city of Rugby

What city of Rugby does

Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 in Memphis, TN by Shane Young and Devin O'Brien, both first-year Teach for America Corps members. The organization's stated mission is to close the opportunity gap and drive upward mobility in under-resourced Memphis communities through rugby-based youth development, academic support, mentoring, and alumni services. Programming is delivered free of charge to participants and funded through individual donations (via a Network for Good portal), foundation grants, and strategic partnerships with organizations including the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation, MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies, and Slingshot Memphis.

MICR's core product is the K-12 Pathways Program, which combines competitive rugby with mandatory study halls, mentoring, and leadership development across five partner schools: Power Center Academy, Freedom Preparatory Academy, Soulsville Charter School, Bellevue Middle School, and Ridgeway Middle School. The organization supplements this with Summer Rugby Programming (free camps held at community parks such as Alcy Warren Park) and an Alumni Support Program launched in 2018 that provides college mentoring, financial stipends ($1,200/year), textbook assistance, and food security care packages to former participants. Average per-player costs are approximately $1,200 per high school season and $700 per middle school season, with the organization serving 350+ players annually (200+ high school and 150+ middle school).

The organization has no proprietary technology systems and operates with a small core team of approximately 9 full-time staff augmented by 30+ part-time coaches, mentors, and alumni, with 70% of coaches being MICR alumni themselves. The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. External validation includes a Tribeca Film Festival documentary short selection in 2017, a Nike 'Dream Crazier' campaign feature in 2020, and the Beyond Sport Collective Impact Award in 2020, alongside the Candid Platinum Seal of transparency in 2026.

Name

city of Rugby

Legal name

Memphis Inner City Rugby

Website

https://memphisinnercityrugby.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free K-12 rugby, academic mentoring, and alumni support programs to youth in under-resourced Memphis communities, serving 350+ students annually across five partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Clubs & Organizations (General Interest, Cultural, Service) (EDAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Youth rugby programs
• Sport-based youth development
• College mentoring services
• Alumni support programs
• Community nonprofit athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

New Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, MICR relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization promotes giving through its website and Network for Good donation portal.
2. Partnerships and Grants: MICR receives support through partnerships with organizations like Slingshot Memphis (impact assessment partner) and the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation/MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies. Additional grant funding is implied through their scaling and program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) provides free K-12 rugby programming combined with mandatory study halls, academic mentoring, and social-emotional development for youth in under-resourced Memphis communities. The organization also operates an Alumni Support Program that delivers college mentoring, financial assistance (stipends, textbook aid, food security), internship opportunities, and alumni coaching positions to program graduates.

Product overview

Memphis Inner City Rugby (MICR) is a nonprofit youth development organization that operates as a single integrated program rather than a platform architecture. The core offering is the K-12 Pathways Program, which combines rugby athletics with academic support and social-emotional development. This is supported by the Alumni Support Program that provides ongoing college mentoring, financial assistance, and career development for former participants. Summer Programming offers seasonal rugby camps, while the Play Rugby initiative serves as the entry point for new student-athletes. The High School Film Gallery documents competitive match footage. All programs are free to participants and operate through partner schools in Memphis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Pathways Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 130% ROI — $2.30 of poverty-fighting impact for every $1.00 invested
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies / Memphis Grizzlies FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Grizzlies Foundation enables MICR to create relational, relentless, and responsive mentoring programs for alumni. The partnership provides resources for the college mentoring program.
• Slingshot MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent poverty-fighting center of influence working alongside poverty-fighting organizations to study effectiveness, identify opportunities to enhance outcomes, and invest directly to amplify high-impact programs. Conducted nearly 5-year intensive study of MICR's programs, services, and operations, finding $2.30 of poverty-fighting impact for every $1.00 invested.
• NikenotableGTM or Marketing PartnerMICR program Freedom Prep Academy featured in Nike 'Dream Crazier' campaign alongside Serena Williams (2020). This high-profile partnership provided significant visibility for the organization.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Woodlawn Foundation / Rugby Memphis: Local Memphis-area rugby club ecosystem providing community rugby programming. Comparable as a regional rugby provider in the same Memphis market that MICR serves.

Broad incumbents

• Up2Us Sports: National nonprofit focused on sport-based youth development, training coaches and deploying sports programs to underserved youth. Comparable in mission and outcomes-based approach, though multi-sport and broader in scope than MICR.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth development network offering free after-school programming, mentoring, and college-readiness support to under-resourced youth. Comparable in serving similar demographics with a multi-site, community-embedded model.
• MENTOR (MENTOR National): National organization advancing quality youth mentoring through affiliate networks. MICR partners with MENTOR's Memphis affiliate; comparable as a youth mentoring infrastructure and capacity-building organization.
• Police Athletic League (PAL): Long-standing youth development organization providing athletic, educational, and mentoring programs to inner-city youth. Comparable as a free, sport-anchored youth development nonprofit with municipal scale.
• First Tee: National youth development organization using golf (rather than rugby) to build character and life skills in young people. Comparable as a sport-anchored youth development nonprofit with a national footprint and school-based distribution.

Direct peers

• Play Rugby USA: National nonprofit using rugby as a vehicle for youth development in under-resourced U.S. communities. Operates a similar sport-based youth development model with school partnerships and free programming, directly comparable to MICR's core offering.
• City Rugby NYC: New York-based nonprofit delivering free rugby and mentoring programs to youth from under-resourced communities. Closely mirrors MICR's urban-rugby-plus-mentorship model and target population.

Others

• Beyond Sport: Global organization that supports and recognizes sport-based social impact initiatives (including MICR's 2020 Collective Impact Award). Comparable as a strategic ecosystem actor in the sport-for-social-change space.

Emerging players

• Tiger Rugby Foundation: Rugby-focused organization that uses the sport to support youth character development. Comparable in using rugby as a youth development vehicle, though with different geographic focus and program model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 city of Rugby