Medway Rugby Football Club

What Medway Rugby Football Club does

Medway Rugby Football Club is a community rugby union club founded in 1932, currently in its 94th season and based at Priestfields Recreation Ground in Rochester, Kent, England. The club operates as a non-profit membership organization with approximately 12 paid employees and a member base of around 1,500 people across all ages and sections, engaging approximately 5,000 people monthly. It serves youth through senior players of both genders, fielding Mini's (U6-U11), Youth (U12-U18), Senior Men's (four XVs including the 1st XV competing in Regional 1 South East, Level 5 — the highest league position in club history), and Women's/Girls' teams (confirmed as the largest women's and girls' rugby section in England as of April 2024, with 185+ female players).

The club's product and service portfolio centers on rugby participation and community engagement. Core offerings include tiered playing membership, six sponsorship packages ranging from Ball Sponsor (£80/match) to Scarlet Sponsor (£6,000+/season), social membership with bar and kitchen access, the 500 Club lottery managed via RFU GMS, and a Gilbert-branded online merchandise storefront. The operational technology stack is minimal — the Pitchero platform handles website hosting, membership processing, communications, and match scheduling. Saracens Summer Camps delivered at Priestfields extend a professional-grade coaching channel for U12-U16 players.

The business model relies on five recurring and transactional revenue streams: annual membership subscriptions, tiered sponsorship contracts (multi-year for top tiers), matchday bar/kitchen revenue, a 500 Club lottery, and Gilbert merchandise sales. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging grassroots engagement, the annual Medway Mile fundraising event, school partnerships, and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube). The club is accredited by Sport England (Clubmark), the RFU, and Kent County RFU, and operates under President Mark Marriott. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Medway Rugby Football Club

Legal name

Medway Rugby Football Club

Website

https://mrfc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medway Rugby Football Club is a community rugby union club in Rochester, Kent, founded in 1932, serving 1,500 members and 5,000 monthly visitors across youth, senior men's, and the largest women's and girls' rugby section in England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports / Rugby Club

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Community rugby club
• Youth rugby development
• Rugby membership programs
• Sports sponsorship packages
• Grassroots rugby union

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

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 fees: Annual membership subscriptions for players across all age groups and sections of the club
2. Sponsorship: Multiple sponsorship tiers ranging from Ball Sponsor (£80/match) to Scarlet Sponsor (£6,000+/season), providing visibility through pitch-side banners, kit placement, website, social media, and matchday programmes
3. 500 Club Lottery: Club lottery scheme managed through RFU GMS system
4. Merchandise Sales: Gilbert Online Shop partnership for official club merchandise
5. Matchday Revenue: Revenue from matchday sponsorships, hospitality, bar and kitchen facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Medway Rugby Football Club provides community rugby union participation from Mini's (U6-U11) through Youth (U12-U18) to Senior Men's and Women's teams, with the Men's 1st XV competing in Regional 1 South East (Level 5). The club sells tiered sponsorship packages to local businesses, offers annual club memberships with bar/kitchen benefits, runs the 500 Club lottery via the RFU GMS platform, and distributes Gilbert-branded club merchandise.

Product overview

Medway Rugby Football Club is a community rugby club offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around rugby participation and community engagement. The core offering includes rugby teams across all age groups (Mini's U6-U11, Youth U12-U18, and Seniors including Men's and Women's sides), with the Men's 1st XV competing at Regional 1 South East (Level 5) - the club's highest-ever league position. The club's product portfolio comprises playing membership, tiered sponsorship packages (from Ball Sponsor at £80/match to Scarlet Sponsor at £6,000+/season), club membership with bar/kitchen discounts, the 500 Club lottery, and the Gilbert-branded merchandise shop. A standout offering is the Girls and Women's section, recognized as the largest in England with over 150 girls players and 185+ female players total. The club engages with approximately 5,000 people monthly and serves around 1,500 members across all sections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rugby Teams and Playing Membership Rugby playing opportunities across all age groups and skill levels, from Mini's (U6-U11) through Youth (U12-U18) to Seniors (Men's and Women's teams). The Men's 1st XV competes in Regional 1 South East (Level 5). For local children, youth players, and adult players in the Medway area.
• Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship opportunities ranging from Ball Sponsor (£80/match) to Scarlet Sponsor (£6,000+/season), offering brand visibility, matchday benefits, and hospitality access. For local and regional businesses.
• Club Membership Full club membership providing 10% discount at the Bar & Kitchen, invitations to matches and lunches, advertising on website/social media/clubhouse screens/matchday programmes, and hire of club facilities at member rates. For supporters and community members.
• 500 Club A club lottery/subscription scheme providing financial support to the club, accessible via the RFU GMS platform. For members and supporters.
• Gilbert Online Shop Official online merchandise store selling Gilbert-branded rugby equipment and apparel carrying the Medway RFC name. For members, supporters, and rugby consumers.
• Girls and Women's Rugby Section The largest women's and girls' rugby section in England, with over 150 girls players and 185+ female players across 4 girls teams (U12-U16) and 2 women's senior teams. For female players from youth through senior level.

Quantifiable outcome

• Champions 24/25 Regional South East 2
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kent County RFUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with Kent County Rugby Football Union for league competition, representative teams, and rugby development across Kent
• Rugby Football Union (RFU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with the RFU for national competition structures, accreditation, and development programmes including NatWest Rugby Force
• Sport England ClubmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport England Clubmark accreditation ensuring the club meets standards for safety, effectiveness and child protection
• SaracensmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaracens Summer Camps for U12-U16 age groups held at Priestfields, providing professional rugby coaching and development opportunities
• GilbertmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Gilbert online shop partnership for club merchandise, providing Gilbert Rugby products with club branding
• PitcherocoreTechnology or IntegrationClub website and membership management platform providing website hosting, match scheduling, membership processing, and communications
• O2 TouchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with O2 Touch for non-contact rugby participation opportunities
• NatWest Rugby ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFU programme supported by NatWest for club facility development and resilience
• Medway CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner providing support for community sports development and facilities
• King's School RochesterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool partnership for youth rugby development and talent identification
• Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool partnership for youth rugby development and talent identification
• Corps of Royal EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Royal Engineers for combined rugby team (Royal Engineers - Sappers) and military-civilian sports integration

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wimbledon RFC: Southwest London community rugby club with comparable mini, youth, men's and women's sections plus a tiered sponsorship model — closely analogous in structure and scale.
• Tonbridge Juddians RFC: Community rugby union club also based in Kent with a comparable multi-section structure (mini, youth, men's), local sponsorship model and pathway into Kent County leagues — the closest like-for-like peer in the same geography.
• Westcombe Park RFC: Southeast England community rugby club with a comparable multi-team structure, local sponsorship ladder, and member subscription model; another directly comparable English community RFC.
• Rosslyn Park FC: Large London-based community rugby club with an extensive youth, women's and men's section structure and a well-developed commercial sponsorship offering — a relevant peer for scaled community rugby operations.
• Maidstone RFC: Community rugby club in the same Kent region operating mini to senior teams with local sponsorship and subscription revenue — directly comparable in geography and operating model.
• Sevenoaks RFC: Kent-based amateur rugby club with mini/youth/senior sections, local sponsorship tiers and a similar volunteer-driven model — closely matches Medway's scale, governance and participant offering.
• Barnes RFC: Established London community rugby club with multi-section participation (minis through seniors), local sponsorship and a similar volunteer ethos — a relevant urban community-RFC benchmark.
• Canterbury RFC: Historic Kent community rugby club operating men's, women's and youth teams with tiered sponsorship and member subscriptions; comparable in governance, community-led GTM and senior league participation.

Broad incumbents

• Blackheath FC: One of England's oldest and largest community rugby clubs; operates a broader portfolio of men's, women's and youth sections plus more extensive commercial partnerships — represents an aspirational scaled peer rather than direct day-to-day competitor.
• Saracens: Premiership Rugby club that already runs summer camps at Medway's Priestfields grounds; while operating at a vastly larger scale (professional franchise), they are Medway's principal strategic rugby partner and a relevant reference point for talent pathway and commercial benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MedwayRFC
• Facebookfacebook.com/MedwayRugbyClub
• Instagraminstagram.com/medwayrfc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medway-rugby-football-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Medway Rugby Football Club