SWINTON LIONS RLFC
Swinton Lions RLFC is a community-owned rugby league club founded in 1877, based in Salford/Greater Manchester, competing in the Betfred Championship men's league alongside newly launched women's and wheelchair teams.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1877
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SWINTON LIONS RLFC does
Swinton Lions RLFC is a community-owned professional rugby league club founded in 1877 and headquartered in the Salford/Greater Manchester area of England. The club fields three competitive teams: a men's side competing in the Betfred Championship (the second tier of British rugby league), a women's team known as the Lionesses, and a wheelchair team competing in the Northern Conference League. Both the women's and wheelchair programs were launched in 2025, materially expanding the club's participation footprint.
The club's revenue model is anchored in four streams: matchday ticket sales at home venues, sponsorship and partnership income (with Betfred as title sponsor of the league), supporter lottery participation, and merchandise sales. Home matches are played across two venues — BeActive Urmston and Star Salford Academy — the latter adopted to broaden regional reach. The club also operates Lions TV, a YouTube-based content channel supporting fan engagement and direct distribution. Governance rests with the Swinton Lions Supporters Trust, embedding the club in a community-ownership structure with approximately 30 employees recorded on Companies House filings.
Swinton Lions operates as a semi-professional sporting entity whose commercial ceiling is constrained by its second-tier league status and concentrated local catchment, while its multi-team program launch and dual-venue footprint indicate an active broadening of its addressable audience across traditional, women's, and wheelchair rugby league.
SWINTON LIONS RLFC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SWINTON LIONS RLFC
- Legal name
- Swinton Lions Rugby League Club Limited
- Website
- https://swintonlionsrlfc.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1877
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Swinton Lions RLFC is a community-owned rugby league club founded in 1877, based in Salford/Greater Manchester, competing in the Betfred Championship men's league alongside newly launched women's and wheelchair teams.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SWINTON LIONS RLFC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Rugby League Club
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rugby (Union & League) Leagues (MPAKAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Sports Events & Match Tickets (THAJAFAE), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)
Keywords
Where SWINTON LIONS RLFC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
SWINTON LIONS RLFC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling match tickets, season tickets, and hospitality tickets for men's, women's, and wheelchair games at their various venues.
- Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship from multiple local and regional businesses including Betfred (Championship sponsor), Camway Installations, DaisyMill Technologies, Oyster, ESS, PAS Safe, Gerrards, Glossop Caravans, Global13, Haydock ARLFC, Impact Rugby, Innovative Ingredients, Key & Eagle, Osmium, Primus, Parasoul, Sale FC, Seed Architects, Smarter Homes, Vestacare, Superfly, Rlec Property, Watkins Signs, Jungle, and Bridgewater.
- Club Lottery: Weekly lottery program for supporters with prizes and regular draws.
- Merchandise: Sale of club merchandise including jerseys and apparel. Online store with pick-up on game days.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Match and season tickets available for all teams |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SWINTON LIONS RLFC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Swinton Lions RLFC operates a community-based professional rugby league football club, fielding men's, women's (Lionesses), and wheelchair teams. The club sells match tickets, season tickets, and hospitality packages, operates a supporter lottery program, and sells club merchandise. Home fixtures are staged at Heywood Road and BeActive Urmston, with media content distributed via the Lions TV YouTube channel.
Product overview
SWINTON LIONS RLFC is a traditional rugby league football club with over 150 years of history, operating as a multi-team organization offering men's, women's, and wheelchair rugby league teams. The club's product portfolio centers on live sports entertainment, providing match tickets (both standard and hospitality), official merchandise, and a club lottery program. The club also produces multimedia content through Lions TV on YouTube, featuring match highlights and player interviews. Community engagement is delivered through the club's Foundation programs. Home games are played at Heywood Road, with the wheelchair team using Be Active Urmston as their home venue.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Season & Match Tickets
- Hospitality Tickets
- Club Merchandise (MERCH)
- Club Lottery
- Men's Rugby League Team Competition
- Manchester Swinton Lionesses (Women's Team)
- Wheelchair Rugby League Team
- Lions TV (YouTube Content)
Quantifiable outcome
- Wheelchair team grew from 3 to 20+ players in first year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SWINTON LIONS RLFC
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SWINTON LIONS RLFC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SWINTON LIONS RLFC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Camway InstallationsminorLocal sponsor appearing in the club's sponsor footer section.
- DaisyMill TechnologiesminorLocal sponsor and technology partner.
- Key & Eagle Digital MediacoreWebsite design and hosting partner responsible for the club's official website (keyandeagle.dev).
- BeActive UrmstoncoreSports facility venue providing home ground for wheelchair team matches. Located at Kingsway Park, Urmston, Manchester.
- Star Salford AcademycoreTraining and match venue partner for wheelchair team. Located in Little Hulton, Manchester.
- JungleminorSponsor for the international wheelchair friendly event against Aber Valley Wolves.
- InclusiveSportminorSupport organization for inclusive sports, mentioned in wheelchair event promotions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SWINTON LIONS RLFC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wigan Warriors: Premier Super League rugby league club in Greater Manchester; sets the regional benchmark for rugby league commercialization, sponsorship scale, and brand reach that Swinton operates beneath.
- Salford Red Devils: Greater Manchester-based Super League rugby league club; a larger incumbent in the same region with overlapping fan base and broader commercial portfolio, providing an aspirational peer for Swinton.
- Leigh Leopards: Greater Manchester-area Super League club operating men's and wheelchair teams; directly relevant benchmark for Swinton's multi-format diversification strategy.
- Hull FC: Super League rugby league club with established multi-format operations (men's and women's); comparable in offering match tickets, hospitality, and merchandise at greater scale.
Direct peers
- Doncaster RLFC: Direct Betfred Championship rival playing the same league schedule as Swinton; operates a similar matchday-driven business model with sponsorship, ticketing, and lottery revenue.
- Whitehaven RLFC: Betfred Championship peer club with comparable scale, regional fan base, and reliance on community-owned commercial revenues; shares Swinton's second-tier competitive economics.
- Halifax Panthers: Betfred Championship competitor operating in a similar regional footprint to Swinton with multi-stream revenue (ticketing, sponsorship, hospitality) at second-tier scale.
- Featherstone Rovers: Historic Yorkshire rugby league club in the same Championship tier with a heritage brand and community-rooted commercial model analogous to Swinton's.
- Batley Bulldogs: Direct Betfred Championship competitor of Swinton Lions; small-market rugby league club competing in the same second tier with comparable ticket, sponsorship, and merchandise revenue mix.
- Dewsbury Rams: Championship-level rugby league club in northern England with similar small-town commercial model, sponsorship portfolio, and fan engagement approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SWINTON LIONS RLFC social profiles
Digital presenceSWINTON LIONS RLFC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SWINTON LIONS RLFC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SWINTON LIONS RLFC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SWINTON LIONS RLFC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SWINTON LIONS RLFC
What does SWINTON LIONS RLFC do?
Swinton Lions RLFC operates a community-based professional rugby league football club, fielding men's, women's (Lionesses), and wheelchair teams. The club sells match tickets, season tickets, and hospitality packages, operates a supporter lottery program, and sells club merchandise. Home fixtures are staged at Heywood Road and BeActive Urmston, with media content distributed via the Lions TV YouTube channel.
Is SWINTON LIONS RLFC a public or private company?
SWINTON LIONS RLFC is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was SWINTON LIONS RLFC founded?
SWINTON LIONS RLFC was founded in 1877. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SWINTON LIONS RLFC based?
SWINTON LIONS RLFC is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SWINTON LIONS RLFC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship, club Lottery and merchandise.
Who are SWINTON LIONS RLFC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wigan Warriors, Salford Red Devils, Leigh Leopards and Hull FC. Direct peers are Doncaster RLFC, Whitehaven RLFC, Halifax Panthers, Featherstone Rovers, Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams.
Does SWINTON LIONS RLFC have an API?
No public API is recorded for SWINTON LIONS RLFC.
What industry is SWINTON LIONS RLFC in?
SWINTON LIONS RLFC's product category is Professional Rugby League Club. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAG, Rugby (Union & League) Leagues, with a secondary code of MPAGAMAB, Team Sports Matches (Club & National). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7900.