How Wakefield Trinity helped over 100 people fulfil a rugby league dream last weekend

Wakefield Trinity were the latest club to host a Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League festival

The festival - held at Crigglestone All Blacks last Saturday - featured teams representing Castleford Tigers, St Helens, Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Wakefield Trinity, Warrington

Wolves, Wigan Warriors and York City Knights.

The Learning Disability Super League is part of a ground-breaking partnership between Super League, The RFL and the national social care charity, Community Integrated Care.

The project gives people with learning disabilities and autism the opportunity to play an adapted version of rugby league at special festivals and Super League events.

Whilst enabling people to play the sport that they love, it also promotes friendships, new skills and life experiences.

Mark Adams, CEO of Community Integrated Care, said: “The growth of the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League, since the announcement of the programme in February, has been astonishing.

“We are thrilled to see the difference that it is making to participants, both on and off the field.

“With 11 teams featuring in this latest festival, representing eight proud rugby league clubs, Wakefield Trinity’s event was another special showcase of the sport.

“We would like to thank our partners at Wakefield Trinity Community Trust for their hard work and ambition in planning this event.”

Craig Shepherd, Head of Charity at Wakefield Trinity Community Trust, added: “This was a fantastic event. To host more than 100 players was very special.

"It was wonderful to see how much the players and their families enjoyed the festival, which was a brilliant showcase of inclusion in rugby league.”

The LD Super League players previously stole the show at Magic Weekend in May as they took to the famous Anfield turf, home of Liverpool FC, and were cheered on by supporters in attendance.