About us

Where Sport, Culture and Community come together

Beyond the Pitch is a Sports Culture Experience & Media Company built around a simple belief: to truly understand a place, you need to experience the sports, traditions and communities that shape it.

We create small-scale, authentic sport culture experiences that go far beyond stadiums and tourist hotspots. Our programs are designed for people who want to connect deeply with local sports traditions – meeting locals, feeling the culture, and discovering the stories behind the sports that unite communities worldwide.

From Mongolian wrestling to Hurling in Ireland, from Lima's football energy to the Highland Games in Scotland, Beyond the Pitch unlocks the real heartbeat of a destination through local experiences.

Our Approach

No mass travel

Our Path

No usual routes

Our Promise

Personal, meaningful experiences

Mission

To connect people with authentic sport cultures through curated experiences, local storytelling, and community access – powered by local partners.

Travel & accommodation arranged independently.

Vision

To become a global platform for cultural sports experiences, setting a new standard for meaningful cultural immersion through local tradition, athletic passion, and human connection.

Our values

The principles that guide everything we do

Authenticity

We work with local communities, athletes, guides and storytellers who represent the real culture of their home - ensuring every experience feels genuine.

Community First

Every destination is built in collaboration with locals. They lead, we support. Their stories shape the experience.

Respect

We approach every culture, tradition and community with integrity and care. Our role is to listen first, then share.

Connection

Sport is our gateway, but people are at the centre of everything we do - participants, fans, families and local hosts.

Curated Quality

Small groups, thoughtfully designed cultural programs, safe execution, and professional local guidance ensure every participant feels supported and immersed.

Beyond the Game

The match is only the starting point. We take participants deeper - into rituals, food, stories, music and daily life.

Meet the founders

Founder

Marc van der Werf

Born and based in the Netherlands, I've built my career in tourism, working on global projects for some of the world's largest airlines and leading international ground-transportation initiatives. Alongside my professional work, sport has always been a constant in my life - from playing as a kid to exploring new cities through their local sports culture.

With a degree in Sports Marketing and a lifelong passion for exploring new cultures through sports, food, language, and local experiences, I felt inspired to create a platform that brings all these elements together. That idea grew into Beyond the Pitch.

Co-Founder

Martijn Berden

Football has been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. I played professionally for around ten years, starting in the academy of PSV Eindhoven and later continuing my career across several first- and second-division clubs in the Netherlands. Today, I'm still active at the third level of Dutch football.

After stepping away from the highest professional level, I felt a strong desire to share what football has given me: the energy of performing for a crowd, the joy of entertaining people, and the unique connection that sport creates between players and fans. Combined with my passion for discovering new cultures, Beyond the Pitch gives me the perfect opportunity to bring these worlds together.

Why we exist

Because sport is more than competition.

It's culture. It's human. It's universal connection.

Beyond the Pitch unlocks these stories through local experiences – the match is just the beginning.

We are not a travel agency.

This is Beyond the Pitch