Rugby League is the first sport to sign play Their Way pledge to transform children's coaching

The RFL (Rugby Football League) have become the first governing body and sport in the UK to partner with national campaign Play Their Way to transform the way children and young people are coached and take part in rugby league. 

The RFL signed a new Play Their Way Pledge on at a special event at Headingley, the home of Leeds Rhinos to mark World Children’s Day alongside leading stars and coaches from the game including Jamie Jones-Buchanan and current England star Keara Bennett. It forms part of a partnership between Play Their Way and the RFL which includes a commitment to training and supporting coaches in child-first coaching. 

Child-first coaching is a research-based approach that prioritises the fundamental rights of all children and young people in sport and activity, regardless of their age, gender, background or ability. It puts strong emphasis on supporting children’s voice, choice, and journey when it comes to their sporting experiences and development and encourages coaches to listen to children and adapt their sessions based on their needs. 

The announcement comes following recent rule changes to the sport at junior level, including the move to non-contact rugby league at the youngest age groups and a number of recent joint initiatives between Play Their Way and the RFL. 

In June 2024, The RFL and Leeds Rhinos Foundation were one of a small number of organisations to be chosen as a Play Their Way Community Builder – a pilot project to upskill and build networks of child-first coaches. Earlier this year, Play Their Way hosted their first ever NGB Coach Engagement Day which saw children’s rugby league coaches from Yorkshire, the north-west and the Midlands come together for a day of practical and learning sessions on child-first coaching. 

The new partnership and pledge will see the RFL become the first sport to include a formal child-first coaching training module into their coach education programme. This is likely to come into effect next year with the inclusion of a new module for all new coaches taking their Level 1 qualification.  Play Their Way will deliver an ongoing programme of support including online workshops and learning resources to the RFL coaches who attended the engagement day event earlier in the year to support them on their journeys to becoming child-first coaches.

Play Their Way and the RFL will also develop specific online and digital rugby league child-first coaching resources for rugby league coaches who sign-up to the Play Their Way website. 

The RFL’s Interim CEO Abi Ekoku, said: 

“We are proud to be the first sport in the UK to sign the Play Their Way pledge and excited about the opportunity it presents for our game. We’ve already worked on some brilliant collaborations with Play Their Way over the last 18 months, but this partnership now fully embeds child-first coaching into our coaching philosophy and delivery.

This is also about future proofing rugby league and driving innovation. If we are going to get children to try our sport and love it enough to stay in it, we need fun environments and provide support to coaches wanting to embrace and deliver a child-first approach that put’s enjoyment at the heart of children’s experiences of playing rugby league” 

Mark Gannon, Chief Executive, UK Coaching, who deliver the Play Their Way campaign, added: 

“Our research with coaches highlights that they value guidance and support from their NGBs when aiming to enhance their coaching practice. In response, we have placed a strong emphasis on collaborating closely with NGBs over the past year, making it a priority to support coaches to enhance their coaching of children through child-first coaching. Our aim is to equip coaches with the knowledge, skill and behaviours, fostering their ongoing professional development, to confidently implement child-first coaching approaches within their clubs and communities, benefiting children and young people alike.

We’ve had a really positive response from all the NGB’s we’ve worked with but especially the RFL, so we are delighted they are the first sport to sign the pledge and commit to this movement. We hope this will be the catalyst for other sports and NGB’s to join the Play Their Way movement.” 
The event also saw a group of local children from Shire Oak Primary School take part in a special child-first coaching session led by Leeds Rhinos and RFL coaches. 

The Play Their Way campaign was launched in 2023 to transform the way children and young people are coached by prioritising their rights, needs and enjoyment in a ‘child-first’ approach. The campaign is funded by Sport England and The National Lottery and is led by partner organisations that make up the CCC (Children’s Coaching Collaborative). 

To learn more about Play Their Way, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit www.playtheirway.org. 

If you are interested in joining the CCC, whether you want to lead, contribute or simply show your support, there’s a place for you in the CCC’s growing community. New membership levels will be launched in the coming months.