Community clubs urged to sign up for ground-breaking ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ workshops

Parents of community game players are being encouraged to take part in a ground-breaking project to help create the best possible matchday experience.

Community clubs are invited to sign up for ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ workshops delivered by the Challenge Cup winners Johnny Lawless and Paul Wood, and Super League Grand Final winner Shaun Lunt. The trio will share their experiences to lead discussions on how touchline behaviours affect children’s own matchday experiences – both positively or negatively. 

‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ will be delivered for free at a time and place convenient to clubs, and whilst workshops are primarily aimed at parents of under 11s, 12s and 13s, it’s hoped that the initiative will be offered to additional age groups in the future. 

RFL Head of Delivery for Community Game Competition, Kelly Barrett, explains: “We want to make ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ accessible to all, so we have made this a free resource and I would really encourage clubs to get in touch and take full advantage of this. The sessions are great fun as well as thought-provoking, and the former players offer some great advice.”

“These workshops are part of our wider ‘Enjoy the Game’ campaign, which promotes positive behaviours in both the professional and community game. Whether it be an under nines game or the Challenge Cup Final, the message remains the same. Players, coaches, match officials, volunteers and spectators can all contribute to creating a positive environment within all levels of Rugby League through the very foundations the sport was built on – respect and inclusion.”

“We want to make Rugby League a welcoming environment for all, so it’s really important that we start a culture shift in touchline behaviour, and we hope that ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ can begin this shift.”

With touchline abuse leading to players and volunteers leaving the sport, ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ sessions will be used to start conversations with parents on how they think Rugby League can improve touchline behaviour and what they can do to play a part in this.

Any club or parent who is interested in taking part in an ‘Enjoy the Greatest Game’ session should contact operations@rfl.co.uk.