Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club

What Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club does

Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club (TWRFC) is a community rugby union club founded in 1931 and based at St Mark Recreation Ground in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The club fields a men's 1XV competing at Level 5 Regional 1 South Central — where it achieved a historic 3rd-place finish and is contesting a promotion playoff to National 2 — alongside a 2XV, 3XV, Vets, Women's 1XV, social touch, and a comprehensive youth section spanning Mini's (U6–U11), Youth (U12–U18), Boys Academy, and a Girls Academy (U16–U18). Total player membership exceeds 300 across age groups, with the U11s cohort alone numbering ~70 players. Coaching depth is unusually strong for a community club, anchored by French International Ben Kayser (Leicester Tigers, Clermont) as forwards coaching consultant, and supported by formalised S&C, nutrition, physio and career networking programmes plus contracted player packages with match fees and win bonuses for the 1XV.

Name

Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club

Legal name

Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club

Website

https://twrfc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club is a community rugby union club in Kent, UK, founded in 1931, serving 300+ players across men's, women's, youth and mini sections at Level 5 with elite professional coaching.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Rugby Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Community rugby club
• Rugby union participation
• Youth rugby development
• Competitive rugby league
• Rugby academy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunbridge Wells

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 Subscriptions: Annual membership fees paid by senior players, youth players (via parents), and social members. Membership registration required to participate in club activities and festivals.
2. Kit and Merchandise Sales: Online club shop selling branded clothing, kit, playing shirts, shorts, socks, and second-hand kit. Shop accessible at akumashops.com/twrfc/ and via the club's physical second-hand kit stall.
3. Match Fees and Win Bonuses: Competitive match fees and win bonuses paid to 1XV contracted players as part of player compensation.
4. Event Tickets: Sale of tickets for event and pre-match lunches via Ticket Tailor platform.
5. Gym Membership: Halo Gym membership sold through the club, with membership accessible via GoCardless payment link.
6. Kiwi Camp Fees: Summer rugby camp for children U6-U16, priced at £35/day with sibling discounts for booking all 5 days. Revenue from participant registration.
7. Sponsorship Revenue: Multi-tiered sponsorship programme including Principal Club Sponsors, Main Club Sponsors, Academy Sponsors, Youth Sponsors, and standard sponsors. Over 30 sponsor relationships listed including Ardonagh Group, SitSmart, Fuller's, StoneX, Footman James, Price Forbes, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club is a community rugby union club that organises and delivers competitive rugby participation across senior men's, women's, and youth teams (U6 through Vets), operating in the English rugby pyramid at Level 5 Regional 1 South Central. The club also runs a Girls Academy (U16–U18), the Kiwi Camp summer rugby programme, an onsite Halo Gym, and a branded kit shop, funded by player memberships, event revenue, and over 30 corporate sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 7Wells: Girls rugby cluster team combining players from Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks for U14 age group (academic Y8 & 9), training as a combined squad on Sundays and as Tunbridge Wells on Wednesdays.
• Kiwi Camp
• Girls Academy

Products and services

• Senior Men's Rugby (1XV / 2XV / 3XV / Vets) Competitive senior men's rugby participation with the 1XV competing at Level 5 Regional 1 South Central and chasing promotion to National 2; includes contracted player packages with match fees, win bonuses, travel/relocation support, and access to elite coaching (French International Ben Kayser), S&C, nutrition, and physio.
• Women's Rugby (1XV) Senior women's rugby team competing in the English women's rugby pyramid, providing a senior playing pathway for graduates of the Girls Academy.
• Youth and Junior Rugby (U6–U18) Age-grade rugby from U6 through U18 across boys, girls, and mixed teams, following RFU APES guidelines, including non-contact entry at U6/U7, contact rugby progression, and 15-a-side by U14/U15. Free trial sessions offered to new players.
• Girls Academy (U16–U18) Academy programme for girls aged U16 to U18 providing a pathway from youth rugby to senior rugby with professional-level coaching, led by former premiership player and first-team coach Simon Whatling.
• 7Wells U14 Girls Team Joint U14 girls cluster team combining players from Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, training as a combined squad on Sundays and as Tunbridge Wells on Wednesdays.
• Kiwi Camp (Summer Rugby Camp) Annual summer rugby camp for children aged U6–U16 (current 25/26 season age) offering skills, games, fitness and fun built around non-contact rugby. Priced at £35/day with sibling discounts for booking all 5 days; open to non-members. Dates: 27–31 July, 9:00am–3:00pm.
• Club Kit and Merchandise Branded club kit and merchandise including playing shirts, shorts, socks, and clothing, sold via the online Akuma Shops store (akumashops.com/twrfc/) and a physical second-hand kit stall outside the clubhouse on Sunday mornings.
• Halo Gym Membership Onsite gym membership at St Marks Recreation Ground, available to club members and the local community, with payment collected via GoCardless.
• Event and Pre-Match Lunch Tickets Tickets for club events and pre-match lunches sold via the Ticket Tailor platform, supporting matchday hospitality and community events.
• Corporate Sponsorship Programme Tiered sponsorship packages for businesses (Principal Club Sponsors, Main Club Sponsors, Main Youth Sponsor, Main Ladies Sponsor, Academy Sponsors, and standard sponsors) providing brand visibility on the club's website, match programmes, and facility signage, plus community engagement opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Club achieved historic 3rd-place league finish (best-ever result), earning playoff spot for promotion to National 2
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core and minor.

• Ardonagh GroupprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Club Sponsor of Tunbridge Wells RFC. Ardonagh Group is a UK-based insurance broker providing primary sponsorship visibility across the club's website, match programmes, and facility signage.
• SitSmartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor providing sponsorship support and brand visibility for Tunbridge Wells RFC.
• Fuller'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor — Fuller's brewery/pub company providing sponsorship and brand visibility for the club.
• NortradecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor providing trade/navigation-related services sponsorship to TWRFC.
• Footman JamesprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Club Sponsor — specialist insurance broker (part of Markerstudy Group) providing classic vehicle and sports club insurance, offering primary sponsorship visibility for TWRFC.
• Price ForbesprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Club Sponsor — specialist insurance and reinsurance broker providing primary sponsorship visibility for TWRFC.
• StoneXcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor — financial services company (StoneX Group Inc.) providing sponsorship support to TWRFC.
• CrippscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Youth Sponsor — law firm providing sponsorship support specifically targeted at youth rugby development at TWRFC.
• Food Team InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor — international food services company providing sponsorship support to TWRFC.
• G. Collins & SonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Club Sponsor — family business providing sponsorship support to TWRFC.
• Stephenson Harwood LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Ladies Sponsor — international law firm providing sponsorship specifically for TWRFC's women's team.
• Halo GymcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing gym membership services to TWRFC members. Onsite gym at St Marks Ground accessible to club members, with membership sold via GoCardless.
• Maddisons ResidentialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademy Sponsor — residential estate agency providing sponsorship support for TWRFC's Academy development programme.
• Omni RecyclingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademy Sponsor supporting TWRFC's Academy programme. Also referenced as supporting the Girls Academy specifically alongside other sponsors (Ascender Consulting, Speldhurst Sausages, Dorset Arms).
• Kent County RFUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty governing body for rugby in Kent. TWRFC is affiliated and shares member data, participates in Kent leagues and cup competitions (Kent Cup, Kent Sevens), and receives county-level development support and regulatory oversight.
• Rugby Football Union (RFU) / England RugbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body. TWRFC uses RFU's Game Management System (GMS) for player registrations, RFU ID management, and disciplinary records. The club is bound by RFU rules and regulations and shares member data with the RFU and its Constituent Bodies. Affiliated with England Rugby London & SE Division for league fixtures and competition.
• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment-funded body supporting grassroots sport development. TWRFC holds affiliation with Sport England, supporting the club's community sport participation mission.
• Ascender ConsultingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the TWRFC Girls Academy, contributing to the club's investment in providing professional-grade training resources and development support for academy players.
• Speldhurst SausagesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the TWRFC Girls Academy providing sponsorship support for the club's youth female rugby development programme.
• The Dorset ArmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the TWRFC Girls Academy — local hospitality business supporting the club's academy programme. Also listed as a Main Club Sponsor.
• PitcherocoreTechnology or IntegrationClub website and membership management platform provider. TWRFC's website (twrfc.com) is built on the Pitchero platform, which also provides the club's match centre, team management, news publishing, and ranking system.
• SpondcoreTechnology or IntegrationMember communication and scheduling platform used by TWRFC for youth player registration, training session announcements, fixture notifications, and team management. Members access and update their own data via Spond.
• Akuma ShopsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline club kit shop provider (akumashops.com/twrfc/) supplying TWRFC-branded clothing, playing kit, and merchandise to club members and supporters.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Folkestone RFC: East-Kent community rugby club serving a comparable community-club role in the same county, sharing RFU/Kent County RFU affiliation but operating in a distinct coastal catchment.

Direct peers

• London Scottish FC: Direct Level 5 league competitor whose Lions side TWRFC faced in the promotion play-offs. Comparable in scale, community-driven model and pathway ambition toward National 2.
• Blackheath FC: Long-established South-East London community rugby club with similar membership-club structure, multi-team men's/women's/youth offering, and comparable London-adjacent sponsor catchment.
• Maidstone RFC: Mid-Kent community rugby club competing in similar Kent leagues with comparable men's, women's and youth structures. Comparable in scale, member base and county-level competition participation.
• Bishop's Stortford RFC: Established East of England community rugby club with strong men's and women's sections and a multi-tier sponsorship programme, broadly comparable in scale and league ambition.
• Tonbridge Juddians RFC: Neighbouring Kent rugby club of broadly similar size competing in regional leagues. The most direct geographic peer, sharing the Tunbridge Wells/Borough catchment for senior players, youth members and sponsors.
• Sevenoaks RFC: West Kent community rugby club of comparable scale. Already partners with TWRFC via the U14 Girls (7Wells) cluster team, indicating direct overlap in player catchment and youth development model.
• Barnes RFC: London community rugby club of comparable scale and demographic, operating a broad men's, women's and youth programme with a similar sponsorship-driven commercial model.
• Old Albanian RFC: Hertfordshire community rugby club competing at a similar national league level with comparable men's, women's, mini and youth sections. Useful peer for benchmarking Level 5 promotion economics.
• Canterbury RFC: Historic Kent rugby club operating men's, women's and youth teams at a comparable community level. Direct competitor in Kent Cup and Kent Sevens competitions and comparable sponsorship model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/twrfc
• Instagraminstagram.com/tunbridge_wells_rfc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tunbridgewellsrfc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club