Tiger Rugby

What Tiger Rugby does

Tiger Rugby is a privately held, founder-led U.S. rugby talent identification and development organization founded in 2007 by James Walker and Paul Holmes, both holding World Rugby's highest coaching certification. The company runs free talent identification combines at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, open to athletes aged 16 and above regardless of rugby experience, targeting both established rugby players and cross-over athletes from football, basketball, soccer, hockey, and athletics. Outstanding performers are offered professional contracts, with 4-10 contracts per event cycle in 2020-2022 feeding the American Tens competition (via the High Performance Partner role with NASEG) and the broader U.S. rugby pipeline. Tiger Rugby's documented track record includes 50+ U.S. Eagles and 5 Olympians developed through the program, including USA 7s star Perry Baker.

The organization's product set spans three core service lines: Tiger Rugby Combines (the talent ID engine), Tiger Tours (international touring experiences blending world-class and emerging players since 2007), and the American Tens Scouting Combine (the contracted talent pipeline for the American Tens competition). A freemium membership program offers exclusive content and updates, and a doTERRA partnership distributes the Athlete Wellness Pack and Deep Blue Rub as athlete-focused wellness products. The core technology layer is non-proprietary human-led athletic evaluation, with limited third-party technology integration via the Virtual Combine partnership. There are no patents, proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or mobile applications disclosed.

Commercially, Tiger Rugby operates on a partnership- and sponsor-driven model. Combines are free to athletes, removing direct consumer revenue. Revenue is implied from brand partnerships (IMG Academy, NASEG, doTERRA, Samurai Sportswear, Global Sports Initiatives), potential tour participation economics, and any contract-related value derived from the American Tens relationship. The organization is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, operates from a single Florida base, and runs a small named leadership team of approximately five people. Distribution is concentrated in the U.S. with global reach only through touring and international coaching staff (South Africa, England, Wales, Kenya, New Zealand).

Name

Tiger Rugby

Website

https://tigerrugby.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tiger Rugby is a U.S.-based rugby talent identification and development organization founded in 2007, operating free combines at IMG Academy, international tours, and serving as the High Performance Partner for the American Tens competition, serving aspiring and cross-over athletes pursuing professional rugby contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rugby Athlete Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Combine, Tryout & Showcase Programs (MPAKAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single-Sport Skill Academies (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, etc.) (MPAKAJAB), Athlete Testing & Combine Prep (metrics, scouting prep) (HSADAEAK)

Keywords

• Rugby talent identification
• Professional rugby contracts
• Athlete development programs
• International rugby tours
• Rugby scouting combines

Headquarters

HQ city

Roswell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Tiger Rugby offers membership with exclusive content and regular updates about Tiger Rugby activities in US and abroad. Members receive news and updates about combines, tours, and professional opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tiger Rugby runs elite rugby talent identification combines at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, offering professional rugby contracts to standout athletes across all sporting backgrounds. It complements the combines with international touring experiences and serves as the High Performance Partner of American Tens, scouting and developing athletes for the American Tens competition and World Tens Series.

Product overview

Tiger Rugby is a global rugby organization operating as a unified platform of interconnected services. The core offerings include the Tiger Rugby Combines (elite talent identification program at IMG Academy offering professional contract pathways), Tiger Tours (international touring rugby experience), and the American Tens Scouting Combine (partnership with NASEG for the American Tens competition). These are supported by a Membership program providing exclusive content, and the doTERRA wellness partnership offering athlete-focused wellness products. The organization serves as both a talent development system and performance partner for American Tens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tiger Rugby Combines Elite rugby talent identification and combine program held at IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida, offering professional contract opportunities to standout athletes across all sporting backgrounds. Open to athletes above age 16 with no rugby experience required.
• Tiger Tours International rugby touring experience since 2007, blending world-class international players with promising young talent, focusing on sevens and tens formats at competitive rugby destinations worldwide.
• American Tens Scouting Combine Talent identification program operated in partnership with NASEG and American Tens, providing athletes from all backgrounds the opportunity to compete for a professional contract to the American Tens competition.
• Tiger Rugby Membership Free membership program offering exclusive content and regular updates about Tiger Rugby activities in the US and abroad, including news on combines, tours, and professional opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 professional contracts offered at American 10s Invitational Combine
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• doTERRAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerdoTERRA is a wellness company that sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes essential oils and related products. The partnership provides wellness support for Tiger Rugby athletes through athlete wellness packs and product partnerships.
• IMG AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMG Academy is the world's most prestigious sports, performance and educational institution. Tiger Rugby holds all combines at IMG's world-class training facilities in Bradenton, Florida, providing athletes access to cutting-edge sport science and high-performance training centers.
• Samurai SportswearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSamurai Sportswear has a rich history in designing bespoke rugby kits for clubs at all levels from international sides to grassroots clubs. They provide rugby kit and training gear for Tiger Rugby teams.
• North American Sports Entertainment Group (NASEG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASEG brings the rapidly expanding sport of TENS to the US market. Tiger Rugby serves as the High Performance Partner for American Tens, conducting talent identification programs and scouting combines to recruit athletes for professional contracts to the American Tens competition.
• Global Sports InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal sports leader partner in the American Tens initiative, collaborating on delivering the TENS game into a new era of sports entertainment and technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• New Zealand Rugby: The national federation and high-performance program for one of the strongest rugby nations in the world; Tiger Rugby draws coaches, staff, and guest players from its network and competes indirectly for international rugby attention and touring dollars.

Broad incumbents

• IMG Academy: The world-renowned multi-sport training institution that hosts all of Tiger Rugby's combines; IMG operates broader athlete-development programs across many sports and provides the facility, sport-science, and credibility backbone that Tiger Rugby leverages.
• USA Rugby: The national governing body for rugby in the United States and the federation under which the U.S. Eagles compete; many of Tiger Rugby's 50+ alumni have graduated into USA Rugby's high-performance programs, making it the natural institutional counterpart.
• Major League Rugby (MLR): The top-tier U.S. professional rugby competition; MLR clubs represent the most established professional pathway that Tiger Rugby's combine athletes can target, and MLR's talent-development pipelines compete for the same U.S.-based player pool.

Direct peers

• Premier Rugby Sevens: A U.S.-based professional rugby sevens league focused on short-format, high-tempo competition; it operates in the same rugby-sevens / tens format space that Tiger Rugby services via its combines, tours, and American Tens pipeline.
• NASEG (North American Sports Entertainment Group / American Tens): Tiger Rugby's strategic partner and the operator of the American Tens competition; both organizations focus on talent identification, athlete development, and rugby-format commercialization in the U.S. market, with overlapping leadership (Walker and Holmes co-founded both Tiger Rugby and American 10s).
• World Tens Series: An international rugby tens competition that Tiger Rugby feeds through its combines and tours; the two are tightly coupled commercially, with World Tens serving as the primary downstream employer of Tiger Rugby's contracted athletes.
• Rugby New York (formerly Rugby United New York): A Major League Rugby franchise focused on player development, scouting, and competing for top U.S. talent — directly comparable to Tiger Rugby's combine-to-professional-contract pipeline at the team level.

Emerging players

• Athletes First (rugby / sports talent agency): A U.S. sports talent and management agency that represents professional athletes in contract negotiation and career management; it sits in the same value chain as Tiger Rugby's combine-to-contract flow and competes for the relationship with elite players post-combine.

Others

• Global Sports Initiatives: A strategic partner of Tiger Rugby in the American Tens initiative, focused on commercializing and modernizing the Tens format; it operates in the same rugby-as-sports-entertainment ecosystem but at the league/IP layer rather than the talent-identification layer.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• Instagraminstagram.com/tigerrugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tigerrugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Tiger Rugby