The Princess of Wales, The Rugby Football League’s Royal Patron, today visited Wakefield Trinity and their Community Foundation to learn how their outreach programmes bring generations together and support individuals experiencing isolation in the community.
Her Royal Highness joined in a session with the In Touch programme which provides an open space for elderly people within the local community to help tackle social isolation. The Princess met with Denise Teal JP, the Lead Trustee of the Wakefield Community Foundation and former players Neil Fox and Geoff Oaks who are regular members of the programme before the group took part in a heritage quiz.
The Princess then met with young people from the Inspiring Future’s programme in the dugout to hear how the programme has supported them to avoid anti-social behaviour and youth crime. Inspiring Futures is funded through the Youth Endowment Fund and centrally led by the RFL Social Impact Team in partnership with the RFL Community Trust and eleven professional Rugby League Foundations across 100 schools reaching thousands of young people.
Finally, Her Royal Highness headed to the pitch to meet with girls who were taking part in a skills session as part of the Wakefield’s Champion Schools competition. The Princess also met Wakefield Trinity Captain’s Mike McMeeken and Kaitlin Varley who gifted her a Wakefield Trinity shirt as a memento of her visit.
Marc Lovering, the Director of Performance and Development at the RFL said: “It was an honour to welcome our Royal Patron, the Princess of Wales, at Wakefield Trinity today to highlight the valuable role Rugby League plays in our local communities both on and off the pitch.”
“The Princess was really interested in hearing about the positive social impact of the sport. The programmes showcased today by Wakefield Trinity Foundation address some of the challenges our communities face including social isolation, anti-social behaviour and youth crime. It was brilliant to see her engaging with all the different people involved with the Foundation.
Denise Teal JP, Trustee Lead at Wakefield Community Foundation said: "It was an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness to Wakefield Trinity today as we showcased just a small sample of the Foundation's work within our local community.
"It was amazing to see Her Royal Highness take such an active part and being so engaging in all the activities across the afternoon and we hope that her support can inspire others to participate in the Foundation's wide range of community programmes."
England player and Wakefield Captain, Mike McMeeken said: “It was great to meet her Royal Highness and to chat about Wakefield Trinity and all the great things the club and the Foundation do. She was really keen to hear about the club both on and off the field and now she has a Wakefield Trinity shirt she is an honorary member of the club!”
The 2026 Betfred Super League season kicks off on Thursday 12th February with Wakefield playing their first game on Saturday February 14th against Toulouse Olympique.
