The ground-breaking short-term partnership between the Rugby Football League (RFL) and executive search firm Inclusive Boards has concluded with both parties celebrating its success.
Inclusive Boards specialises in supporting organisations to become more inclusive, through greater board diversity and stronger governance structures, and worked with the RFL to help broaden and strengthen the skills, knowledge and expertise within club boardrooms.
10 professional clubs were involved in the Rugby League Club Board Diversity Project, which culminated in 14 new appointments enhancing both the skills-set and diversity at boardroom level with the sport. 31% of those joining boards at professional clubs are women, 46% are ethnically diverse, 23% are disabled and 15% describe themselves as LGBTQ+.
And the Sport England-funded project was ‘Highly Commended’ at this year’s Recruiter Awards, where Inclusive Boards also won the award for ‘Public/Third Sector Recruitment Agency’.
Inclusive Boards worked with Barrow Raiders, Halifax Panthers, Huddersfield Giants, Hunslet, Midlands Hurricanes, Salford Red Devils, Sheffield Eagles, Swinton Lions, Wakefield Trinity and Widnes Vikings.
The 10 clubs benefitted from diversity and inclusion training, a skills and representation audit, and peer networking sessions, while all professional clubs will have access to an Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit to support their own efforts to grow the reach and impact of Rugby League.
Sam Carey, Associate Director at Inclusive Boards, says: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the clubs and RFL, and to lead the delivery of the Club Board Diversity Project. The project has made a
real and innovative impact to governance within Rugby League through the excellent appointments of skilled and diverse board members.
“The new board members bring critical expertise in areas ranging from community engagement and finance to legal, facilities management, and business development, meaning that clubs are better equipped to rise to the challenges of the future.
“The lasting legacy of inclusion training delivered to clubs and the RFL is the Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit available for all RFL member clubs to use in the future. It marks a great stride forward for growing the reach and impact of the sport. We look forward to seeing further pioneering efforts to drive equity, diversity and inclusion across the sport sector.”
RFL CEO Tony Sutton adds: “The project aimed to ensure that Rugby League’s reputation for inclusion at all levels applies at the very highest level – in club boardrooms. I’d like to thank all the clubs involved for engaging with it so enthusiastically, and for their help in developing resources for all professional clubs.”
Although the RFL’s partnership with Inclusive Boards has reached its conclusion, the toolkit is now available to all professional clubs and will continue to support growth across the game and contribute to progress against the strategic goals set out in Tackle It.
