Applications Open for Rugby League World Cup Legacy Programme

AoC Sport is encouraging colleges to apply to be part of the Rugby League World Cup Legacy TAG Leaders programme. Earlier this year, AoC Sport received more than £3,000 of funding to grow participation in rugby league and build on the legacy of the World Cup being hosted in England later this year. So working with the Rugby Football League (RFL), AoC Sport will encourage more young people from a range of different backgrounds to engage with the sport, both through playing and volunteering. The TAG Leaders training programme is open to all colleges with the aim of each college to upskill 10-12 young people to deliver engaging Tag Rugby activity to their peers and to engage 100-150 new participants. Each successful college will receive support from the RFL and an equipment bundle from AoC Sport consisting of balls, tag belts and tags, reversible bibs, cones and a ball pump. Applications can be made here and are open until 31 May 2021. The programme is open to AoC Sport Members who can demonstrate in their application why they want to be involved and how they will deliver the programme. Successful colleges will be notified in July in preparation for delivery to commence next academic year. AoC Sport was granted £3,607.20 from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme – a funding pot of £10million delivered in partnership between RLWC2021, the sport’s national governing body, the Rugby Football League, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. Dean Hardman, Director of Sport and Student Experience at The Association of Colleges, said: “The funding by the CreatedBy programme will ensure that college students inspired by the 2021 Rugby League World Cup can access the game, whether that be through playing or volunteering. The equipment this grant will fund will ensure the leadership programme put in place will make a huge difference to the beneficiaries. Thanks to the RFL for their support and we look forward to seeing more rugby league played in colleges as a result.” Adam Hughes, Development Lead - Education of the Rugby Football League said: “We are really excited to be working with AoC Sport to encourage more people from a range of different backgrounds to engage with Rugby League, harnessing the legacy of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup through the TAG leaders programme.” The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will kick off across multiple sites in England on 23 October 2021, with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions taking place simultaneously, under one tournament banner for the first time. For more information about the tournament click here.