Southern Districts Rugby Club

What Southern Districts Rugby Club does

Southern Districts Rugby Club (legal name: Southern Districts Rugby Union Club Limited) is a community rugby club structured as a company limited by guarantee under NSW law, founded in 1989 through the merger of St George Rugby Club (est. 1906) and Port Hacking Rugby Club. Operating from Tynan Motors Forshaw Park in Sylvania Waters, NSW, the club competes in the Shute Shield Premier Rugby competition and runs Grade Rugby, Colts (U20), and Women's (XV and X) programs. The club serves a regional catchment spanning the St George and Sutherland Shire corridors of Sydney, with a talent pipeline drawn from six affiliated village junior clubs (Burraneer, Engadine Lions, Menai, Oatley, Rockdale, Sylvania) and supplemented by country, interstate, and international recruits.

The club operates a multi-segment business model anchored by a diversified revenue stack: multi-tiered sponsorships (Club Sponsor from $4,400/yr to Major Sponsor POA), a licensed clubhouse (Greenfields bistro) operating Thursday through Sunday year-round, match-day ticketing via IWannaTicket, merchandise via The School Locker, venue hire, and corporate hospitality (including the JOIN Box Seat). A tax-deductible fundraising channel, the Rebels Rugby Foundation, is operated in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation to fund player development, women's programs, and facilities. Membership base is approximately 600, with 20,000+ annual spectators and 70,000+ email communications per season. Technology infrastructure is conventional for elite community sport: GPS monitoring, a Team Builder app, the on-site Ken McKay High-Performance Gym, and a 6-year sports science partnership with the University of Wollongong.

The club is governed by an elected Board of Directors (President Aaran Duncan, Secretary and Treasurer Blake Middleton) with a General Manager (Sam Ryan) and Director of Rugby (Mark Smith) overseeing operations. Recent leadership refresh installed former Wallaby Scott Fava as Head Coach (2025), George Gargoulakis as Lead Assistant Coach, and Marc Rees as Women's Head Coach. The club claims a track record of producing 17 Wallabies in the tight five over 20 years and runs a NSW Waratahs Southern Districts Academy Tier 1 satellite program. Strategic priorities visible in 2026 actions include site redevelopment (Taren Point Bowling Club management agreement), major sponsor renewal (Tynan Motors), and the development of the women's rugby vertical.

Name

Southern Districts Rugby Club

Legal name

Southern Districts Rugby Union Club Limited

Website

https://southerndistricts.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Districts Rugby Club is a community rugby club in Sydney's Sutherland Shire competing in the Shute Shield, running Grade, Colts, and Women's programs from Forshaw Park and funded through sponsorships, a licensed clubhouse, memberships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community 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)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF), Team & Club Coaching (seasonal team coaching) (HSADAEAF)

Keywords

• Community rugby club
• Rugby union programs
• Shute shield competition
• Sports club membership
• Corporate sports sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Sylvania Waters

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: The club generates revenue through multiple sponsorship tiers (Major Sponsor, Gold Sponsor, Club Sponsor) offering ground naming rights, fence signage, jersey branding, training gear branding, corporate hospitality, and club memberships.
2. Match Day & Hospitality: Revenue from game day ticket sales, corporate hospitality packages (including the JOIN Box Seat), venue hire of the clubhouse and playing fields for events and functions, and food and beverage sales at the licensed Greenfields bistro.
3. Donations & Foundation: Tax-deductible donations through the Rebels Rugby Foundation (Australian Sports Foundation) supporting player development, facilities, and programs. Donors of $300+ receive tickets to Thank You events.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of supporter merchandise including jerseys and club gear through The School Locker online platform.
5. Memberships: Annual memberships and game day ticketing sold through IWannaTicket platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Southern Districts Rugby Club operates a community rugby union program in the Sutherland Shire and Southern Sydney, fielding senior men's grade teams in the Shute Shield Premier Rugby competition, women's XV and X teams in Sydney Women's Premier Rugby, and a Colts (under-20) development program. The club also operates a licensed clubhouse (Greenfields bistro), corporate hospitality, venue hire, and supporter merchandise sales, supported by the Rebels Rugby Foundation charitable vehicle.

Product overview

Southern Districts Rugby Club operates as a community rugby organization offering a multi-tiered rugby program portfolio. The core products include Grade Rugby (Shute Shield Premier Rugby), Women's Rugby (XV and X formats), and Colts Rugby for player development. Supporting services include the Rebels Rugby Foundation (a charitable fundraising initiative), venue hire facilities, merchandise sales, and match-day ticketing. The club functions as a licensed hospitality venue with food and beverage operations, serving both rugby audiences and the broader community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grade Rugby Senior men's rugby competition team fielded across four grades in the Shute Shield Premier Rugby competition, led by Head Coach Scott Fava and Director of Rugby Mark Smith. Available to senior male players from the Sutherland Shire and broader Sydney rugby community, with structured development pathways and Wallabies representation outcomes.
• Women's Rugby Women's XV and X rugby program competing in the Sydney Women's Premier Rugby competition, led by Women's Head Coach Marc Rees. Open to women players across the Sutherland Shire and broader Sydney region with clear development pathways from grassroots to representative rugby.
• Colts Rugby Under-20 age group rugby program providing a development pathway from junior rugby into senior grade competition, led by Colts Head Coach Jake Holman and supported by Lead Assistant Coach George Gargoulakis. Includes NSW Waratahs Southern Districts Academy Tier 1 satellite academy program. Open to young men aged 18-20 seeking competitive development and Super Rugby representation.
• Venue Hire and Corporate Hospitality Hire of the licensed clubhouse (Greenfields bistro), playing fields, and corporate hospitality spaces (including the JOIN Box Seat) for events, functions, weddings, meetings, and sports fixtures. Available to external organisations and individuals in the Sutherland Shire and broader Sydney region. Bookings handled directly by General Manager Sam Ryan.
• Rebels Rugby Foundation Donations

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 Wallabies produced in the tight five alone over the last 20 years, demonstrating the strength of the player development pathway
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Taren Point Bowling ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Southern Districts Rugby Club entered a management agreement with Taren Point Bowling Club. The partnership is part of the club's site redevelopment strategy, with Taren Point Bowling Club becoming a sub-tenant providing additional income streams and community activation. The agreement was announced publicly to members in January 2026.
• Australian Sports FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rebels Rugby Foundation is operated in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF), the only deductible gift recipient for sport in Australia. Donations of $2 or more to approved RRF projects on the ASF website are tax deductible. This partnership enables tax-effective fundraising for player development, facilities, and club programs.
• University of WollongongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Districts has a 6-year partnership with the University of Wollongong offering rugby scholarships to players. UOW sports science students contribute to the club's High-Performance Program, providing GPS monitoring, data analysis, and S&C support. The partnership provides players access to a top 200 world-ranked university while giving UOW access to a practical training environment for its sports science students.
• NSW WaratahscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Districts and NSW Waratahs jointly launched the NSW Waratahs Southern Districts Academy Tier 1 program, a satellite academy opportunity for Colts athletes to train as part of the Gen Blue Program. Academy players train twice weekly alongside SDRC's 3-day pre-season block in a high-performance environment. The program is run by Colts Head Coach George Gargoulakis and is designed to retain and promote the rugby pathway in the Southern and Illawarra corridors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Randwick Rugby Club: One of Australia's most storied Shute Shield clubs, competing in the same Premier Rugby competition with senior grades, Colts and women's programs. Comparable as a community rugby club with a licensed clubhouse, sponsorship tiers and elite player development pedigree.
• Sydney University Football Club: Sydney-based Shute Shield Premier Rugby club competing in the same grade rugby competition as Southern Districts, with a similarly structured Colts and sub-tier development model. Directly comparable on competition tier, pathway structure and community club scale.
• Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Club: Sydney Shute Shield club with comparable community-led operating model, multi-grade competition structure and licensed clubhouse/bistro operations. Directly comparable as a community rugby club with sponsorship tiers and player development pathway.
• Manly Rugby Club: Northern Sydney Shute Shield Premier Rugby club with comparable senior grades, Colts program and community-club operating structure including a licensed clubhouse. Directly competes with Southern Districts in the same Premier Rugby competition.
• West Harbour Rugby Club: Sydney Shute Shield Premier Rugby club with a community-club structure including senior grades, Colts, women's program and licensed venue. Directly comparable as a competing Sydney Premier Rugby club.
• Warringah Rugby Club: Northern Beaches Sydney rugby club competing in the Shute Shield Premier Rugby competition, with a community club model anchored on memberships, sponsorships, Colts pathway and a licensed clubhouse — directly comparable to Southern Districts.
• Gordon Rugby Club: Sydney Shute Shield Premier Rugby club with comparable community-led model, multi-tier rugby program and venue/clubhouse operations. Directly comparable as a Shute Shield community rugby club with sponsorship and membership revenue streams.
• Eastwood Rugby Club: Sydney Shute Shield Premier Rugby club with a comparable community-led model, multiple grades, Colts pathway and licensed clubhouse. Directly competes with Southern Districts in the same Premier Rugby competition.
• Northern Suburbs Rugby Club (Norths): Sydney Shute Shield Premier Rugby club directly comparable to Southern Districts on competition tier, Colts pathway and Sydney-based community club model. Notable as Scott Fava's previous Head Coaching position before his appointment at Southern Districts.

Regional players

• Hunter Wildfires (NSW Waratahs Academy affiliate): NSW regional representative rugby program affiliated with the same NSW Waratahs pathway that Southern Districts accesses via the Waratahs Southern Districts Academy Tier 1. Comparable as a rugby talent development organisation drawing from regional feeder clubs, though operating in the Hunter region rather than Sydney metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southsrugbyclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Southern Districts Rugby Club