New York Rugby Club

What New York Rugby Club does

New York Rugby Club (NYRC) is a nonprofit community sports organization founded in 1929 in New York City, operating men's, women's, and youth rugby programs. The club describes itself as the oldest rugby club in the United States. The men's program fields three competitive teams through the fall and spring seasons; the women's program fields a Women's Premier League (WPL) team — claimed to be the highest-ranked on the East Coast — alongside a developmental side, with competitive play across spring, summer, and fall. A High School program teaches fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship to youth players and is supported by a grant from the Marc Haas Foundation, Inc. The club also operates the NY7s Tournament, a separate rugby sevens competition hosted at a dedicated subdomain.

NYRC's business model is membership-driven nonprofit: players pay recurring dues to participate, supplemented by merchandise sales through an online store, individual donations (with a 2024 fundraising drive actively promoted on the homepage), and corporate sponsorship income (including an active sponsorship from the dating app Feeld, which produces co-branded YouTube video content featuring the women's team). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the club website, with marketing across website content, an email newsletter, YouTube, and a formalized 'Become A Sponsor' acquisition page. The customer base comprises adult rugby players across experience levels, youth/high school players, and individual donors and sponsors; no enterprise customers are served. The organization has no disclosed AI, technology platform, or proprietary software product, and no funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes are reported.

Name

New York Rugby Club

Legal name

New York Rugby Club

Website

https://newyorkrugby.nyc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New York Rugby Club is a nonprofit, founded 1929, operating men's, women's, and high school rugby programs plus the NY7s tournament in New York City, funded by membership dues, donations, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Sports Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

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 industries

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB), Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)

Keywords

• Community rugby programs
• Youth rugby development
• Women's premier league
• Rugby sevens tournament
• Amateur sports club

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Players pay dues to join and participate in the club. The club operates a shop for additional revenue through 'Pay Dues' and 'Store' pages.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

New York Rugby Club operates non-profit Men's, Women's, and High School rugby programs in New York City, with the Women's team competing as the highest-ranked Women's Premier League (WPL) side on the East Coast. The club also runs the NY7s rugby sevens tournament as a separate initiative and earns revenue through membership dues, sponsorships, donations, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

New York Rugby Club is the oldest rugby club in the US, established in 1929, offering a portfolio of rugby programs including Men's, Women's, and High School teams. The Women's team competes in the Women's Premier League (WPL) as the highest-ranked team on the East Coast, while the Men's team fields three competitive sides. The club also operates a separate NY7s Tournament program for rugby sevens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Team The highest-ranked Women's Premier League (WPL) team on the East Coast, offering both WPL and Developmental teams during the Fall and Spring seasons, with competitive squads active in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Targeted at adult women rugby players of varying experience levels in NYC.
• Men's Team A men's rugby program fielding three competitive teams through the Fall and Spring seasons, with training facilities in the heart of NYC. Welcomes adult male players of all experience levels, from first-timers to experienced rugby players.
• High School Program A coached high-school rugby program focused on teaching rugby fundamentals, teamwork, sportsmanship, and resilience to young athletes of all body types. Targeted at NYC-area high school students and supported by a Marc Haas Foundation, Inc. grant.
• NY7s Tournament A rugby sevens (7s) tournament program hosted by NYRC through a dedicated website, distinct from the main fifteen-a-side teams, open to participating sides in the NYC rugby community.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FeeldactiveGTM or Marketing PartnerFeeld is a dating app that sponsors NYRC Womxn's Rugby Club. Partnership includes video content production featuring NYRC players discussing their love of rugby, community, and authenticity. Videos include player interviews and '8 tips for beginners in women's rugby'. Feeld markets through the sponsorship with co-branded content.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Old Blue Rugby Football Club: Old Blue RFC is a long-established amateur rugby club based in the New York City area, fielding men's and women's sides. It is the closest geographic and structural peer to NYRC, competing for the same player pool and sponsorships in NYC.
• Mystic River Rugby Club: Mystic River is one of the most decorated amateur rugby clubs on the U.S. East Coast, fielding competitive men's and women's teams. Comparable to NYRC as a community-based, dues-funded club pursuing high-level amateur competition.
• Chicago Lions Rugby Club: A large amateur rugby club in the Midwest fielding multiple men's teams and a women's program. Comparable scale and structure to NYRC, with a similar focus on community and competitive play.
• Baltimore-Chesapeake Rugby Club: An East Coast amateur rugby club with men's and women's programs and a similar dues-and-sponsorship funding model. Useful peer for benchmarking membership economics and competitive depth.
• San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club: One of the oldest rugby clubs on the U.S. West Coast, with men's and women's sides and a strong amateur competition tradition. Comparable to NYRC in club structure, longevity, and multi-tier team offerings.

Others

• USA Rugby: USA Rugby is the national governing body for rugby in the United States, administering leagues (including WPL) and youth pathways in which NYRC competes. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but materially affects NYRC's competitive structure.

Broad incumbents

• New England Free Jacks: The Free Jacks are a Major League Rugby (professional) franchise based in the Northeast U.S. They are not a direct competitor for amateur dues, but they shape the regional rugby talent and sponsorship market in which NYRC operates.
• New York Athletic Club (NYAC): NYAC is a historic, multi-sport private social and athletic club based in New York City that fields competitive rugby among other sports. It is a broader incumbent operating similar membership and rugby offerings with a more elite, multi-sport portfolio.
• Rugby New York (Ironworkers): Rugby New York is a Major League Rugby franchise based in the New York metro area. It does not compete with NYRC for amateur members but competes for the same local rugby talent pool, media attention, and corporate sponsors in NYC.

Emerging players

• Life Running Eagles Rugby: Life University's varsity and club rugby programs are a leading talent pipeline in U.S. amateur rugby, feeding elite players into senior clubs. Comparable as a rugby development ecosystem player, though not a direct dues-based competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/newyorkrugbyclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-york-rugby-club

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 New York Rugby Club