RKC Waalwijk

RKC Waalwijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɛrkaːˈseː ˈʋaːlʋɛik]) is a Dutch professional football club based in Waalwijk. They currently play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2024–25 season. Its name is derived from 'Rooms Katholieke Combinatie Waalwijk' ('Roman Catholic Combination Waalwijk' in Dutch) and was established as a merger of HEC, WVB and Hercules.

RKC Waalwijk

Full name	Rooms Katholieke Combinatie Waalwijk
Short name	RKC
Founded	26 August 1940; 84 years ago (1940-08-26)
Ground	Mandemakers Stadion
Capacity	7,508
Chairman	Peter Konijnenburg
Head coach	Sander Duits
League	Eerste Divisie
2024–25	Eredivisie, 17th of 18 (relegated)
Website	www.rkcwaalwijk.nl
Home colours Away colours
Current season

History

The club was formed on 26 August 1940 and used to play its home games at Sportpark Olympia. Its new stadium, the 7,500 seater Mandemakers Stadion was opened in 1996 and featured the home match against Roda JC. RKC's clubname was also expanded with the name of the town before that 1996–97 season. While considered one of the Eredivisie's smaller clubs, it nevertheless maintained its top flight status for many years. Its home colors are yellow and blue.

At the end of the 2006–07 season, RKC Waalwijk were relegated from the Eredivisie after a defeat in play-offs against VVV-Venlo.

On 3 June 2009 they were promoted to the Eredivisie division after a win in the play-offs against De Graafschap. Though, their spell didn't last long ending in the last place with only 15 points. In the season followed they would finish first in the Eerste Divisie promoting back in the top flight of Dutch football.

After another relegation at the end of the 2013–14 season, RKC Waalwijk finished 20th (last) in the 2014–15 season of Eerste Divisie. However, they didn't relegate to Topklasse (amateurs) because both of the two Topklasse champions declined promotion into professionalism. In 2016–17, they made the Eerste Divisie playoffs, losing 5–2 on aggregate to FC Emmen.

In the 2017–18 season, RKC was placed 16th out of 20 teams in the Eerste Divisie. In 2019, Waalwijk promoted back to the Eredivisie after a five-year absence, after beating Go Ahead Eagles in the play-off finals. After a 0–0 draw in the first leg at home, RKC won the second leg 5–4 away.^[1]

In the 2019–20 season, RKC finished in last place, but they survived relegation due to the season being declared void due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2] In the subsequent 2020–21 season, the club managed to avoid relegation on their own by finishing in 15th place.^[3] RKC were relegated from the Eredivisie at the end of the 2024–25 season, finishing 17th. The club endured a historically poor start, equalling the league record for most consecutive defeats to start a season, and struggled with discipline, receiving six red cards in the first twelve matches.^[4] Head coach Henk Fraser remained in charge throughout, despite mounting criticism.^[5][6][7] In October, the club attracted national attention by signing former prodigy Mohamed Ihattaren, whose arrival briefly lifted morale and media focus.^[8] A short resurgence in early 2025, including a 5–0 win over NAC Breda, proved insufficient, and relegation to the Eerste Divisie was confirmed on the final matchday.^[9][10]

Results

Historical chart of league performance

Below is a table with RKC's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1984.

Domestic Results since 1956
Domestic league	League result	Qualification to	KNVB Cup season	Cup result
2024–25 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	2024–25	round of 16
2023–24 Eredivisie	15th	–	2023–24	first round
2022–23 Eredivisie	9th	–	2022–23	first round
2021–22 Eredivisie	10th	–	2021–22	quarter finals
2020–21 Eredivisie	15th	–	2020–21	first round
2019–20 Eredivisie	18th	No relegation due to COVID-19	2019–20	first round
2018–19 Eerste Divisie	8th	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2018–19	round of 16
2017–18 Eerste Divisie	18th	–	2017–18	second round
2016–17 Eerste Divisie	10th	–	2016–17	second round
2015–16 Eerste Divisie	18th	–	2015–16	second round
2014–15 Eerste Divisie	20th	–	2014–15	second round
2013–14 Eredivisie	16th	Eerste Divisie (promotion/relegation playoffs: relegation)	2013–14	second round
2012–13 Eredivisie	14th	–	2012–13	third round
2011–12 Eredivisie	9h	–	2011–12	quarter final
2010–11 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promoted)	2010–11	semi final
2009–10 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	2009–10	second round
2008–09 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (promotion/relegation play-offs: promotion)	2008–09	third round
2007–08 Eerste Divisie	2nd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2007–08	round of 16
2006–07 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (promotion/relegation play-off: relegation)	2006–07	semi final
2005–06 Eredivisie	12th	–	2005–06	third round
2004–05 Eredivisie	9th	–	2004–05	round of 16
2003–04 Eredivisie	11th	–	2003–04	round of 16
2002–03 Eredivisie	9th	–	2002–03	third round
2001–02 Eredivisie	8th	–	2001–02	round of 16
2000–01 Eredivisie	7th	–	2000–01	second round
1999–2000 Eredivisie	11th	–	1999–00	quarter finals
1998–99 Eredivisie	16th	promotion/relegation competition: no relegation	1998–99	second round
1997–98 Eredivisie	16th	promotion/relegation competition: no relegation	1997–98	second round
1996–97 Eredivisie	16th	promotion/relegation competition: no relegation	1996–97	round of 16
1995–96 Eredivisie	11th	–	1995–96	second round
1994–95 Eredivisie	8th	–	1994–95	second round
1993–94 Eredivisie	16th	promotion/relegation competition: no relegation	1993–94	quarter finals
1992–93 Eredivisie	9th	–	1992–93	round of 16
1991–92 Eredivisie	10th	–	1991–92	third round
1990–91 Eredivisie	7th	–	1990–91	second round
1989–90 Eredivisie	8th	–	1989–90	second round
1988–89 Eredivisie	11th	–	1988–89	second round
1987–88 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	1987–88	semi finals
1986–87 Eerste Divisie	4th	promotion competition: no promotion	1986–87	second round
1985–86 Eerste Divisie	3rd	promotion competition: no promotion	1985–86	first round
1984–85 Eerste Divisie	5th	promotion competition: no promotion	1984–85	first round

European record

Season	Competition	Round	Opposition	Home[nb 1]	Away[nb 1]	Aggregate[nb 1]
1989	Intertoto Cup	Group stage	1. FC Kaiserslautern	1–1	2–2	3rd
			First Vienna FC	3–4	2–4
			Carl Zeiss Jena	2–0	1–0
1992	Intertoto Cup	Group stage	Caen	1–0	0–2	4th
			Lyngby	1–1	0–2
			Schalke 04	2–3	2–4
2000	Intertoto Cup	Third round	Bradford City	0–2	0–1	0–3
2001	Intertoto Cup	Third round	TSV 1860 München	1–2	1–3	2–5

1. RKC score listed first

Current squad

As of 24 July 2025^[11]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NED Yanick van Osch 3 DF  CUW Roshon van Eijma 4 DF  SUR Liam van Gelderen 5 DF  DOM Juan Castillo 6 MF  CUW Godfried Roemeratoe 7 FW  SUR Denilho Cleonise 8 MF  FRA Daouda Weidmann 9 FW  NED Jesper Uneken (on loan from PSV) 10 MF  NED Richard van der Venne 13 GK  NED Xander Mulder 14 MF  BEL Chris Lokesa 15 DF  NED Luuk Wouters 16 GK  NED Mark Spenkelink

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW  NED Roy Kuijpers 20 MF  NED Harrie Kuster (on loan from Twente) 21 MF  NED Marcel Schaapman 22 MF  NED Tim van de Loo 25 FW  NED Melle Witteveen 27 MF  NED Jordi Altena 31 GK  NED Luuk Vogels 32 DF  NED Redouan El Yaakoubi 33 DF  MAR Faissal Al Mazyani 52 MF  NED Mohamed Ihattaren — DF  NED Levi Volkers — DF  NED Bjarn Zorgdrager

Honours

• Eerste Divisie
  • Champions (2): 1987–88, 2010–11

Club officials

Position	Staff
Head Coach	Sander Duits
Assistant Coach	Sander Duits
First-Team Coach	Peter Uneken
Goalkeeper Coach	Rein Baart
Assistant Goalkeeper Coach	Bart Tinus
Video Analyst	Nyo Sulsters
Sports Scientist / Data Analyst	Folkert Boer
Chief Scout	Lars Lambooij
Scout	Cees Schapendonk
Club doctor	Tim Baijens
Physiotherapist	Robert van Riel Rob Westerlaken
Sports Carer	Ramon van Haaren
Exercise Physiologist	Nick van Aken
Kit Manager	Djordy de Nijs
Team Manager	Sander van den Anker
Technical Director	Mohammed Allach

Former coaches

From To Manager 1968 1971 Wim Klaassen 1974 1980 Jan Remmers 1980 1982 Jos Wap 1983 1983 Kees Vermunt 1983 1984 Rien de Leur 1985 1986 Leen Looijen 1986 1993 Leo van Veen 1993 1993 Hans Verèl 1993 1995 Bert Jacobs 1995 1996 Leo van Veen 1996 1996 Cees van Kooten 1996 1997 Bert Jacobs 1997 1998 Peter Boeve 1998 2004 Martin Jol

From To Manager 2004 2005 Erwin Koeman 2005 2006 Adrie Koster 2006 2007 Mark Wotte 2007 2008 Željko Petrović 2008 2012 Ruud Brood 2012 2014 Erwin Koeman 2014 2015 Martin Koopman 2015 2018 Peter van den Berg 2018 2018 Hans de Koning 2018 2021 Fred Grim 2021 2023 Joseph Oosting 2023 2025 Henk Fraser 2025 Present Sander Duits

See also

• Dutch football league teams