RFL backs £30m call for northern rugby league community programme

The Rugby Football League has backed a £30m, five-year funding proposal for community rugby league in northern England, as the sport faces calls for reform after England’s men’s and women’s teams both exited the World Cup at the group stage.

Jon Wilkin, a former England international, has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to support a social-impact partnership bringing together the RFL, professional clubs, community foundations, councils and government departments. He says it should target disadvantaged communities in the north.

RFL chief executive Ian Nolan, who took up the role on 1 October, supports the proposal. He said established rugby league clubs could make it easier to reach local people than building new community hubs, because families already use the clubs.

Wilkin pointed to Australia’s A$250m (£130m) commitment over 10 years to the Pacific Rugby League Partnership, which aims to support sporting, educational and employment opportunities in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. He argues that a similar approach could benefit northern England.

The proposal is a request for government funding, not an announced commitment. The BBC said it had contacted the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment.

Nolan has also called for fresh approaches to international fixtures, suggesting England could play a new series against Australia, New Zealand or France, or revive domestic contests such as the War of the Roses. He said previous formats had not been given enough time to develop.