Mayfield spread the word on rugby league
ROCHDALE Mayfield’s Building the Future school programmes have been hitting new heights.
The club’s vice chairman and development officer, Carl Abraham, explained: “Being the main community Rugby League club in the Borough, the club feels it has a responsibility to promote and encourage more young children into the sport to ensure player participation increases year on year.
“The club believe the delivery of Rugby League in primary schools should be free and having been able to obtain funding through generous sponsorship and funding initiatives, this has allowed the club to provide students of the Borough with an opportunity to learn about and partake in a new sport by participating in the club’s Building the Future programmes.”
To date, the club has successfully completed three six-week programmes and provided more than 1,250 children from 19 Rochdale Borough primary schools with 204 hours of free Rugby League coaching.
Abraham added: “The success we’ve had proves that Building the Future is definitely here for the long haul with at least 15 children who’ve participated in one of our three programmes taking up the sport and joining the club’s ever-growing youth set up.
“The club’s work will be continuing in 2023 and beyond as we continue to break even more barriers and build partnerships throughout the Borough, attracting even more schools to become club schools’ ambassadors and take part in future programmes, festivals and match day experiences that the club have in the pipeline.
“We are absolutely delighted with the number of schools that have got on board during our 2023 programmes.
“Through experience I knew the programme would be a success but didn’t think for one stage we would have the number of schools involved in such a short period of time.
“Each programme has improved and just gets better each time.
“The programme also gives our coaches valuable experience working with children and on everyone behalf at the club pay tribute to all schools for giving our club the opportunity to provide their students with an insight into the sport. Our coaches have thoroughly enjoyed every minute and want to highlight how amazing the students have been during all our visits; they’ve been absolute pleasure to coach and we can’t thank you enough for believing and trusting in our programme.
“Every child is a credit to the schools of the Borough and schools should be very proud of them, we definitely are and we can’t wait to re-visit and spend more quality time with both staff and students in 2023 and beyond.”
If you want to be involved through sponsorship, or a school that would like to benefit from Mayfield’s free programmes, then email the club on info@rochdalemayfield.com.