The Rugby Paper Ltd

Name

The Rugby Paper Ltd

Legal name

The Rugby Paper Ltd

Website

https://therugbypaper.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Journalism and Rugby Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

Keywords

• Rugby journalism
• Sports newspaper
• Rugby news coverage
• Sports digital media
• Rugby podcast content

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Edition Subscriptions: Premium digital access to the weekly publication with subscriber login system hosted on Pagesuite professional platform
2. Postal/Print Subscriptions: Physical newspaper delivery subscriptions through Greenways Publishing subscription platform
3. Website Premium Content: Paywalled articles and features on the website requiring membership/subscription
4. Advertising: Display advertising on website and media pack indicates advertising and marketing services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Rugby Paper Ltd publishes a weekly rugby union newspaper covering domestic club rugby (Premiership, Championship, National Leagues), international competitions (Six Nations, Rugby World Cup, British and Irish Lions), and global rugby (URC, Top 14, Super Rugby). The company operates a multi-platform business combining a flagship print edition with a subscription-based digital edition, a weekly podcast, a fantasy rugby game, and a newsletter.

Product overview

The Rugby Paper Ltd operates a multi-platform rugby journalism business centered on its flagship weekly print newspaper, complemented by a members-only digital edition accessible via the PageSuite platform. The product portfolio includes ancillary offerings such as The Rugby Paper Roundup podcast, Fantasy Rugby interactive game, official calendars, Lions Book special editions, postal subscription delivery, weekly newsletter, and guest blog content. The core offering is the unified publication covering domestic club rugby (Premiership, Championship, National Leagues), international competitions (Six Nations, Rugby World Cup, Nations Championship, British and Irish Lions), and global rugby (URC, Top 14, Super Rugby, Rugby Sevens).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Rugby Paper (Print Edition) Weekly print newspaper covering domestic and international rugby union news, match reports, analysis, and opinion for rugby fans.
• Digital Edition (Members) Subscription-based digital version of The Rugby Paper accessible online to members via the PageSuite professional platform.
• The Rugby Paper Roundup Podcast Weekly audio podcast featuring rugby news reviews, interviews, and analysis hosted by Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock and various rugby journalists.
• Fantasy Rugby Interactive fantasy rugby game allowing users to create teams and compete based on real player performances during the rugby season.
• 2026 Rugby Paper Calendar Official Rugby Paper branded calendar featuring rugby photography and key dates for the 2026 rugby season.
• Lions Book Dedicated special-edition publication covering the British and Irish Lions rugby tours.
• Postal Subscriptions Home delivery subscription service for the print edition of The Rugby Paper, handled through Greenways Publishing.
• Newsletter Weekly email newsletter delivering rugby news highlights and updates to subscribers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Greenways PublishingcoreOthersParent publishing company that handles print subscriptions, advertising sales, and publishing operations for The Rugby Paper. Subscription management platform hosted at subscribe.greenwayspublishing.com.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Planet Rugby: Established online rugby news and analysis site covering international and club rugby. Comparable as a dedicated rugby content destination targeting the same enthusiast reader; competes primarily on digital subscription/registration rather than print.
• RugbyPass: World Rugby-owned global digital rugby platform offering news, video, analysis and live coverage. Directly comparable in audience (rugby union fans) and content mix (news, opinion, analysis), differing in being purely digital and ad-supported rather than print-led.
• Rugby World Magazine: Long-running UK consumer magazine dedicated to rugby union with print and digital editions. Closest direct competitor to The Rugby Paper — same sport vertical, similar paid subscription model and overlapping columnists, differing primarily in magazine vs newspaper format.
• Rugby365: South African-originated digital rugby publication covering southern hemisphere and international rugby. Comparable as a specialist rugby news outlet; differs in geographic emphasis but overlaps on Six Nations, Lions and World Cup coverage.
• Scrum Magazine: Irish rugby print and digital publication covering club and international rugby. Closely comparable in format (rugby-focused print/digital publication) and audience (rugby union enthusiasts) with overlapping international tournament coverage.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Sport – Rugby Union: Free-to-air UK public broadcaster rugby section with news, live blogs, analysis and video. Comparable in covering the same rugby content calendar but funded by the licence fee and bundled into a general sports destination rather than a specialist subscription.
• Sky Sports Rugby: UK pay-TV sports broadcaster with a substantial rugby union editorial and video offering bundled into a broader sports subscription. Comparable as a rugby news/analysis destination but operates at much larger scale and as part of a multi-sport portfolio.
• The Guardian – Rugby Union: Major UK national newspaper with a dedicated rugby union vertical offering news, opinion and live coverage. Comparable in being a UK rugby news destination, but operates as part of a broadsheet free digital model supported by general news advertising.

Emerging players

• RugbyLAD: Social-first rugby content brand producing video, viral moments and editorial across platforms. Comparable in targeting the same rugby fan audience with editorial content; differs in being short-form, social-led and free rather than long-form subscription journalism.
• The42: Irish sports digital publisher (Journal Media) with strong rugby union coverage including Six Nations and provincial rugby. Comparable as a digitally native rugby destination; differs in being multi-sport and free, ad-supported rather than subscription-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/therugbypaper
• Facebookfacebook.com/therugbypaper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rugby-paper-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/therugbypaper/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Rugby Paper Ltd