How to Fundraise for Your Rugby Club in New Zealand

Running a rugby club costs money. Gear, travel, ground fees, new jerseys, tournament entries. It all adds up, and the committee never quite has enough. The good news is that rugby clubs are in a great position to fundraise because you already have a loyal, connected community around you.

Here are the fundraising methods that actually work for NZ rugby and sports clubs.

Product Fundraisers

Product fundraisers are the most reliable way for a sports club to raise money. People prefer buying something they can use rather than just donating, and the margins are good.

The products that sell well for sports clubs include:

• Pies - The classic match-day food. Sell frozen pies in bulk and you can clear $4-6 profit per pack. Mince, steak and cheese, and butter chicken all move fast.
• Sausages and patties - Perfect for clubs because they tie in naturally with your sausage sizzle culture. Sell frozen packs to families and keep some aside for game-day BBQs.
• Cookie Time cookies - A Kiwi favourite that basically sells itself. Great for younger age groups to sell through their networks.
• Cheese and butter - Higher price point means higher margins. Ideal for end-of-year fundraisers when people are buying for Christmas.

You can set up a product fundraiser through Raised in minutes. Each seller gets their own link to share, orders go directly to the platform, and the products get delivered. No chasing paper order forms or collecting cash.

Check out the full list of products available on our wholesalers page.

The Sausage Sizzle

Every rugby club knows the sausage sizzle. It works because it's simple and it brings people together. But there are ways to get more out of it:

• Run it at every home game, not just special occasions. Consistency builds the habit of people buying.
• Negotiate with your local Bunnings or supermarket to run a sausage sizzle at their location on a Saturday. This puts you in front of hundreds of people who aren't connected to your club.
• Keep costs low. Buy sausages, bread, and sauce in bulk. At $2-3 a sausage, you should be clearing $1.50-2.00 profit each.
• Add drinks. Cans of fizzy drink at $2 each are pure profit if you buy in bulk from a wholesaler.

A well-run sausage sizzle at a Bunnings can bring in $500-1000 in a single day.

Club Night Events

Your clubrooms are an asset. Use them. A well-organised club night can raise good money while giving members a reason to get together.

Ideas that work:

• Quiz nights - Charge $10-15 per person, run a bar tab, and get local businesses to donate spot prizes. A quiz night with 60-80 people can raise $1500-2500.
• Race nights - Show pre-recorded horse or greyhound races on a big screen. People bet with fake money they buy at the door. Simple to run and surprisingly good fun.
• Comedy or live music nights - Charge a door fee and run the bar. Local comedians are often happy to perform for a small fee or even free if it's for a community cause.
• Prize-giving dinners - Your end-of-season event can double as a fundraiser. Add a raffle, an auction of donated items, or a gold coin entry.

The key with club nights is to keep overheads low. Use your own venue, get volunteers to run the bar, and lean on sponsors for prizes and food.

Membership Drives and Sponsorship

These aren't one-off fundraisers, but they form the backbone of a financially healthy club.

• Tiered memberships - Offer social memberships alongside playing memberships. Parents, grandparents, and locals who want to support the club will pay $30-50 a year for a social membership if it comes with a few perks like discounted bar prices or a club cap.
• Local business sponsorship - Approach businesses directly with a clear sponsorship pack. Offer signage at the ground, logo on the website, and mentions on social media. Even small sponsors at $200-500 each add up when you have ten of them.
• Corporate match-day packages - If your club has decent facilities, offer a match-day hospitality package for local businesses. Food, drinks, and good seats for $50-80 a head.

Going Digital

If your club is still relying on paper forms and cash collection for fundraisers, you're leaving money on the table. People don't carry cash, and paper forms get lost.

Raised lets you run your entire fundraiser online. Set up your campaign, invite your members to share their personal links, and track progress in real time. Orders and payments are handled through the platform, so your committee isn't spending weekends counting coins and chasing up forms.

It works well for rugby clubs because you can get every player, parent, and supporter sharing the same campaign. A club with 100 families sharing a fundraiser link can raise serious money in a couple of weeks.

Tips for Getting the Best Result

• Set a clear goal. "We're raising $5,000 for new jerseys" works better than "we need money." People give more when they know exactly what it's for.
• Keep it short. Two-week fundraisers outperform month-long ones. Urgency gets people to act.
• Recognise your top sellers. A prize for the family or team that sells the most adds a competitive element that rugby people love.
• Combine methods. Run a product fundraiser through Raised for your main push, then top it up with a quiz night and a couple of sausage sizzles.

Your club already has the community. You just need to give them an easy way to support it.