Deciding on a rugby club website provider can be confusing - but help is at hand.

All platforms vary and there's everything from player availability, competitions, membership payments and sponsors to think about.

Every rugby club need its website to be versatile so We've put together this expert guide to help you make those choices.

We'll explain all you can do online, how to create a club website and the Pitchero rugby union network that might suit your ambitions.

When thinking about the next version of your website, it should be a system that not only ticks all of the boxes for the rugby club - but is the best choice for volunteers to update.

From login and how to register members to administration and records, it has to be simple to use, without compromising on features and quality.

Get started with all you need for a multi-team rugby club from £38/month

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Thinking about features

To begin with, discuss what your rugby club wants to do online before you transfer your website or adapt the current version.

A website review will tell you what works and what doesn't. You can expand that to include other aspects of club management that could be done online instead.

A community rugby football club has competitions to manage, matches to pick teams for, online payments to process, venue bookings, sponsors to sign...it is a long list!

It's not just the first half of the season with advance membership renewals into rugby training and matches but then half-term camps and events catering for supporters, coaches, or parents.

The good news is that once you've thought about how your rugby club operates then there will always be opportunities to improve - and that could well involve a new club website.

Is registering a new member easy for newcomers to do (and in terms of admin involved)?

How do your coaches handle team selection for fixtures? Could it be quicker and simpler?

As your rugby club plots its ambitions, often in line with a strategic five-year plan, there's an element of future-proofing - and that includes your website.

More teams, matches and competitions are positive but

Reducing volunteer admin is an important part of Pitchero's mission and is a thread across both the club website template and free apps.

So, what jobs currently take too long, are complicated or involve different software to do? What's manual, requires paperwork or a process you'd like to ditch?

Visitors to your rugby club website expect a stylish, secure site that loads in seconds and is simple to navigate.

Which of these does your rugby club offer online? (It's possible to do all of them with Pitchero).

  • Sign up members

  • Offer club merchandise

  • Take online bookings

  • Manage rugby teams

  • Send messages

  • Use social sharing

  • Promote event calendar

FREE club website DEMO

Can I TEST a Pitchero Club Website?

You can create a private TEST website in 60 seconds.

Create a TEST site for free

The website is set to Not Live. This means no one can view the website only you can view the website when you log in.

TEST the features

Choose the 30-day FREE trial of one of our packages and get access to every feature. You can test features, upload content, download apps and create a payment - everything!

We're here to help

Start by adding teams, members, content and more. If you've got any questions, you can speak to our support team online or book an online video demonstration with a Pitchero expert.

If you need longer on your trial, we can extend it if you contact us. If you are not happy, you can cancel the trial, and you will NOT be charged.

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Technical considerations

Something to bear in mind when selecting a website supplier is managing the technology.

For most grassroots rugby volunteers, expert knowledge of how websites operate or solving technical problems is not high up their list of priorities.

It's important to factor this into choosing a supplier and judge how much support is available, via help guides, online chat or by phone, when something needs fixing.

Here are some other points to consider :

  • Does your website rank high in Google search results?
  • Is it 'responsive'? i.e.) Does your rugby website fit different screen sizes on a phone or tablet?
  • Is your website data secure and GDPR-compliant?
  • What is the navigation like? How easy is it for visitors to get to the information they need?

If you don't understand web hosting, domain names or DNS records then a rugby website builder package with priority support might give you peace of mind.

Ok, Let's think about specific areas of your rugby club's activities that your website can help you with...

Get started with all you need for a multi-team rugby club from £38/month

Members

Managing club membership records online, in a single place, can be very beneficial. The possibilities are far more than just tussling with a spreadsheet.

Sorting and exporting membership data for reports is just the start.

Make it seamless for new players or rugby fans to join and a junior, senior or social member could be at your club for many years.

Increasing members via your club website is vital financially as well as for the strength of teams and the pool of volunteers.

Having a slick online process means those star forwards for your 1st XV can register in minutes, set up their personal profile and buy their annual membership.

Behind the scenesclubs need to view and edit membership data to run common rugby activities during the year. A membership database that links together everything a member does (like Pitchero) is an advantage

With Pitchero, you can:

  • Build custom registration forms
  • Register players, parents, officials and fans
  • Manage club roles and access

In one place, club officials get a complete snapshot of all aspects of rugby club management, including membership, venue hire, sponsorship and much more.

A rugby club Treasurer can quickly check when a member joined, if they've paid their subs yet or contact a parent.

Using your club website as a central hub for lots of tasks can simplify them and better serve each member in future.

Revenue

Your club website is an obvious way to bring in money across each year. It's a missed opportunity if you don't.

Members want to support your rugby club and offering membership, events, sponsorship and fundraising will easily exceed any website-related fees you pay out.

Clubs all have common income spikes i.e.) when membership renewals are due and as pre-season sponsorship packages get sold, while match fees come in over the entire season.

Your website is the perfect home for all of these - because your rugby club can promote them with articles, photos and videos (then share on social media and newsletter).

Members and rugby fans can buy them online, at a time that suits. This means clubs get that overall picture in a member's Pitchero profile, run reports when necessary and understand what's working well or not.

With Pitchero, you can:

  • Sell membership, match fees, events and more!
  • Run a fundraising campaign
  • Sell sponsorship and advertising packages

Your Pitchero website and apps are a compelling offer to possible sponsors or current partners thinking about a new deal.

Your rugby club is open 24/7 online which gives constant promotion to website sponsors; it doesn't rely on anyone spotting an advertising board at a match (though make sure you sell both!)

Pitchero has plenty of functionality that demonstrates how professional in its approach.

Clubs can easily attach sponsors' logos or imagery to email messages (like an email signature) which boosts how often that brand is viewed. Equally, sponsors can vary their messaging during the year to do custom deals.

In a few clicks, rugby clubs can also add a 'custom

Admin-busting solutions for rugby clubs

If you're a volunteer at a community rugby club then you'll be well aware of the time needed to make everything happen.

It's not just all the information that flows through your club, teams, leagues, fixtures and the like. What about insurance, venue upgrades, coaching courses, rugby camps, funding...it's a long list.

Spoiler alert.

Opting to move a bulk of that admin online under one system won't make it vanish forever. Wouldn't that be incredible?

However, Pitchero's website template and apps have been designed with rugby club administration in mind.

Our club website features for rugby clubs will save time with tasks that might currently be difficult.

Whether you are a sports club with a single Webmaster who does it all or one with dozens of teams, Pitchero makes it easy for volunteers to share the workload.

Clubs can grant flexible access to rugby coaches or parents willing to help tick off those admin jobs.

It could be live scoring at a rugby tournament, setting up donations products in the online shop or writing news articles to profile a referee or opposition club.

With Pitchero, you can:

  • Use a hosted control panel to access everything about your club from one place
  • Import league fixtures, results and tables automatically
  • Send reminders with a link to pay instantly
  • View live financial figures and run reports
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How do I start a rugby club website?

If you're looking to start a new club website - or transfer an existing hockey website from another provider - then you have three broad routes.

  • A website builder - Pitchero
  • Content Management System (CMS) - Wordpress
  • Build it all yourself/pay a website designer
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We'll explain the pros and cons of each of these now.

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The main considerations are features, budget and available time for a club volunteer.

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1. Website Builder

Your club could use a rugby website builder - like Pitchero - that is a complete package with everything you need.

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It will usually come with templates or themes to customise your website, hosting, domain registration, SSL certificate, plus access to support - with paid monthly plans to spread the cost.

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Your club could use a sports website builder - like Pitchero - that is a complete package with everything you need.

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The best website builders allow you to sign up, jump in and get started in minutes. There is some customisation (like website colours) but you're not normally able to change the code or functionality regularly.

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Your club could use a sports website builder - like Pitchero - that is a complete package with everything you need.

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This will suit rugby clubs who prefer certain things locked down so you can't accidentally break something or even take your club website offline.

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How do you choose the right option for your club?

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Think about a shortlist based on your rugby club's needs, the functionality offered and cost/ease to transfer.

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  • Easy to use
  • Some limitations
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2. Content Management System (CMS)

A content management system (CMS) like Wordpress.org or Drupal is really flexible compared to a website builder. Anything can be re-designed or customised.

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It is aimed at those who want a high degree of control and like the idea of being able to change how a website looks and what it does.

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That means if your rugby club opts to change the colours, fonts, or design of your homepage overnight, there's a plugin or code snippet to make that happen.

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The negative is that someone (usually a club volunteer) has to research, test and implement it all. Extra personalisation comes with more responsibility for the club.

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Technology changes all of the time and so bolt-on additions (like a Wordpress plugin to back up your website) will need updating manually.

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Keeping track of this ongoing website maintenance, including hosting and domain renewals, will fall to a club official or else you'll have to pay a professional.

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Those volunteers need to be comfortable with a wide range of website-related jobs and have a very good grasp of technology.

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  • Ultimate control
  • Responsibility for downtime and upgrades
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3. Building a rugby club website from scratch

A rugby club can decide to hire a web designer to build their perfect website from concept to finished product.

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This type of project means you will get exactly what want, down to the smallest detail, but it requires more planning and a much higher price up-front (thousands of pounds is common).

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Paying for a web developer or agency allows full control over the specifications but costs can escalate. Be clear on deliverables : when the website will be live and working, final price and what's included.

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Ongoing website maintenance, particularly web hosting, domain name and those support queries can mount up. Factor this in when deciding the true cost of a rugby club website and see who bundles this into the price.

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All three options above still need someone to write the content or move it across. However, with a club website builder, you can create an account and get started straight away.

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Cost vs Ease

Judging how much to spend on a new rugby website will depend on your club's financial situation and volunteers' expertise.

Do you want to pay a monthly fee with everything included?

Prefer a free option to get started with costs down the line?

Only looking for a free rugby union club website?

A new website has to be a cost that your rugby club can easily pay for. You don't want to make the effort of moving then have to do it again in a year.

As a strategy, look ahead over the next 5 years and what you'd like your website to be able to do.

Free websites for rugby clubs will always be appealing for obvious reasons. It's free, so what's the catch?

Well, if a free option falls short of what you'd like to achieve in future then maybe there's a better path.

Again, think about your club volunteers doing the work. Would a paid-for option be more beneficial for them?

If either of those is a 'yes' then aim to find a website sponsor to cover any monthly fee instead.

One advantage of this approach is that a potential website sponsor can see exactly what their money is going towards.

Some free website plans are less restrictive than others but ultimately, there won't be all of the bells-and-whistles than premium, paid-for alternatives.

Don't forget about things like space for storing images and videoas well the size of your website and any limits a free plan might have.

Is a free rugby union club website your best move?

A popular option for having a free rugby club website is one supplied by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). Other governing bodies across sports sometimes offer their own websites for clubs too.

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On the one hand, a free website is hard to argue with but, as discussed above, will it do everything your club wants it to?

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Clubs that focus their attention on free club websites from governing bodies do so because they already have to enter all players and results on the system anyway.

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It may adequately suit those smaller clubs with fewer teams who just do news, fixtures, results and leagues. But, rugby club management is far more than that.

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Governing bodies have many roles but their focus and expertise is not on websites and club management.

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As a result, website services offered by National Governing Bodies, tend to be of low quality with few feature, slow development and poor customer services.

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Providing clubs websites to rugby union clubs requires a dedicated services, who's focus and attention is 100% on your club.

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Looking for a free website builder?

Pitchero offers a free website builder for single rugby teams that has most standard features, including membershipteam managementonline payments and apps.

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If you're a larger rugby club then the Standard or Pro (paid-for) packages will give you : a premium template, unlimited teams, plus lower transaction fees and fewer or no third-party ads.

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Pitchero excels over the competition in many areas including :

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• Premium design

• Mobile apps

• Phone support

• Account management

• Match fees

• Selling online

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Standard or Pro packages with Pitchero :

There are two paid packages that any rugby club can purchase with these extra benefits:

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• Unlimited teams

• Free domain name

• Premium website template

• Less advertising

• Lower transaction fees

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Below, we'll show you three examples of where Pitchero can save a rugby club time with competitions, website security and combining software.

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Club Website

Mobile Apps

Domain & Emails

Team Management

Venue Management

Membership Database

Online Payments

No Third-Party Ads

Priority Support

Standard

Everthing you need for a multi-team sports club.

£38/mo

Club Website

1.8%

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Mobile Apps

1.8%

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Domain & Emails

1.8%

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Team Management

1.8%

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Venue Management

1.8%

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Membership Database

1.8%

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Online Payments

1.9%

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No Third Party Ads

1.8%

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Prioirty Support

1.8%

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Free for 30 Days!

Pro

No ads, reduced transaction fees and priority support.

£99/mo

Club Website

1.8%

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Mobile Apps

1.8%

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Domain & Emails

1.8%

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Team Management

1.8%

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Venue Management

1.8%

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Membership Database

1.8%

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Online Payments

0.9%

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No Third Party Ads

1.8%

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Prioirty Support

1.8%

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Free for 30 Days!

Live Rugby Competition Database

Pitchero has a live competition database that all rugby clubs use. It includes many rugby competitions from around the UK, here's a selection :

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RFU National Leagues
RFU Regional Leagues
RFUW Leagues
SRU Leagues
WRU Leagues

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Rugby clubs can connect to their competition and multiple teams get to use the same fixtures.

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It saves team managers valuable time every year and there's consistency and accuracy across club websites.

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By connecting your rugby club to a league or cup competition, teams can also share match reports, photos and videos.

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Security & GDPR

For any sports club operating online, there are date security risks and GDPR that you need to take seriously.

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In an ideal world, you focus your energies on sport and don't worry about backing up the club website or responding to hacking threats.

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Safeguarding member data and complying with GDPR are continual requirements.

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Using Pitchero make these easier and stress-free :

  • Pitchero is always online (no downtime)
  • Data security uses Amazon Web Services data centres
  • GDPR toolkit for getting consent from users of your website
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What software do rugby teams use?

Rugby clubs and teams all have enormous amounts of admin to get done. Membership, venue management, events, teams, catering...it's like running multiple businesses!

The website can be a central hub for this but committees and club officials may use plenty of IT programmes or apps too.

A couple of examples might be Google for email/events calendar, Excel for spreadsheets, Xero for accounting, Facebook and Twitter for social media and Justgiving for creating a fundraising page.

The problem with this is having to learn each system or software, how they connect to each other (if they do), plus multiple logins and passwords to keep track of.

However you choose to run your website, there are always common jobs that are repeated each week, season or annually.

Using less software (but still getting things done) definitely has its advantages.

With Pitchero, rugby clubs have one Club Control Panel where site content,

Pitchero offers:

  • Club Website
  • Mobile apps
  • Unlimited hosting
  • Domains & emails
  • Team management
  • Membership database
  • Online payments
  • Venue management

What can your club use it for?

  • Membership
  • Availability + selection
  • Competitions + fixtures
  • Venue bookings online
  • Match reports
  • Photos + videos
  • Match statistics
  • Match fees

Features

  • Club logo & colours
  • Registration forms
  • Data import & export
  • Sell products
  • Collecting donations
  • Direct debit & credit cards
  • Tracking & reporting

Specialists in Grassroots Sport

There are a number of good choices out there for building a rugby club website - but few who really understand grassroots sport and its demands.

Pitchero has been designing award-winning technology to help sports clubs for over a decade.

10,000+ clubs choose Pitchero for their website, mobile apps and members

1.5m+ members (players, parents, clubs, leagues and supporters) use Pitchero

Amazing mobile apps for your rugby club

Every club on the Pitchero platform also gets its own free iOS and Android mobile apps.

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Club news, manage availability/selection, messaging

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Prompt availability, select and notify teams

These apps are packed with valuable features, including the ability for rugby coaches and team managers to do team selection and collect match fees.

Players and supporters can check out match scores, reports, photos, videos and stats from games played on their phones.

What's the score from the first half? Who are we playing last game of the season? How do I pay my subs?

A professional solution to match your efforts on the pitch.

A rugby clubhouse in your pocket, wherever you are in the world.

Between Pitchero's apps and club website, volunteers at rugby clubs have all the tools they need to champion everything they do.

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Coventry Corsairs

"It doesn't take long to pick up. It's really easy to use."

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Mistley Rugby Club:

"The website is integral to attracting sponsors. We need to be able to show we are professionals. We're not just a bunch of lads who meet up for a couple of drinks and then go and play some rugby."

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Brentwood Rugby Club

"Brentwood RFC has used the payments feature to increase membership income by almost 100%!"

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Nottingham Casuals :

"When we set up online payments, we got bigger income. We've found a formula that the players are happy with."

Ready to upgrade your website?

Pitchero offers a free demo to show you features and you can ask any questions.

There is also the benefit of a 30-day free trial to explore Pitchero and be happy that it's the right fit for your rugby club.

Choosing a new website is a game-changer and a move you preferably want to do just once. The good news is that help is at hand and every club, regardless of size, can improve its online presence.

Get started with all you need for a multi-team rugby club from £38/month

Start Free Trial

Click below to see a range of Pitchero resources on all aspects of running a rugby club :

Our Clubhouse is packed with articles and FAQs from getting set up to using all of the features.

Head to our Help Centre for very specific, step-by-step instructions on using the Pitchero Club website, apps and user accounts.

You might want to click around the top-ranking rugby club websites on Pitchero to see successful examples.

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