Rugby Reborn

Michael Fealey is a sport systems architect, author, coach, and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience spanning sport development, community programming, commercial strategy, coaching, and organizational leadership.

Originally from London, England, and now a U.S. Permanent Resident based in Denver, Colorado, Micha

Michael Fealey is a sport systems architect, author, coach, and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience spanning sport development, community programming, commercial strategy, coaching, and organizational leadership.

Originally from London, England, and now a U.S. Permanent Resident based in Denver, Colorado, Michael has worked across the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. His career has included leadership roles with championship-winning rugby programs, large-scale community events, sponsorship and commercial initiatives, grassroots development, and the design of new participation and performance pathways.

He is the founder of Citizens Sports, through which he develops new approaches to the growth and long-term sustainability of sport. His work focuses on a central question: how can sport create commercial value while continually reinvesting in the people, competitions, clubs, facilities, and communities that make that value possible?

In 2026, Michael published the four-book Waking the Giant series: Waking the Giant: American Rugby and a System Built to Last, Sports Totality: The Economics of Sustainable Sport Systems, Legacy By Design: Mega-Events, Institutions, and Long-Term Impact, and What Remains: When the Lights Go Out. Together, the books examine participation, economics, governance, mega-events, community infrastructure, and the conditions required to build sport systems capable of sustaining themselves across generations.

This work has also led to the development of the Citizens Sports System Model (CSSM) and associated diagnostic frameworks examining nourishment, extraction, participation-system health, and long-term structural sustainability. Michael's underlying proposition is simple: sport system performance is a function of participation system health, and participation system health is a function of nourishment minus extraction.

His practical experience informs that work. Michael has served as Head Coach and Director of Rugby for championship-winning programs and as General Manager of the Summer of Celebration of Rugby at Fletcher’s Fields in Ontario. His coaching career includes leading the Glendale Raptors Senior Women to a USA national championship and rebuilding the Aurora Barbarians women’s program into one of Canada's largest.

He has also developed community rugby festivals, strategic partnerships, participation initiatives, and alternative fundraising concepts including “Sponsor Speed Dating.” Outside sport, Michael has founded and operated businesses in hospitality and home services, giving him direct experience in entrepreneurship, operations, customer acquisition, revenue generation, and small-business economics.

Michael holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Performance Coaching from the University of Stirling and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Development from the University of East London, alongside coaching qualifications and experience across rugby and cricket.

His work with Renaissance League brings these strands together. Rather than viewing professional rugby as an isolated competition, Michael's focus is on building the participation, development, community, and commercial architecture beneath it. The ambition is not simply to launch another league, but to create a system capable of producing more players, more opportunities, stronger communities, and a sustainable professional game.

Karl Dakin is a seasoned executive and thought leader with more than four decades of experience

guiding entrepreneurial ventures, scaling innovative organizations, and designing capital acquisition

strategies across sectors. 

He brings a unique blend of legal, financial, and operational expertise that makes him particularly well-suited for B

Karl Dakin is a seasoned executive and thought leader with more than four decades of experience

guiding entrepreneurial ventures, scaling innovative organizations, and designing capital acquisition

strategies across sectors. 

He brings a unique blend of legal, financial, and operational expertise that makes him particularly well-suited for Board leadership within mission-driven, high-growth organizations, including those in the sports industry.

As Founder of Dakin Capital, Mr. Dakin has served as a strategic advisor and capital coach to

hundreds of startups, nonprofits, and community ventures, focusing on sustainable business models

and alternative funding solutions.

His background includes executive roles as COO of Splish Naturals and director for businesses and charitable organizations spanning healthcare, hospitality, mining, agriculture, and education. 

His leadership style is collaborative and impact-focused, with a track record of building strong stakeholder networks and advancing organizational goals through innovation and strategic funding.

Mr. Dakin is nationally recognized for his work in crowdfunding, economic development, and

community capital. He has served as Principal Investigator for U.S. Department of Commerce

research on small business commercialization and continues to pioneer new approaches to funding

underserved sectors, including youth sports and workforce housing. He also leads initiatives to

integrate artificial intelligence into entrepreneurship education through his proprietary AI avatar, CAP, and other digital tools that extend knowledge and support business growth.

In addition to his business leadership, Mr. Dakin is a dedicated educator. As an Adjunct Faculty

member at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, he created and teaches courses on international finance and capital strategy. 

He regularly publishes research, educational content, and funding insights, including the Instant Funding newsletter and Successful Funding live-streamed show.

With a Juris Doctor and a BBA from Washburn University, and as a licensed attorney in Colorado

since 1980, Mr. Dakin combines technical acumen with practical experience. 

His current affiliations include the Council of Development Finance Agencies.