Swinton Lions will stage a celebration of a long-running Diversity and Inclusion Programme inspired by their former player Jose Kenga when he is a guest of honour at their Betfred League One fixture against Midlands Hurricanes on Sunday – part of a triple header of fixtures at Heywood Road for an Inclusion Round.
Kenga was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spent four years with Swinton from 2019-22, in addition to spells with Hunslet, Doncaster and the Hurricanes.
In announcing their Inclusion fixture, Swinton explained that Jose's highly respected character was exemplified by the way he responded to an act of racism that he suffered whilst representing the club after a game in 2019 against the now-defunct Toronto Wolfpack.
As a result of the fine received and an allocation given to the Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation, Jose and Damian Ridpath (Foundation CEO) worked together to design a bespoke workshop and Rugby League Physical Activity program that taught young people about a whole range of social issues that they may be confronted with in life, alongside appropriate interventions to navigate issues safely.
The Jose Kenga Diversity and Inclusion programme has been delivered between 2021-25 across Greater Manchester and over 5,000 young people have taken part in this workstream in that time. Over 30 Nationalities have been recorded as attending this programme of work, which makes it one of the largest diversity projects within the history of Rugby League.
On Sunday it is fitting that the Swinton Lions inclusion day for 2025 celebrates the work of the Lions Foundation in providing the opportunity for so many young people to engage with the sport in a positive way and most importantly, Jose has been invited as the special guest of Swinton Lions with his family to enjoy the celebrations.
The day features three fixtures with Swinton Lions LTP 18s v Widnes Vikings kicking off the day at 11.30am , followed by the Lions v Hurricanes in a top 4 League 1 clash @ 2pm and the Lionesses finishing the day against Oulton Raiders in the Women’s Championship @4.30pm, with both teams looking to secure play off places.
"Rugby League's zero tolerance policy on racism requires acknowledging and challenging its existence. The collaboration between Jose Kenga and Swinton Lions has sparked vital conversations on inclusion and demonstrates the sport's powerful role in tackling discrimination and driving community cohesion."
Ben Abberstein, the RFL’s Senior EDI Partner, said:
"Rugby League's zero tolerance policy on racism requires acknowledging and challenging its existence. The collaboration between Jose Kenga and Swinton Lions has sparked vital conversations on inclusion and demonstrates the sport's powerful role in tackling discrimination and driving community cohesion."
Widnes Vikings will also stage their Inclusion Round on Sunday, with a double header of fixtures at the DCBL Stadium.
The club’s Women’s team will host Wakefield Trinity at midday, before the Betfred Championship fixture between the Vikings and Bradford Bulls at 3pm.
Widnes will use the occasion to shine a light on the invaluable work done in their community by the club’s Golden Generation and Extra Time groups, from tackling loneliness to supporting mental fitness – while there will also be a collection point for Widnes Food Bank at the ground, in partnership with the Bus Walker, Neil Atherton, and Arriva North West.
For further details of the Golden Generation and Extra Time groups, click here
