Rugby league tells PM candidates of need for £100 million to create impact
RUGBY league has told the leaders of England’s three main political parties it needs £100 million to service its communities, many of which are deprived.
The 13-a-side code turned £10 million of government funding when it hosted the 2022 World Cup into a £27 million total investment for grassroots clubs and foundations.
And in the run-up to the general election, Rugby Football League chief executive Tony Sutton has told Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Ed Davey of what it needs over six years.
A new National Facilities Strategy - which estimates £100 million of investment to transform and improve facilities is needed, with 168 clubs across 81 constituencies, 59 of which are in the north of England, receiving funding – has been launched.
And in a letter, Sutton told the trio what is needed from whoever is in 10 Downing Street after July 4, saying: “Rugby league community clubs and the communities they serve are facing challenging times.
“Increasing costs, participants and members struggling amid a cost-of-living crisis, Covid recovery and the erosion of local support networks has made narrowing the gap in inequality and opportunities to participate in sport much harder to achieve.
“Added to this, many clubs have deteriorating playing surfaces leading to session cancellations, a decline in participation, unsustainable operations and in extreme circumstances, being at risk of closure.
“This facilities investment package is focused on transforming clubhouses and changing rooms, improving existing and providing new grass pitches, investing in training facilities and improving provision across core community clubs.
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“This transformation is critical to ensuring we can continue to reduce inactivity among under-represented groups and drive the growth we have seen among women and girls and athletes with a disability.
“Since 2019, political parties of all colours have committed to ‘levelling up’ or reducing inequality in many communities the Rugby Football League has proudly served.
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“If it was true that many of these communities were in desperate need of investment in 2019, it is truer today. 46 per cent of participants are from the top 30 per cent most deprived communities.
“Without the additional investment outlined, the challenges faced by the sport risks severely undermining the success of the last World Cup.
“In other words, the future positive impact of the sport and our ability to reduce disparities in communities’ hinges on the next Government’s support and investment.”
Tom Halliwell, captain of England’s World Cup-winning wheelchair rugby league side, added: “Rugby league has had a massive positive impact on my life, I’ve seen it do the same for so many other players and volunteers.
“But with it usually being played in working-class communities, we struggle with facilities compared with other sports.”
England women’s captain Jodie Cunningham said: “I’ve been on an amazing journey with rugby league, from starting a girls’ team at school in Warrington and playing on park pitches with Thatto Heath to captaining St Helens at Wembley.
“The number of girls we have wanting to play now is incredible – but the lack of suitable facilities can still be a big issue.
“Our sport can change lives – I want it to be able to do even more.”