Our Story

It all started when I was seven. We’d just moved to a new town, and in full “we need him to make friends” mode, my mum signed me up for every after-school club going. One of those was hockey. Another was aerobics - but the less said about that the better.

Hockey stuck. After a few sessions, the coach asked if I fancied playing for the local team that weekend. Cue a frantic Friday night trip to Sports Direct to get kitted out like a pro wearing everything Slazenger. I scored in my first game, and that was it - I was hooked.

Over the next few years, I played more and more, eventually representing Norfolk and playing in the JRPC. I loved every second. But what I loved just as much was the deal I had with my nan: if I hit the right grades at school, she’d buy me a new stick each season. It became our tradition.

When she passed away, hockey didn’t feel the same. I took a year out and focused on other things. But just before uni, I picked it up again - only to break my wrist after getting tripped mid-game. It didn’t heal well at all despite 2 attempts. I went off to the University of Essex and joined the hockey club, where I played an entire term with a broken wrist (not recommended). I then had surgery over Christmas which involved a bone graft from my hip to my wrist. Again, not recommended. I was advised not to play again. But honestly, if you can break a wrist falling up the stairs, you might as well do it playing the sport you love.

In my second year, I needed a new stick, but the student bank account said otherwise. I messaged a new emerging brand about their sticks, looking to learn a bit more about them, naturally, got a bit cheeky and asked whether there were any discounts active, hoping for a little help. Their reply? “If you’re looking for cheaper sticks, maybe you should make your own. That's the reason we started.”

So I did.

That same night, sat in the SU bar with my housemates, a drink and a sketchbook, Rise was born.

Over the next couple of years, I became obsessed. I tested materials, tweaked the balance points, played with shapes. I’ve always loved the 3D side of hockey: the aerials, the drag flicks, the little tricks that make people go “Oof.” These sticks were built to do all of that. And they started to work. Properly. People began asking about them. Then they started buying them. I moved to Canterbury to do my masters degree and further developed the sticks. At one point, we were even supplying sticks to players in the German national team.

Around then, some uni mates came to me with an idea, they wanted to launch their own cricket brand using the rise branding. So, we did it. Under the Rise umbrella, we started producing kit, clothing, and gear for both hockey and cricket. We even managed to sign first-class cricketers and Olympic athletes. 

But life moved on. We got jobs, lived in different cities, and tried to run the business on the side. It became tough to keep going. Rise Cricket fizzled out. I kept making the odd stick for friends and family, but the drive to make something purposeful was not there.

Fast-forward to now. A fresh start, a clean slate: Arise.

The name felt right. Partly because it was time to start again, and partly because, after years of being called “Aaron Rise” anyway, it just made sense. But the real spark came when our local cricket club was struggling to survive. No sponsorship, no support. Rather than watch it fade like so many others, we stepped in. What started as a one-club rescue mission has grown into something much bigger.

Now, we’re a team of three, all shaped by grassroots sport and united by the same belief: community clubs deserve better.

• There's me, Aaron. Founder, designer, and the kind of guy who gets excited about carbon fibre layups.
• Aidan, the most organised man alive, who once reorganised the kitchen just to improve workflow and efficiency. He keeps everything ticking.
• Harry, our cricket brain, who can recite player stats faster than he can eat a pot of Onken (other brands are available).
  

Together, we make gear that does more than just look good. Every shirt, stick, or cap we produce is built with purpose: to boost club identity, give back to grassroots sport, and prove that kit doesn’t have to be boring, or a financial drain.

At Arise, we’re not just about playing the game. We’re about lifting clubs up, helping them grow, and building something that lasts.

Because when a team wears its identity with pride, it doesn’t just turn up. It shows up.

And when a club gets the backing it deserves, it doesn’t just play, it thrives.