Sport England and Rugby League Cares, supported by the RFL, have launched a Local Rugby League Development Programme to explore new and different ways to get more people involved in Rugby League.

There are six community-focused projects which are running for 12 months.

The local projects are delivering in Cumbria, Coventry, Hull, London, Newcastle, through partnerships in Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees and their surrounding areas.

The projects are testing, new and innovative ways of working.

They are designed around the needs of women and girls, university students, black and minority ethnic communities and older adults, as well as those aged 14 years and over.

Through the projects, thousands of new participants will engage with the game in different ways. From full contact, Touch and Tag variations of the game, to Masters and Walking Rugby League, as well as fitness-related training sessions.

More people can try out a way of playing Rugby League that's right for them. No previous experience is needed and every project welcomes those from all backgrounds and abilities.

The aim of the programme is to take a bottom-up approach to participation involving a range of partners, engaging and sustaining people from around the UK where historically we haven't seen widespread levels of participation.

The delivery partners and RL Cares are monitoring and evaluating each project to gain valuable insight around getting new people involved in RL - this will be shared across the game.