Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation have announced the club has activated its grant to launch a Wheelchair Rugby League side in 2021.
The grant, which has been awarded to increase the participation rates of grassroots Rugby League in the Wakefield District, with the club set to receive the grant from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme.
Delivered in partnership between RLWC2021, the sport’s national governing body, the Rugby Football League, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the CreatedBy programme is a funding pot of up to £10million made available by the government to support the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup by growing participation in the sport.
Lead of Disability at the Wakefield Community Foundation, Craig Fisher, said: “We have been well-renowned over the past couple of years for our disability section, starting off with Physical Disability, running right through to the launch of our Learning Disability side.
“So, the natural progression for us as a club was to launch a Wheelchair team just in time for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
“As a Foundation, this sort of progression is fantastic. Due to COVID-19, our progress in terms of what we wanted to achieve has been hampered a lot this year.
“I think a lot of the work we do as a Foundation does go under the radar and all the staff involved work tirelessly to make us the best we can be and with the launch of Wheelchair Rugby League, it will hopefully help raise our profile that little bit more.â€
Chief Executive of the RFL, Ralph Rimmer, added: “Hosting the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 offers so many opportunities for everyone involved in the game in this country and beyond, and the facilities that will be delivered by the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme will be a big part of that transformation.
“The RFL are proud to be involved in that process, and we congratulate all the successful applicants - and look forward to the impact of this unprecedented level of investment in the game for years to come.â€
While, Chief Executive of the 2021 Rugby World Cup, Jon Dutton, followed, “The CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme is focused on ensuring the next generation of rugby league players have the best possible experience and barriers to participate are removed.â€
The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will kick off on 23 October 2021, with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions taking place simultaneously, under one tournament banner for the first time.
Clubs, organisations and communities that run rugby league activities are encouraged to apply for this legacy funding by clicking here.
