Rugby Club Nîmois

What Rugby Club Nîmois does

Rugby Club Nîmois (RCN) is a French amateur rugby union club founded in 1963, legally constituted as a Loi 1901 non-profit association and headquartered at Stade Nicolas Kaufmann in Nîmes, in the Occitanie region. The club operates a full competitive pyramid from the École de Rugby (M8/M10/M12) through Cadets, Juniors Nationaux, Espoirs, and a senior Équipe 1 competing in Nationale 2, the fourth tier of French rugby. Its first team plays 11 home matches per season, with a record attendance of 3,500 spectators recorded at Stade Kaufmann in 2024-2025.

The club generates revenue across five streams: matchday ticketing (€50 season subscription for all 11 home matches, sold via Weezevent), merchandise sales through a Shopify online boutique, sponsorship and business partnerships with over 350 companies, the Socios membership program launched in 2023, and Brasserie Le Drop, an on-site restaurant and bar. Institutional support comes from the Ville de Nîmes, Nîmes Métropole, Conseil Départemental du Gard, and Région Occitanie. The club also operates a dedicated Pôle Formation and Campus Formation Sport Nîmes as a vocational training entity, and Rugby Cœur Nîmois, an endowment fund running social impact programs including professional insertion (with France Travail Gard Lozère), priority neighborhood initiatives such as the Tournoi des Six Quartiers, and health and community programs.

RCN has achieved notable competitive success at the youth level, with the Espoirs winning the French Championship in 2025 and the Juniors Nationaux winning in 2022 and reaching the final in 2026. In October 2025, the Fédération Française de Rugby awarded the club its 'Club Engagé' label in recognition of its societal work. The organization is led by President Steeve Calligaro, with Sporting Director Samuel Nouchi (appointed February 2026), first-team manager Guillaume Aguilar, and 69 salaried staff across coaching, commercial, administrative, and technical roles. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Rugby Club Nîmois

Legal name

Rugby Club Nîmois

Website

https://rcnimois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rugby Club Nîmois is a French Loi 1901 amateur rugby union association founded in 1963, based in Nîmes, competing in Nationale 2 and serving the local community through senior and youth teams, a 350+ partner business network, and a societal endowment fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Rugby Club Sports 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)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rugby (Union & League) Leagues (MPAKAAAG), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Amateur rugby club
• Rugby team operations
• Rugby merchandise retail
• Youth rugby development
• Corporate sports partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Nîmes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Matchday Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for home matches at Stade Kaufmann, including season subscriptions and individual match tickets through Weezevent platform.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of club merchandise including jerseys, clothing, accessories and lifestyle products through the club's Shopify boutique.
3. Sponsorship and Business Partnerships: Corporate partnerships with over 350 companies providing sponsorship revenue, visibility at matches, and participation in the club's business network.
4. Socios Program: Membership program allowing partners, local businesses and supporters to become socios, providing annual fees in exchange for benefits and involvement.
5. Brasserie Le Drop: Club restaurant and bar operations generating food and beverage revenue on match days and during events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rugby Club Nîmois is a non-profit amateur rugby union club that operates competitive rugby teams (Équipe 1 in Nationale 2, Espoirs, Juniors Nationaux, Cadets, and École de Rugby) at Stade Nicolas Kaufmann in Nîmes. Beyond on-field competition, the club offers membership through the Socios program, an online and on-site merchandise boutique, matchday hospitality at Brasserie Le Drop, and ticketing for home matches. It also runs a vocational training campus (Campus Formation Sport Nîmes) and the Rugby Cœur Nîmois endowment fund for community and youth initiatives.

Product overview

Rugby Club Nîmois is a comprehensive rugby sports organization offering a multi-level competitive structure from youth development (École de Rugby, Cadets, Juniors) through to senior professional rugby (Espoirs, Équipe 1 in Nationale 2). The club operates as an integrated sports ecosystem supported by auxiliary services including Brasserie Le Drop (hospitality), an e-commerce boutique, ticketing services, and an endowment fund (Rugby Cœur Nîmois) for social impact initiatives. The club also runs a dedicated training campus (Campus Formation Sport Nîmes) and póló formation center for player development, alongside community programs like the Tournoi des Six Quartiers. The organization competes primarily in French Nationale 2 and operates primarily from Stade Nicolas Kaufmann in Nîmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rugby Cœur Nîmois: The club's endowment fund focused on societal actions, insertion programs, and community engagement
• Brasserie Le Drop
• Bodega RCN x Le Questel
• Tournoi des Six Quartiers

Products and services

• Équipe 1 (Nationale 2) The club's senior first team competing in Nationale 2, the fourth tier of French rugby union. The team plays home matches at Stade Nicolas Kaufmann in Nîmes.
• Espoirs The club's reserve/U23 team that competes in the same pool as the first team and plays as curtain-raiser matches before Nationale 2 games. Won the French Championship in 2025.
• Juniors Nationaux The club's junior team (U18) that competes in national championship play-offs. Reached the French national final in 2026 and won the title in 2022.
• Cadets Youth team category competing in the Alamercery championship and Challenge de France.
• École de Rugby The club's rugby school for young players aged M8, M10, and M12, offering introduction to rugby with educational and competitive programs.
• Pôle Formation The club's training center that develops young talent through structured coaching programs, enabling progression from youth rugby to professional levels.
• Campus Formation Sport Nîmes The club's dedicated training campus offering vocational and professional development programs alongside rugby training.
• Brasserie Le Drop The club's on-site restaurant and bar offering catering services, event hosting, and match-day hospitality experiences at Stade Kaufmann.
• Boutique RCN The club's online merchandise store selling jerseys, lifestyle clothing, accessories, and memorabilia through Shopify.
• Billetterie (Match ticketing) The club's ticketing service for match tickets and season subscriptions, operated through Weezevent platform. 50€ season subscription for all 11 home matches in 2025-2026.
• Rugby Cœur Nîmois (Fonds de Dotation) The club's endowment fund focused on social impact initiatives including professional insertion, youth programs in priority neighborhoods, health awareness, and community engagement.
• Programme Socios The club's membership program launched in 2023 allowing partners, local businesses, and supporters to become stakeholders and participate in the club's development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Espoirs became French Champions in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered key partner, partner and major partner.

• Le Questelkey partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Venue partnership for the Bodega during the 2026 Feria de Nîmes, occupying 500+ m² space for five days of festivities, food, and entertainment.
• France Travail Gard Lozèrekey partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership through Rugby Cœur Nîmois foundation for professional insertion programs, part of the RCN Horizon societal project.
• Vert MarinepartnerOthersWater sports and maritime equipment company listed as a partner of Rugby Club Nîmois.
• VéoliapartnerOthersWater and environmental services company partnered with the club.
• Tissot ImmobilierpartnerOthersReal estate company and part of the Holding Tissot group, major local supporter.
• Montaner PietrinipartnerOthersBeverage company providing drinks to the club.
• FerrorailpartnerOthersRailway equipment company partner of the club.
• Institut Emmanuel d'AlzonpartnerOthersPrivate educational institution partnered with the club.
• Apex LocationpartnerOthersVehicle rental company with agency in Nîmes.
• Loc+partnerOthersVehicle rental company listed as a partner.
• Groupe SofilecpartnerOthersElectrical equipment and services group partner.
• Groupe IBCpartnerOthersBusiness group partnered with the club.
• Nîmes Métropolemajor partnerOthersMetropolitan area of Nîmes, providing public support to the club as a major territorial stakeholder.
• Océan Propreté urbainepartnerOthersUrban cleaning services company in Nîmes.
• TEMPORISpartnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTemporary staffing agency franchise partnered with the club.
• SUEZpartnerOthersWater and waste management company partnered with the club.
• SPORT 2000partnerOthersSporting goods retail chain partner.
• Matériaux modernespartnerOthersBuilding materials company partner.
• Holding TissotpartnerOthersParent holding company of Tissot Immobilier, major local business supporter.
• FDI GroupepartnerOthersBusiness group partnered with the club, notably sponsoring matches.
• Bastide médicalpartnerOthersMedical equipment and home care company partnered with the club, supporting player health studies.
• Conseil départementale du Gardmajor partnerOthersDepartmental council providing institutional support to the club.
• Région Occitaniemajor partnerOthersRegional council providing institutional support to the club.
• Ville de Nîmesmajor partnerOthersCity of Nîmes, providing primary institutional and municipal support to the club.
• Gendarmerie du GardpartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partnership including events with former players and community engagement activities.
• Armée de TerrepartnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Army partnership featuring military demonstrations, recruitment stands, and honor ceremonies at match events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• US Bressane: French rugby club from Bourg-en-Bresse competing in Nationale, sharing RCN's small-city, academy-driven model at a comparable competitive tier.
• SU Agen: Traditional French rugby club competing in Pro D2 with strong local identity and historical brand, comparable to RCN in its reliance on community and regional partnerships.
• FC Grenoble Rugby: French rugby club from a regional city (Grenoble) that has oscillated between Pro D2 and Nationale. Comparable structure as a community-rooted club with significant youth development and institutional support, similar to RCN's model in Nîmes.
• Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne: Pro D2 club from a small regional city (Aurillac) built on youth academy output and strong local community ties. Mirrors RCN's small-city community-driven identity and over-reliance on local economic support.
• US Dax: Historic French rugby club competing in Pro D2, anchored in a mid-sized regional city with a similar community-led commercial model and stadium-based matchday economics to RCN.
• RC Vannes: Pro D2 club from Brittany that recently rose from amateur tiers through promotion and youth investment. Comparable trajectory to what RCN is attempting in the south of France.
• Colomiers Rugby: Occitanie-based rugby club playing in Pro D2 with similar community roots and a pathway built on youth development, located within the same broader region as RCN.
• Provence Rugby: Pro D2 club based in Aix-en-Provence, with a similar profile of a southern French club competing at the semi-professional tier with a strong youth/formation focus.
• AS Béziers: Historic southern French rugby club currently in Pro D2, sharing the Mediterranean regional market and competing for the same pool of Occitanie-based supporters and partners as RCN.

Broad incumbents

• LOU Rugby: Top 14 club based in Lyon, the dominant rugby brand in the broader Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes/Occitanie catchment. Demonstrates the upside ceiling available to French rugby clubs with successful professionalisation, contrasting with RCN's current amateur status.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rugby-club-n%C3%AEmois

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Rugby Club Nîmois