsity tennis matches

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Team Membership Fees: Tiered annual membership fees based on team level, ranging from £200 for Blues teams down to £110 for lower teams
2. Social Tennis Membership: Social tennis membership fees: £75 for students, £125 for senior members (staff, alumni)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club (CULTC) is a university sports club founded in 1881 that operates as the official Lawn Tennis Association of the University of Cambridge. It sells tiered annual memberships for competitive teams (Blues, Grasshoppers/Ladybirds, Thirds, Fourths, and Fifths) and recreational social tennis, providing access to hard and grass courts at Fenner's, coached sessions, BUCS league play, and the annual Varsity match against Oxford University.

Product overview

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club (CULTC) operates as a university sports organization offering a multi-tiered tennis membership structure rather than a technology product. The core offering consists of Team Tennis Membership at various competitive levels (Blues, Grasshoppers/Ladybirds, Thirds, Fourths, Fifths) with associated competitive play in BUCS leagues and the annual Varsity match against Oxford. Supporting offerings include Social Tennis Membership with coached sessions, court facilities access at Fenner's, Club Stash merchandise, and College Tennis/Cuppers inter-college competitions. The club, founded in 1881, is one of the oldest lawn tennis clubs in the world and has approximately 100-300 members annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Team Tennis Membership Annual competitive team membership for Cambridge University students across tiered levels: Blues (M1/W1) at £200, 2nd team (M2/W2) at £155, 3rd team (M3/W3) at £130, and 4th/5th teams (M4/W4/M5) at £110. Includes access to BUCS league competition, team training, and Varsity match selection.
• Social Tennis Membership Annual recreational membership providing free access to Fenner's hard courts, weekend coached group sessions at beginner and intermediate levels, and social events. Priced at £75 for students and £125 for senior members (staff, alumni) for the Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 season.
• Summer Social Membership Reduced-rate social tennis membership available from Easter Term through 30 September. Priced at £50 for students and £90 for senior members.
• Club Stash (Merchandise) Club-branded tennis clothing and apparel provided by sponsor Zono, available for purchase by members.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University Sports ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinued support from University Sports Services for club operations and facilities
• Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectly affiliated to LTA with representative on Council and Board. Helps support British tennis through hosting County Week.
• All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional annual fixtures against the All England Club. H.W.W. Wilberforce was President and first Chairman of the All England Club.
• Queen's ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional annual fixtures with Queen's Club among prestigious club opponents
• Roehampton ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional annual fixtures with Roehampton Club for Blues team
• British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetes in BUCS tennis leagues and cups against universities across the country
• ZonocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClub clothing and equipment sponsor providing 'Club stash' for members
• Moor Park Golf ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Varsity matches against Oxford University
• David Lloyd Club CambridgeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndoor coaching venue during Michaelmas and Lent terms for Blues team
• County Week (British Tennis Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCULTC makes courts available as venue for hosting County Week, supporting British tennis

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Roehampton Club: Prestigious traditional tennis club and CULTC Blues fixture partner; offers comparable grass and hard court facilities with a broader member base spanning families, professionals, and alumni—commercially similar in scale and tradition but not university-restricted.
• The Queen's Club: One of Britain's most prestigious private members' tennis clubs and a CULTC Blues fixture partner. Comparable in heritage and competitive prestige but operates as a private members' racquets club far larger in scale.
• David Lloyd Clubs: Commercial racquets and fitness club chain; provides indoor coaching venue (David Lloyd Cambridge) to CULTC Blues during Michaelmas and Lent terms. Operates a similar membership-based tennis-plus-fitness model at commercial scale.
• The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon): Home of The Championships and a CULTC traditional fixture partner. Connected through CULTC's historical alumni (28 pre-WWII Wimbledon titles by Blues) and H.W.W. Wilberforce's role as its first Chairman; the pinnacle institution of British lawn tennis.

Others

• British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS): National governing body for university sport in the UK; CULTC competes across BUCS leagues and cups. Relevant as the institutional framework within which CULTC's competitive teams operate and gain national visibility.
• Lawn Tennis Association (LTA): Governing body for British tennis with which CULTC is directly affiliated and holds Council/Board representation. Relevant as a regulatory and ecosystem counterpart enabling CULTC's hosting of County Week and other British tennis activities.

Direct peers

• Loughborough University Tennis: High-performing university tennis program consistently competitive in BUCS, with a comparable blend of elite performance squads and broad student participation.
• Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club: Direct competitor and historic Varsity rival of CULTC, fielding equivalent Blues teams and competing in BUCS. Operates the same university-club model with tiered competitive and social tennis membership at Oxford.
• University of Bath Tennis: BUCS tennis competitor with strong reputation in British university tennis; operates a similar model of performance pathways plus recreational membership within a sports-focused university environment.
• Durham University Tennis Club: Top BUCS tennis program and frequent Varsity-style competitor against CULTC in inter-university competition. Comparable university-affiliated club operating multi-tier competitive teams and recreational tennis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CamULTC
• Instagraminstagram.com/cultc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-university-lawn-tennis-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club