Turning Unused Kit into New Opportunities with Grassboots

Walk into the storage room of almost any rugby club and you’ll see the same thing: piles of outgrown boots, spare training tops, forgotten scrum caps, and lost property that never made it home. Most of it still has plenty of life left in it.

Until recently, however, that kit rarely made it back to the pitch. Now, a growing number of clubs are using Grassboots to change that — turning unused sports equipment into a sustainable source of funding; helping clubs thrive and keeping the sport accessible for everyone.

Grassroots rugby has always relied on community spirit. Volunteers coach the teams, parents wash the bibs, and fundraising evenings often keep the lights on. But rising costs — from pitch hire and insurance to travel and equipment — mean clubs are under more pressure than ever.

Grassboots offers a simple, community-driven solution: a digital marketplace where clubs can raise funds through the sales of unused sports kit, within the community, and keeping it in circulation. This approach tackles two major challenges at once: it prevents perfectly good kit from going to waste and ensures families aren’t priced out of playing rugby.

Clubs create their own marketplace on the platform, allowing players, parents, and supporters to list unwanted kit within their trusted community. Selling is simple: upload a photo, set a price, and choose how much of the sale price to donate back to the club using the donation slider. Sellers can contribute anything from a small percentage to 100% of the value.

Once the item sells, collection or delivery is arranged directly between buyer and seller. That £10 pair of boots in your drawer could instantly become £10 for training equipment, match balls, or travel funds — supporting your club without having to donate cash directly.

It’s a practical way for everyone to help clubs thrive: if you can’t give money, you can give kit. Those small contributions build into meaningful support over time.

Grassboots also helps young players and families by reducing the cost of kit. Kids grow quickly, often outgrowing boots and training gear every season. By making quality second-hand kit available locally, the platform ensures no child is barred from playing because of cost.

At the same time, keeping gear in circulation reduces waste, giving the sport a greener, more sustainable future.

The platform was founded by grassroots football coach and father of two, Mark Lycett. Frustrated by cupboards full of barely worn kit and the challenge of raising consistent funds for his son’s team, he asked a simple question: could technology turn that unwanted sports equipment into a reliable and sustainable funding stream for clubs?

What started in football quickly expanded into rugby and other sports, schools, and universities, with thousands of members now signed up to the platform across the UK.

But at its heart, Grassboots is about community: parents helping parents, players supporting players, and everyone pitching in to keep their clubs thriving — all while protecting the planet and keeping rugby accessible.

Sometimes the smartest solutions are also the simplest.

What it is: A digital marketplace helping grassroots organisations raise funds by selling unused kit within their community.

For more information and to download the app, visit: ? www.grassboots.club