Anthem Rugby Carolina

What Anthem Rugby Carolina does

Anthem Rugby Carolina is a professional rugby franchise competing in Major League Rugby (MLR), based in Charlotte, North Carolina and playing home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The franchise was founded in 2024 as an expansion side through a three-way partnership between Major League Rugby, World Rugby, and USA Rugby, with an explicit mandate to develop American rugby talent as a pathway to the USA Eagles national team ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup and 2031 tournament on home soil. The organization operates approximately 35-40 individuals across a 30+ player roster, coaching staff, high-performance and athletic training functions, and a back office covering operations, marketing, creative services, and youth development.

The team generates revenue through four primary streams: ticket sales (season memberships at $165-$205 per package and single-game tickets via the Flicket platform), direct-to-consumer merchandise through an online shop, broadcast rights distributed through MLR's ESPN+ and local WCCB 18.1 media agreements, and corporate sponsorship from a portfolio of partners including Novant Health, PepsiCo/Gatorade, The Hartford, Gilbert, Macron, Globant, Town Brewing Co., and Source Sports Med. Go-to-market is event-driven, with ticket sales concentrated around match-day attendance at American Legion Memorial Stadium, community watch parties at partner venues such as Town Brewing Co., and broadcast-driven national exposure through ESPN+.

After two prior seasons and 32 consecutive franchise losses, Anthem RC's 2026 season yielded the team's first-ever victory (Week 1, 39-26 over California Legion) and first-ever home win (Week 3, 34-25 over Seattle Seawolves), with the team ultimately finishing 12th in MLR standings at 2-5. The franchise's set-piece play was the standout performance metric of the season, with Anthem RC leading MLR in scrum success rate (25/25 feeds won, 100% in multiple matches) and recording a perfect maul performance (6/6) in Week 7 against Chicago Hounds.

Name

Anthem Rugby Carolina

Legal name

Anthem Rugby Carolina

Website

https://anthemrc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Anthem Rugby Carolina is a Major League Rugby franchise based in Charlotte, NC, founded in 2024 through a partnership between MLR, World Rugby, and USA Rugby. The team develops American rugby talent for the USA Eagles national team pipeline while competing in MLR's regular season.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Franchise

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Individual-Sport Clubs & Teams (Cycling Teams, Athletics/Track Clubs, Swimming Clubs, etc.) (MPAKABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rugby (Union & League) Leagues (MPAKAAAG), Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors) (MPAKALAA), Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)

Keywords

• Professional rugby team
• Major league rugby
• Sports franchise tickets
• Rugby match events
• Team merchandise apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Season ticket memberships and single-game ticket sales through the team's website and ticketing platform (Flicket). Season ticket packages are offered in two tiers (Stars Section at $205, Stripes Section at $165) covering all home matches.
2. Merchandise/Shop: Online merchandise sales via the team's shop portal (anthemrc.704shop.com), offering team apparel and gear.
3. Broadcasting Rights: Revenue from broadcast rights through Major League Rugby's media agreements, including ESPN+ streaming and local broadcast on WCCB 18.1.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partnership agreements with sponsors including Novant Health, PepsiCo, The Hartford, Gilbert (rugby equipment), Macron (kit/apparel), Globant, Flicket (ticketing), and others. Partners receive brand visibility through stadium signage, logo placement on website, and marketing activations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Anthem Rugby Carolina is a professional rugby franchise competing in Major League Rugby (MLR), based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team sells single-game tickets and season ticket memberships for home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium, sells official team apparel and merchandise through its online shop, and monetizes the franchise through corporate sponsorship deals and league-level broadcast rights (ESPN+, WCCB 18.1).

Product overview

Anthem Rugby Carolina is a professional rugby team and Major League Rugby franchise. The organization offers live professional rugby match events (single-game tickets and season memberships), official team merchandise and apparel through their online shop, and provides team roster information and news updates to fans. The team plays home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and competes in the MLR season against other North American professional rugby clubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single-Game Match Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• Best scrum success rate in MLR (25/25 feeds, 100% in multiple matches)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Major League Rugby (MLR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Anthem RC is an MLR expansion side that joined the league ahead of the 2024 season. MLR is focused on the growth of rugby in the U.S. and driving an innovative evolution for the game. The team operates under MLR's league structure including broadcast rights (ESPN+), scheduling, and league-wide commercial partnerships.
• World RugbycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024World Rugby is a founding partner in the comprehensive partnership that created Anthem RC. The collaboration represents a significant investment in growing and developing rugby in the U.S., with World Rugby's high-performance objectives aligned with Anthem RC's talent development mission.
• USA RugbycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024USA Rugby is a founding partner alongside MLR and World Rugby in establishing Anthem RC. The team serves USA Rugby's high-performance objectives by developing players for the USA Eagles national team ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup and 2031 tournament on home soil.
• GilbertminorOthersOfficial rugby equipment partner of Anthem RC and MLR, providing rugby balls and equipment. Listed in the MLR Partners section of the team website.
• GlobantminorOthersListed as an MLR partner with logo on the Anthem RC website. Globant is a digital transformation services company that likely provides technology services to MLR and its teams.
• FlicketminorOthersOfficial ticketing platform partner for Anthem RC matches. The team's ticketing site (anthemrc.flicket.io) is powered by Flicket, which handles ticket sales for single-game and season memberships.
• MacronminorOthersKit and apparel supplier for Anthem RC and MLR, providing team uniforms and training gear. Listed in the MLR Partners section of the team website.
• Vitacost (Scripps)minorOthersListed as an MLR partner with logo on the Anthem RC website. Vitacost is a health and wellness retailer owned by Scripps.
• OnriseminorOthersListed as an MLR partner with logo on the Anthem RC homepage. Nature and purpose of partnership is not further detailed in available sources.
• CTMSminorOthersListed as an MLR partner with logo on the Anthem RC website. Nature of partnership is not further detailed in available sources.
• Novant HealthminorOthersHealthcare system partner of Anthem RC. Listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website with a clickable link to novanthealth.org.
• Gentle Giant Moving CompanyminorOthersMoving company partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• Pizza BabyminorOthersRestaurant partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• PepsiCo / GatorademinorOthersBeverage sponsor of Anthem RC. The PepsiCo logo links to gatorade.com, indicating a sports beverage partnership for hydration and recovery support.
• The HartfordminorOthersInsurance partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• AlphaGraphicsminorOthersPrinting and marketing services partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• Town Brewing Co.minorOthersLocal craft brewery and official watch party venue partner of Anthem RC. Hosts watch parties for away matches (e.g., Old Glory DC Week 11 match). Collaboration includes marketing activations and community events.
• Source Sports MedminorOthersSports medicine provider partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• WCCB 18.1minorOthersLocal Charlotte broadcast television station partner carrying live coverage of Anthem RC home matches and selected away matches. Listed in the Corporate Partners section.
• Mason Jar GroupminorOthersVenue partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• Pillar SportsminorOthersSports-focused partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.
• Sunday Hot SpringsminorOthersSpa/wellness partner of Anthem RC, listed in the Corporate Partners section of the team website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Houston SaberCats: MLR expansion-era franchise in a major southern US metro; comparable in market profile, scale, and revenue model to Anthem RC.
• San Diego Legion / California Legion: Long-standing MLR franchise (recently rebranded California Legion); comparable professional rugby team operations, ticketing, sponsorship mix, and MLR league economics.
• Seattle Seawolves: Founding MLR franchise and two-time champion; the most established MLR team with the longest track record of on-field success and sponsorship scale, directly comparable as a professional rugby team in the same league and similar ticketing/sponsorship model.
• Old Glory DC: MLR expansion-era franchise in a major East Coast market; directly comparable business model, scale, and revenue mix as Anthem RC's peer within Major League Rugby.
• Miami Sharks: Recent MLR expansion franchise in a major southeastern market; comparable launch-stage franchise profile, headcount, and dependence on MLR-league economics.
• New England Free Jacks: MLR franchise competing in the same league with a similar regional sports-market positioning; comparable in size, structure, and centralized MLR broadcast/sponsorship exposure.
• Dallas Jackals: MLR expansion franchise also serving the southern US region; comparable in team size, ticket pricing, and centralized MLR sponsorship structure.
• Chicago Hounds: Midwest MLR franchise competing in the same league with comparable headcount, venue economics, and centralized MLR media rights structure as Anthem RC.
• NOLA Gold: MLR franchise based in the southern US; comparable professional rugby operations and revenue mix under shared MLR media and partnership agreements.
• Rugby New York: MLR franchise based in the New York metro (originally Rugby United New York); comparable professional rugby team operations, broadcast exposure, and centralized MLR sponsorship structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AnthemRugby
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anthemrugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Anthem Rugby Carolina