Wakefield Trinity become first Super League side to sign Muslim Athlete Charter

With an increase in Muslim players, staff and supporters across the game, Wakefield Trinity is the latest professional sports club to have signed the pledge, following in the footsteps of both London Broncos RL and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

The pledge is a continued commitment to recognising Muslim needs in the sport, allowing increased diversity as well as learning important lessons to understand, grow and adopt good practice.

A statement said: "With new signings in the playing squad, Wakefield Trinity is proud to be committing to projects off the field, working closely with Nujum Sports to make the club more diverse across the board.

"The charter is based across 10 key areas, and our long-term plan is to achieve as many of these as we can. We believe this is a positive step for Wakefield Trinity and integral to our work with supporting our players, staff, and fans.

We believe by understanding their faith and cultural needs, we can better position ourselves as a club as well as making our players, staff and fans feel valued and appreciated."

Speaking upon signing the charter, Wakefield Trinity CEO, Michael Carter, said: “I am delighted to launch this charter with a commitment to becoming a more socially diverse and inclusive club.

“We already do great work across the district, and have great links with the local Muslim community, and felt that we needed to take this to a more formal level.

“I want people of the Muslim faith to feel that they can become a part of Wakefield Trinity, whether that is as a player, coach, staff member or fan, and look forward to working progressively together on this charter.”

The Foundation’s Head of Health, Wellbeing & Inclusion, Colan Leung, said: “I am proud that the club are fully supporting this project, it shows that we’re committed to being inclusive for all, diverse in what we’re doing and being proactive about tackling inequalities.

“This framework will help us to better understand the needs of our players, staff, and the local Muslim community.

“Like many sports, rugby league will bring many cultures, religions, and demographics together, so if we can play our part in doing this then it can only be a positive one for the sport.

"We are now beginning our journey to be fully accredited with the Nujum Sports Muslim Athlete Charter, which will help us strengthen our voice and zero tolerance towards any form of discrimination."