London Broncos will mark their last home fixture of the Betfred Super League season on Sunday with a celebration of the inclusivity of Rugby League in London – coinciding with Clare Balding CBE, the former RFL President, making the BBC Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Access Sport.
The Broncos will become the 10th of the 12 Super League clubs to host an “Inclusion Round” in the 2024 campaign – and their opponents this weekend, Leeds Rhinos, will make it 11 when they host Hull FC at AMT Headingley on Friday week (September 6).
Leigh Leopards will then complete the full set when they host St Helens in their last home game of the season on September 20.
The Broncos’ preparations for their Inclusion Day have seen players visiting local schools and sports clubs to help out with painting the flags from around the world that will be on parade before and during the match.
The players have also relished the opportunity to learn some sign language, with the Broncos club working on enhancing their match-day facilities for neuro-diverse spectators, and providing match commentary for the visually impaired.
The success story of London Broncos Women will be celebrated as they prepare for the Final of the Championship South competition against Cardiff Demons on Saturday week (September 7) – and fittingly, the latest former Bronco to be presented with his Heritage Number at half-time will be Ikram Butt, the trailblazer who started his career with Leeds, and became the first British Asian to represent England in either rugby code.
Next Friday at AMT Headingley, the Rhinos have already confirmed that their Wheelchair team will be presented with the 2024 League Leaders’ Shield before the Betfred Super League fixture against Hull FC – with a Wheelchair taster session available to supporters in the indoor cricket school outside the ground.
The night will be a celebration of the flourishing Leeds Rhinos Foundation with the senior Physical Disability team playing against their Hull FC counterparts before the match – the first PDRL match on the hallowed Headingley turf – and the junior PDRL and Learning Disabilities teams taking the stage at half-time.
Ben Abberstein, the RFL’s Senior EDI partner, said:
“The Inclusion Rounds have been a theme of the 2024 season at all levels, with Keighley Cougars leading the way in League One, and York Knights becoming the latest Championship club to host a successful event at the LNER Community Stadium last weekend - and the forthcoming celebrations at London Broncos, Leeds Rhinos and Leigh Leopards completing a full set of Super League clubs.
“We’ve been delighted by the positive response from all our clubs, who have seized the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful work done by their Foundations in their local communities.
“It’s especially timely on the eve of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, for Rugby League to play its part in the celebration of disability sport – and we are also pleased to support our former RFL President, Clare Balding CBE, as she makes the BBC Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Access Sport this Sunday.”
