Wakefield Trinity to launch wheelchair team in 2021

The Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation has activated its grant to launch a Wheelchair Rugby League side in 2021.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com - 19/09/2019 - Rugby League World Cup - CreatedBy RLWC2021.Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com - 19/09/2019 - Rugby League World Cup - CreatedBy RLWC2021.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com - 19/09/2019 - Rugby League World Cup - CreatedBy RLWC2021.

The grant has been awarded to increase participation of grassroots Rugby League in the Wakefield District, with the club set to receive the funding from the CreatedBy Rugby League World Cup 2021 Capital Grants Programme.

The CreatedBy programme can award grants from a pot of £10m and has been made available by the government to support the legacy of next year’s Rugby League World Cup.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A statement from the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation read: “With the Rugby League World Cup opening a wheelchair event in 2021, Wakefield Trinity thought there was no better time to introduce our wheelchair side.

“The set-up will be an extension on the successful Physical and Learning Disability sides the Foundation already run and following on from this, the club wanted to progress further with other types of the game.

“The club and Foundation both believe that it is important to become fully inclusive and with the 2021 Rugby League World Cup on the horizon, we thought there was no better time than the present.”

With Wakefield’s Physical and Learning Disability teams becoming increasingly popular, Lead of Disability at the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation, Craig Fisher, felt that introducing a wheelchair side was the natural progression for the club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He 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.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

RFL chief executive 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.”

The Rugby League World Cup will kick off in October with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments taking place at the same time and under one banner for the first time.

Related topics: