USTours Rugby

What USTours Rugby does

UST Rugby (Union Sportive de Tours Rugby) is a French amateur rugby club founded in 1898 and headquartered at Stade Tonnellé, 55 boulevard Tonnellé, 37000 Tours, France. Structured as a non-profit association under French law (loi 1901) and recognized as an organism of general interest, the club employs 16 staff and competes in the national Fédérale 1 league and Espoirs Fédéraux development competition. It sustains a multi-tier youth academy (Baby Rugby from age 3, M6–M12, M14–M18, Centres d'entraînement) that feeds into senior squads, making youth development a core operational pillar alongside senior competitive play.

The club's commercial offering is delivered through a unified WooCommerce + Caddy-powered e-commerce boutique at ustours.fr, comprising three interconnected lines: (1) Billetterie — match tickets priced €6–€30 (with free/€0 student placements and reduced rates for unemployed and disability card holders); (2) Abonnement — a €100 annual season subscription covering all 11 home matches plus a 10% boutique discount, a player meet-and-greet, and a personalized supporter card; and (3) Merchandise — club-branded textiles (T-shirts, Mizuno sleeveless down jackets, caps), home goods (mugs, bottles, aprons), accessories (umbrellas, keychains), supporter items (scarves, tote bags), and souvenirs. A Dons program offers tax-deductible donations under the French 66% deduction regime via a Mur des donateurs and a memorial 'Hommage à Benoit Sébillet' channel.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and direct-to-community: ticket, subscription, merchandise, and donation revenue flows through the club's own storefront and match-day sales at Stade Tonnellé, with no third-party retail distribution. Top-of-funnel awareness is generated via Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, an email newsletter, and a content-rich website (67 pages of archives). Institutional funding and operational support come from formal partnerships with Ville de Tours, Département d'Indre-et-Loire (CD37), Région Centre-Val de Loire, Ligue de Rugby du Centre, Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR), and Agence Nationale du Sport (ANS). The core technology stack is a standard WordPress/WooCommerce storefront with no proprietary AI, API, or platform layer.

Name

USTours Rugby

Legal name

Union Sportive de Tours Rugby

Website

https://ustours.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USTours Rugby (Union Sportive de Tours Rugby) is a 125-year-old amateur rugby club based in Tours, France, competing in Fédérale 1 and Espoirs Fédéraux. It serves local supporters and youth players through match tickets, €100 season subscriptions, branded merchandise, donations, and a full youth academy from Baby Rugby to senior squads.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Rugby Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO), Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE), Rugby Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAI), Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE)

Keywords

• Amateur rugby club
• Rugby merchandise sales
• Match ticket sales
• Season subscription passes
• Youth rugby training

Headquarters

HQ city

Tours

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual match tickets sold for Fédérale 1 and Espoirs Fédéraux competitions. Prices range from 0€ (students) to 30€ depending on seat category and opponent.
2. Season Subscriptions: Season ticket (Abonnement) providing access to all 11 home matches plus exclusive benefits including 10% boutique discount, player meet-and-greet event, and personalized supporter card. Price: 100€ TTC per season 2026/2027.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online boutique selling branded merchandise including clothing (t-shirts, jackets, caps), accessories (mugs, water bottles, umbrellas), souvenirs (keychains, scarves, books), and training gear. Products range from 1€ to 70€.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through Mur des donateurs program, offering 66% tax reduction for donations up to 20% of taxable income. Special tribute donations also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UST Rugby is an amateur rugby club that sells match tickets, season subscriptions, and branded merchandise (clothing, accessories, home goods, souvenirs) through its online Boutique UST platform, and accepts tax-deductible donations. The club operates competitive senior teams in Fédérale 1 and Espoirs Fédéraux leagues and runs a structured youth rugby development program from Baby Rugby (age 3) through M18.

Product overview

UST Rugby (Union Sportive de Tours Rugby) operates a unified merchandise e-commerce platform (Boutique UST) powered by WooCommerce with Caddy checkout. The core offering centers on three interconnected services: (1) Billetterie for match ticket sales with various pricing tiers, (2) Abonnement season subscriptions providing privileged access to all home matches plus exclusive benefits, and (3) Boutique selling officially branded merchandise including textiles (T-shirts, sleeveless jackets, caps), home goods (mugs, bottles, aprons), accessories (umbrellas, bracelets, keychains), supporters items (scarves, tote bags, hats), and souvenirs (books, pens, badges). The ecosystem is complemented by Dons (donation services) including the Mur des donateurs and Hommage à Benoit Sébillet memorial donations, offering tax deduction benefits to supporters. The product portfolio serves supporters seeking match attendance, merchandise, and engagement with the club.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ecole de Rugby: Youth rugby school with programs for Baby Rugby, M6, M8, M10, M12
• Jeunes
• Centres d'entrainement
• Espoirs Fédéraux
• Fédérale 1

Products and services

• Match Tickets (Billetterie) Match ticket sales system for UST Rugby home matches, offering full-price, reduced-rate (students, unemployed, disability card holders), and free student placements, plus supporter meal packages for select matches. Designed for individual supporters and families attending home matches.
• Season Subscription 2026/2027 (Abonnement) Annual season subscription providing access to all 11 home matches plus exclusive benefits including 10% boutique discount, player meet-and-greet event, and personalized supporter card. Priced at €100 TTC per season. Targeted at dedicated fans seeking full-season access and premium perks.
• Textile Merchandise Club-branded clothing including T-shirts, sleeveless down jackets (Doudoune sans manche UST), premium Mizuno vests, caps, and lightweight blouses in club colors (orange and blue). Available in sizes XS to 4XL. For supporters and fans seeking club-identity apparel.
• Home Goods (Maison) Home goods including ceramic mugs in various colors, aluminum water bottles, bicolored bottles, and aprons. Designed for supporters seeking club-branded household items.
• Accessories Club accessories including folding umbrellas, bracelets, keychains, and mini rugby balls. For fans seeking small, portable club-identity items.
• Supporter Items Supporter items including scarves, tote bags, and straw hats featuring club branding. Designed for fans attending matches and demonstrating team allegiance.
• Souvenirs Club memorabilia including books, pens, badges, and keychains commemorating the club's history. For supporters and visitors seeking historical mementos.
• Mur des Donateurs (Donor Wall) Donor recognition wall program with configurable donation amounts and 66% tax deduction for French taxpayers. Fixed €100 donation tier available. Supports the club's financial sustainability through community giving.
• Hommage à Benoit Sébillet (Memorial Donations) Memorial donation page honoring Benoit Sébillet, allowing supporters to contribute variable donations of €10 to €1,000 to projects aligned with his values. Eligible for 66% tax deduction. For community members wishing to contribute to a specific cause in his memory.
• Youth Rugby Development Programs (Ecole de Rugby) Structured youth rugby training and competitive programs from Baby Rugby (age 3) through M18, including age categories M6, M8, M10, M12, M14, M16, and M18, with dedicated training centers (Centres d'entrainement). Provides a development pathway from beginner to elite amateur levels. For children and teenagers in the Tours region.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Ville de ToursmajorOthersMunicipal government of Tours, the club's host city. Supports the club as part of local sports development and community engagement initiatives.
• Département d'Indre-et-Loire (CD37)majorOthersDepartmental council providing regional sports funding and development support to the rugby club.
• Région Centre-Val de LoiremajorOthersRegional council providing funding and institutional support for sports development in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
• Ligue de Rugby du CentrecoreOthersRegional rugby league governing body responsible for organizing competitions and supporting affiliated clubs in the Centre region.
• Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR)coreOthersNational French rugby federation governing all rugby competitions in France, including Fédérale 1 league.
• Agence Nationale du Sport (ANS)supportingOthersNational sports agency providing funding and support for elite and amateur sports development programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• US Dax Rugby: Historically significant French rugby club from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region with broader infrastructure and a wider portfolio of teams, useful as a scaled benchmark for what a community-rooted French rugby club can grow into.
• Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR): National governing body of rugby in France, setting competition rules for Fédérale 1 and Espoirs Fédéraux, distributing funding, and providing the regulatory framework within which UST operates.
• Club Sportif Bourgoin-Jallieu Rugby (CSBJ): Established French rugby club with a larger fan base and broader operations, providing a comparable governance and revenue mix (ticketing, membership, sponsorship) at a larger scale than UST.

Direct peers

• Limoges Rugby: Community rugby club in France competing in lower national divisions, structured as a non-profit association with comparable ticket, subscription, and grassroots youth development operations.
• US Annecy Rugby: Fellow Fédérale 1 competitor appearing on UST's 2026/2027 schedule, operating as a community-based amateur rugby club in the French third tier with comparable ticketing, subscription, and merchandise models.
• Club Athlétique Périgueux (CA Périgueux): Mid-sized French amateur rugby club with comparable division-level ambitions, member-driven governance, and a mixed revenue model of tickets, merchandise, and donations.
• Rugby Club de Graulhet: Historic French rugby club operating at the amateur/community level with federation affiliation and similar reliance on local supporter engagement and merchandise sales.
• Paris Université Club (PUC) Rugby: Top-of-table Fédérale 1 club listed alongside UST in the 2026/2027 standings, sharing the same national amateur league structure, federation affiliation, and community-club operating model.
• Saint-Malo Rugby: Fédérale 1 peer club also competing in the 2026/2027 season, comparable in scale as a French community rugby club reliant on ticketing, subscriptions, and local sponsorship.

Regional players

• Ligue de Rugby du Centre: Regional rugby league governing body that organizes competitions and supports clubs in the Centre region where UST operates; an ecosystem counterpart rather than direct competitor, but a key institutional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/USToursRugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ustours-rugby
• Instagraminstagram.com/ustoursrugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 USTours Rugby