Thriving National Conference League club Bentley ARLFC had a starring role this week in the launch of the new national Sports Strategy – alongside England Women legend Andrea Dobson, England Wheelchair captain Tom Halliwell OBE, and the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew joined Simon Morton, the Deputy CEO of UK Sport, at the Doncaster club to see one of the most uplifting examples of the legacy of last autumn’s World Cup.
Bentley opened their new clubhouse and changing facilities at the weekend, which were made possible by more than £250,000 of funding from the RLWC2021’s CreatedBy Capital Grants Programme, which in turn unlocked other sources of local support.
Pete Wainer, their Chairman, said:
“The club was already on a massive upward curve in terms of the numbers of players, teams and volunteers, but these new facilities are going to take us to another level.
“We have been nomadic for most of our 60 years of existence, and we have struggled to offer a stable environment for players, parents, volunteers and supporters. Now we have a home we can be proud of, and it was great to be able to celebrate that, both with our opening match at the weekend, and then as part of the new sports strategy launch.
“We’re really excited to have two girls teams already started, and for all our youngsters it was exciting to have Andrea Dobson, Tom Halliwell and the Wheelchair World Cup down at the club.
“It was important for us that Dean Wiffen, the Sports Development Officer for Doncaster Council and their Get Doncaster Moving campaign, was in attendance, as he has been such a fantastic conduit between the club and our local authority, who have backed us to the hilt, with Carl Hall at Doncaster RLFC, throughout our four-year journey.”
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said:
"It has been fantastic to visit Bentley ARLFC to mark the launch of our sport strategy, and see the excellent work the club is doing for the local community.
"Throughout the build up to last year's Rugby League World Cup and ever since, the RFL has worked tirelessly to develop the grassroots game through infrastructure investment, improving access and inclusivity and driving up participation.
"This is precisely the vision our new strategy sets out and highlights the importance of the UK securing and staging major sporting events, as outlined in our Gold Framework."
Tony Sutton, the RFL Chief Executive, said:
“We were delighted that the Sports Minister and UK Sport chose to visit Bentley as part of the launch of the new Sports Strategy.
“In the updated Gold Framework, the DCMS and UK Sport reinforce the benefits of staging world-class events – and Bentley are a wonderful example both of the positive role played by Rugby League clubs in their communities, and of the tangible and lasting legacy of last year’s World Cup.
“We have also seen significant growth in the numbers of players in both the Women’s and Wheelchair game following the inspirational performances of our England teams, so it was fitting that Andrea Dobson and Tom Halliwell were present at Bentley.
“Andrea was a true pioneer of Women’s Rugby League during her playing career, and is now doing a fantastic job across South Yorkshire in Sheffield as Development Officer for the Eagles Foundation.
“Tom provided one of the iconic moments of the World Cup with his crucial try against France in that compelling Wheelchair Final in Manchester, and he is a superb ambassador for the sport.”
The RFL have joined other sports in pledging to support the new strategy, the first to be published since 2015, which stresses the importance of sport in improving the nation’s health and fitness.
Tony Sutton added:
“Improving the lives of the communities in which our clubs are so important is pivotal to our own strategy, More than a Sport, which also runs until 2030. So we are delighted to accept the challenges detailed in the new strategy, and look forward to working with DCMS, UK Sport and Sport England to deliver those positive outcomes.”
