The Rugby Football League recently spent a day with the Wakefield Trinity Foundation as they delivered Rugby League to people of all ages from across the region in an action-packed day.
Sky Try is the biggest-ever programme of Rugby League opportunities in primary and secondary schools, and secondary school children enjoyed hours of Sky Try delivery to kick off the day - where 108 players from nine schools were treated to a festival at Belle Vue - including many who had never played the sport before.
Sky Try aims to give children and young people a high-quality introduction to the sport, while helping raise awareness of playing opportunities at local community clubs.
We've had a great 3 days of @SkyTryRL 9s & would like to thank all schools, teachers, parents & pupils for making it such a fantastic event! pic.twitter.com/ZNE784a6Ez
— Trinity Community (@WTCommunityRL) May 24, 2017
Twelve teams then took part in a Play Touch Rugby League session, which is held each Monday, showcasing their skills in a non-contact variant of the sport on the Beaumont Legal Stadium pitch.
The England Talent Pathway is an award-winning programme aims to increase the number of quality 12-14 year old Rugby League players through the education and training of children's coaches.
An ETP Workshop was then held in the evening; a session which saw 30 local coaches receive best practice tips from Rugby Football League Performance staff - helping their players to play more, and play better.
It's been a busy year for the Foundation so far in 2017.
They have already engaged with 1,251 players from community clubs, 4,660 primary school children, and 1,332 children from local secondary schools.
Suberb @SkyTryRL 9s comp today with over 100 yr7 students. Congratulations to winners @FreestonAcademy & runners up @OssettAcademy 🔴⚪🔵 pic.twitter.com/eFsiFnA0tp
— Trinity Community (@WTCommunityRL) May 22, 2017
In coaching, 60 local community club coaches have enjoyed Continued Professional Development of their skills with the foundation, with 30 primary school teachers improving their ability to deliver Rugby League, and 20 secondary school teachers taking part in sessions to boost their Rugby League activity in education.
600 young players have attended Open Access ETP Development Days to date in 2017, with 8,029 attending since the Wakefield Trinity Community Trust first started to deliver Development Days.
Open Access Development Days help give players from all levels of Rugby League and sports the opportunity to experience Rugby League in a high-quality environment, with a key focus of starting them on the pathway to become and England Rugby League player.
The Foundation's outreach impact now stands at an impressive 24,087.
Pupils from Pinders Primary School enjoying the photography challenge in the Trinity learning zone pic.twitter.com/GJoYJ128u7
— Trinity Community (@WTCommunityRL) May 16, 2017
To find out more about what the Wakefield Trinity Community Trust can offer your community club or school, contact james.stephenson@wakefieldtrinity.com.
- Sky Try is the biggest-ever programme of Rugby League opportunities in primary and secondary schools, aiming to get 700,000 more children and young people to experience Rugby League across the seven-year programme.
- The award-winning England Talent Pathway programme aims to increase the number of quality 12-14 year old Rugby League players through the education and training of children's coaches.
- Play Touch Rugby League is a non-contact version of Rugby League, open to anyone over the age of 14, with weekly sessions taking place across the country.
