Quote ="leicester_rhino"I don't know how it works in all areas, but I think the RFL are trying to make some changes. A mate of mine is the community Rugby League coach for Nottinghamshire, and spends his week going into schools and teaching rugby league to kids. He mainly does secondary schools, but is expanding to years 5 & 6. He also has helped implement the means for kids to play outside of school, and at outlaws we now have a junior section down to under 11s, with an under 9s in the pipeline. I beleive its the same across the whole of the midlands.
Now whether this is an inititive for non-heartlands areas only, or whether its something that is done up north too I don't know, but more and more kids are being exposed to RL. My mate reckons that in the last 12 months about 2000 kids have been introduced to RL. Even if only 1% take it further its progress.
On the difference between Aus & England, I beleive that real life gets in the
way. Putting all your career eggs in a pro sport basket is akin to hoping you'll win X factor as your route to happiness. In this country we're very work focussed. In Aus it may be very different. They are a sport mad nation, wheras we claim to be, as long as you're only talking about spectating'"
The community development teams across superleague and championship clubs are a massive shining light in our sport. I used to work as Hunslet Hawks CC and within a school year delivered a 6-8 week coaching programme plus festivals, competitions and education projects accross 50 primaries and the 7 high schools they feed. This is being replicated across the sport, now working in a school sport partnership in Kirklees I work
With the giants and they provide the largest service of free to access coaching across our schools of any sport, from primary, secondary, FE and women and girls.
