UNION SPORTIVE ISSOIRIENNE

What UNION SPORTIVE ISSOIRIENNE does

Union Sportive Issoirienne (USI Rugby) is a French non-profit amateur rugby club founded in 1910, based in Issoire in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The club operates a full vertical rugby ecosystem spanning youth categories (from U6 upwards), a 2-star labeled École de Rugby, a designated Centre d'Entraînement Élite Régional, women's Cadettes, adapted and touch rugby sections, and senior teams currently competing in Fédérale 1 — the third tier of French rugby union — having won the Champion of France Fédérale 2 title in 2019.

The organization is staffed by 7 paid employees supported by approximately 120 volunteers, and runs an academy that embeds rugby sections inside Lycée Murat and Collège Verrière. USI monetizes through a mix of licensing/membership fees, matchday and gala ticket sales (€20–€35), branded merchandise (e.g., jerseys at €45), lottery events, and local sponsorship from Crédit Agricole, Renault, SUEZ, and TotalEnergies, with media partnerships including Midi Olympique. The club also organizes the annual Challenge Auvergne pre-season fixture, with the 22nd edition scheduled for 2026.

Strategically, USI has positioned itself as a model amateur organization, receiving the Oscar award from Midi Olympique and TotalEnergies in June 2024. There is no disclosed digital product, technology platform, or AI capability; the competitive basis is community embeddedness, regulatory certifications (FFR 2-star label), and a long operational heritage rather than technology differentiation.

Name

UNION SPORTIVE ISSOIRIENNE

Legal name

US ISSOIRIENNE rugby

Website

https://issoire-rugby.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Union Sportive Issoirienne is a 115-year-old amateur rugby club in Issoire, France, running a youth-to-senior pipeline (U6 through Fédérale 1) with 7 staff and 120 volunteers, serving local families and regional sponsors through membership fees, events, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Rugby Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Amateur rugby club
• Youth rugby training
• Rugby tournament organization
• Rugby federation competitions
• Community sports association

Headquarters

HQ city

Issoire

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticketing: Ticket sales for Challenge Auvergne annual gala match and other rugby events at stadium Complexe Jacques Lavédrine
2. Merchandise Sales: Club boutique selling replica jerseys, apparel, and commemorative items
3. Lottery/Fundraising Events: Super Loto events and Christmas lottery generating community engagement and fundraising revenue
4. Membership/License Fees: Player licensing fees for various age categories from youth to seniors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Union Sportive Issoirienne is an amateur rugby union club offering competitive and recreational rugby across every age category from U6 (Baby Rugby) through Seniors and Espoirs, including adapted rugby and touch rugby variants. The club runs annual tournaments (Challenge Auvergne and Challenge Rémi Rodier), an Elite-labelled Training Centre, sports sections at Collège Verrière and Lycée Murat, a referee school, holiday camps, and sells event tickets and club merchandise.

Product overview

L'Union Sportive Issoirienne (USI) Rugby est un club de rugby amateur évoluant en Fédération 1. Le club propose un écosystème sportif complet incluant: la billetterie pour le Challenge Auvergne annuel (places en gradin, tribune et pesage), une boutique de produits dérivés, des programmes de formation labellisés ('Centre d'Entraînement Elite', Académie Lycée Murat, Section Sportive Collège Verrière, Ecole d'Arbitrage), des tournoi signature (Challenge Auvergne et Challenge Rémi Rodier), des pratiques adaptées (Rugby Adapté, Rugby Touché), des stages vacances, et des équipes compétitives du niveau national (U18 Nationaux, U16 Nationaux) au regional (U19 Régional, U16 Régional, Cadettes) en passant par l'école de rugby (U6-U14). Le club compte 120 bénévoles depuis sa création en 1910.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Oscar award received from Midi Olympique and TotalEnergies in June 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Actif IngénierieminorOthersLocal engineering firm listed as a partner/sponsor of USI Rugby on the club's partner page
• BraincubeminorOthersLocal company based in Issoire listed as a partner/sponsor of USI Rugby
• Crédit AgricoleminorOthersRegional bank listed as a partner/sponsor of USI Rugby
• Daniel MoquetminorOthersLocal business in Charbonnières-les-Mines listed as partner/sponsor
• Decotech - Comptoir de l'OursminorOthersRetail store in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• Durand PavageminorOthersConstruction company in Brassac-les-Mines listed as partner/sponsor
• France FraisminorOthersFood distribution company in Aulnat listed as partner/sponsor
• GEDIMAT - DumeilminorOthersBuilding materials supplier in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• Joris IdeminorOthersCompany in Lempdes sur Allagnon listed as partner/sponsor
• Labo 63minorOthersLaboratory in Cournon d'Auvergne listed as partner/sponsor
• ONDET et FilsminorOthersLocal business in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• PRAXY CentreminorOthersService company in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• Renault Bony Automobiles IssoireminorOthersRenault dealership in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• ROUCHYminorOthersCompany in Issoire/Clermont-Ferrand listed as partner/sponsor
• Roux Travaux PublicsminorOthersPublic works company in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• SARL VJF CréditsminorOthersCredit broker (MeilleurTaux) in Issoire listed as partner/sponsor
• Scierie TartièreminorOthersSawmill in Bourganeuf listed as partner/sponsor
• SUEZminorOthersWater and environmental services company listed as partner/sponsor, sending annual New Year greetings to the club
• ASM RugbyminorOthersProfessional rugby club from Clermont-Ferrand participating in Challenge Auvergne as gala match opponent
• RC Toulon (Rugby Club Toulonnais)minorOthersProfessional rugby club participating in Challenge Auvergne as annual gala match opponent since 2024
• Midi OlympiqueminorOthersMajor French rugby newspaper that awarded the Oscar to USI Rugby in 2024
• TotalEnergiesminorOthersEnergy company co-sponsoring the Oscar award with Midi Olympique presented to USI Rugby

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne: Professional rugby club from Cantal/Auvergne competing in Pro D2. Comparable as a regional Auvergne rugby brand operating in the same catchment, but at a higher professional tier with broader commercial reach.

Broad incumbents

• AS Béziers: Historic French rugby club competing in Pro D2 with strong regional roots and an established supporter base. Comparable as a French amateur/professional rugby club leveraging regional community engagement.
• RC Toulon: Top 14 professional club that has participated as a Challenge Auvergne gala opponent since 2024. Comparable as the marquee professional opponent USI recruits for its flagship event.
• ASM Clermont Auvergne: Top 14 professional club from Clermont-Ferrand that participates as the home-region opponent in USI's Challenge Auvergne gala match. Comparable as the dominant professional rugby brand in the same Auvergne market and a benchmark USI's gala event explicitly chases.
• US Dax: Historic rugby club competing in Pro D2 with deep community ties. Comparable as a regional French rugby organization combining amateur heritage with professional-level competition.

Direct peers

• Niort Rugby Club: Amateur rugby club operating in the French amateur rugby system. Comparable as a community-driven amateur club competing at a similar national amateur tier.
• US Bressane: Fédérale 1 rugby club from Bourg-en-Bresse. Comparable as a French amateur rugby club at the same competitive tier with similar community-based volunteer-driven operations.
• Stade Dijonnais: Fédérale-level rugby club from Dijon. Comparable as a French amateur rugby club with similar volunteer-run operations and youth-development emphasis.
• RC Bassin d'Arcachon: Competitor in Fédérale 1 confirmed as a current 2025-2026 league opponent of USI. Comparable as a French amateur rugby club at the same national amateur tier with similar community-driven operating model.
• CS Bourgoin-Jallieu: Historic French rugby club currently competing in lower divisions of French amateur rugby. Comparable as a community-rooted amateur rugby club with similar reliance on local volunteers and event-driven revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC...
• Facebookfacebook.com/IssoireRugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-sportive-issoirienne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 UNION SPORTIVE ISSOIRIENNE