Dorking Rugby Football Club

What Dorking Rugby Football Club does

Dorking Rugby Football Club (DRFC) is a charity-run amateur community rugby club founded in 1921 and based at The Big Field in Brockham, Surrey. The club fields 24 teams spanning U5 to over-70 age groups across men's, women's, and girls' sections, with approximately 1,500 total members and 700+ active players. Its 1st XV competes in National League 2 East (Level 4), and the club has produced England internationals including George Kruis, Elliot Daly, and Kay Wilson. The club is accredited by the RFU and operates within England Rugby's Kids First Rugby framework for its U5–U11 section.

DRFC's product set centers on rugby participation pathways — Kids First Rugby (U5–U11), Junior/Midi Rugby (U12–Colts), Youth Development Programme (U14–U18 with Talent Identification, Skill Development, and Colts Academy tiers), Girls Rugby, Women's Rugby, and multiple senior men's sides — augmented by non-rugby services including the DRFC Gym, a Medical Facility and Rehab Gym (opened 2021), venue hire (weddings, corporate events, wakes), a Shopify-powered online shop, and the Dorking RFC Podcast. Technology is limited to the RFU's Game Management System (GMS) for player registration and match scheduling, plus standard marketing tools (website, social, Mailchimp, Shopify); there is no proprietary platform or AI component.

Revenue is generated through six streams: annual membership subscriptions (with monthly flex billing), bar and kitchen sales, venue and facility hire, sponsorship (Lead Partners including Downs Solicitors, VMG, Jackson-Stops, MVAM, Beavis Morgan, Finesse, Stonebridge; Gold Partner Crimson), retail/merchandise sales, and fundraising (e.g., Buy a Brick, the Rehabilitation and Medical Centre capital campaign). The club is volunteer-led under Chairman Shaun Hammond, President Jon Watts, and Director of Rugby Armand Roux; no players are paid. Geographic reach is regional (Surrey / London & South East), with services delivered primarily through the single Brockham site.

Name

Dorking Rugby Football Club

Legal name

Dorking Rugby Football Club

Website

https://dorkingrfc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Community Rugby Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team & Club Coaching (seasonal team coaching) (HSADAEAF), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Community rugby club
• Amateur rugby membership
• Youth rugby development
• Rugby venue hire
• Charity sports club

Headquarters

HQ city

Brockham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees with flexible pay monthly option available. Membership includes free gym access, physiotherapy access, playing and training kit, professional coaching, and discount at bar and kitchen.
2. Venue and Facility Hire: Revenue generated from hiring out club facilities including the modern clubhouse, licensed bars, first floor function room, fully equipped kitchen, and car park for business meetings, private parties, birthdays, weddings, and wakes.
3. Bar and Kitchen Sales: On-site licensed bars and professionally run catering services generating revenue during matches, events, and facility rentals. Members receive 10% discount at bar and kitchen.
4. Sponsorship: Partnerships with lead sponsors (Downs, VMG, Jackson-Stops, MVAM, Beavis Morgan, Finesse, Stonebridge) and other commercial partners providing financial support in exchange for branding and networking opportunities.
5. Retail Shop Sales: Online and matchday shop sales of club merchandise, kits, and apparel through their Shopify storefront.
6. Fundraising and Donations: Capital fundraising campaigns for facility development including the Rehabilitation and Medical Centre project, Buy a Brick campaign (Individuals £75, Families £150, Corporate £250), and auction of artwork by Sherree Valentine-Daines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dorking Rugby Football Club is a community amateur rugby club that delivers competitive and recreational rugby programmes across 24 teams from U5 to over-70 age groups and all genders. Its core offerings include Senior Men's Rugby (1st XV competing in National 2 East), Women's Rugby, Youth Development Programme (U14-Colts), Kids First Rugby (U5-U11), and Junior/Midi Rugby (U12-U18). The club also operates the DRFC Gym, a venue hire business, a merchandise shop, and the Dorking RFC Podcast, all supported by annual memberships, sponsorships, and fundraising.

Product overview

Dorking Rugby Football Club is a community rugby club based in Brockham, Surrey, founded in 1921. The club offers a comprehensive rugby programme across all age groups and genders, including Senior Men's Rugby (with 1st XV competing in National League 2 East), Women's and Girls' Rugby, Youth Development Programme (U14-U18), Colts Development Programme, Kids First Rugby (U5-U11), and Junior/Midi Rugby (U12-U18). Beyond rugby, the club provides facilities including a newly opened Medical Facility & Rehab Gym (2021), venue hire services, a club shop, and a podcast series. The club fields approximately 24 teams with over 700 active players and serves as home to one of the largest rugby festivals in the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior Men's Rugby

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 members and 700+ active players across 24 teams
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sherree Valentine-DainescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Leading contemporary painter (acknowledged as 'The Face of Modern British Impressionism') created a special painting to be auctioned for the club's Medical and Rehabilitation Centre fundraising. Has been a long-time supporter of the club through her son's participation in minis rugby.
• Stanton ConstructionminorOthersSelected contractor for the club's new Rehabilitation and Medical Centre development project.
• Amatori Rugby Torre Del GrecominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaples-based Italian rugby club partnership. Dorking RFC donated ball and kit to support the Italian club's community rugby programs for orphaned children and those with difficult home lives.
• Spire Hospital GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider delivering talks on injury management and prevention as part of the Youth Development Programme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Esher RFC: Surrey-based community rugby club at a similar league level with comparable mini/youth/senior structure and venue-hire income stream.
• Blackheath FC: Historic London-based amateur rugby club with comparable community ethos, multiple senior and youth sides, and a similar regional league level to Dorking.
• Wimbledon RFC: Greater London community rugby club offering minis through seniors with comparable volunteer governance and facility-hire revenue diversification.
• Henley Hawks RFC: Oxfordshire community rugby club competing in National League rugby with similar amateur, membership-funded operating model and broad minis-to-veterans team structure.
• Cinderford RFC: Forest of Dean community rugby club competing in the same National League tier with a comparable amateur, volunteer-operated model.
• Rosslyn Park RFC: Large London community rugby club with extensive youth section, multiple senior teams, and a strong facilities/events business model directly comparable to DRFC.
• Old Albanian RFC: Hertfordshire-based community rugby club at a comparable league level with similar minis-through-seniors offering and event-hosting venue model.
• Tonbridge Juddians RFC: Kent-based community rugby club operating at a similar English rugby pyramid level with comparable youth development pathways, volunteer-run model, and regional league participation.
• Bury St Edmunds RFC: Community rugby club at a comparable National League level with a similar mix of membership subscriptions, sponsorship, and bar/event income.

Regional players

• Guildford RFC: Surrey-based community rugby club in the same county, serving an overlapping catchment and competing with Dorking for local player talent and sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DorkingRugby
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/dorkingrfc
• Facebookfacebook.com/dorkingrfc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorking-rugby-football-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Dorking Rugby Football Club