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RKC Waalwijk
Full name	Rooms Katholieke Combinatie Waalwijk
Short name	RKC
Founded	26 August 1940; 84 years ago
Ground	Mandemakers Stadion
Capacity	7,508
Chairman	Peter Konijnenburg
Head coach	Henk Fraser
League	Eredivisie
2023–24	Eredivisie, 15th of 18
Website	www.rkcwaalwijk.nl
Home colours	Away colours
	Current season

RKC Waalwijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɛrkaːˈseː ˈʋaːlʋɛik]) is a Dutch professional football club based in Waalwijk, that is currently competing in the Eredivisie. 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.

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 4–5 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]

Results

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
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

RKC in Europe

Group = group game
1R = first round
2R = second round
3R = third round
1/8 = 1/8 final

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Score
1989	Intertoto Cup	Group	1. FC Kaiserslautern	1–1, 2–2
			First Vienna FC	3–4, 2–4
			Carl Zeiss Jena	2–0, 1–0
1992	Intertoto Cup	Group	Caen	1–0, 0–2
			Lyngby BK	1–1, 0–2
			FC Schalke 04	3–2, 4–2
2000	Intertoto Cup	3R	Bradford City	0–2, 0–1
2001	Intertoto Cup	3R	TSV 1860 München	1–2, 1–3

Current squad

As of 2 September 2024^[4]

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	Jeroen Houwen
2	DF	NED	Julian Lelieveld
3	DF	BEL	Dario Van den Buijs
4	DF	SUR	Liam van Gelderen
5	DF	NED	Juan Castillo
6	MF	MAR	Yassin Oukili
7	FW	SUR	Denilho Cleonise
8	MF	NED	Patrick Vroegh
9	FW	POL	Oskar Zawada (captain)
10	FW	NED	Reuven Niemeijer
11	FW	EGY	Alexander Jakobsen
13	GK	NED	Joey Kesting
14	MF	BEL	Chris Lokesa
15	MF	NED	Nouri El Harmazi
16	GK	NED	Luuk Vogels


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
17	DF	CUW	Roshon van Eijma
18	FW	NED	Silvester van der Water
19	FW	SUR	Richonell Margaret
20	FW	BEL	Ilias Takidine
21	GK	NED	Yanick van Osch
22	MF	NED	Tim van de Loo
23	MF	NED	Richard van der Venne
24	MF	CUW	Godfried Roemeratoe
28	DF	NED	Aaron Meijers (vice-captain)
29	FW	NED	Michiel Kramer
30	MF	FRA	Daouda Weidmann
33	DF	MAR	Faissal Al Mazyani
34	DF	NED	Luuk Wouters
35	MF	CUW	Kevin Felida
52	MF	NED	Mohamed Ihattaren

Honours

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

Club officials

Position	Staff
Head Coach	Henk Fraser
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