World Cup boost for community clubs in Leeds and Dewsbury

Drighlington will relocate their clubhouse facilities to the nearby community library and hall, thanks to a £145,000 award.

The facility will be refurbished to become a multi-purpose community space and the four existing changing rooms will be refurbished.

The project will help secure the future of the library and community centre as well as providing improved facilities to encourage more people to get involved in rugby league. The project is already underway and is due to be completed this month.

Drighlington’s vice-chairman Carl Richards said: “We were delighted to be successful in our application to the RLWC2021 fund.

“The fund has been used as part of our plans to take over our local community centre that had been earmarked for closure by the council.

“The money from the fund has been spent on totally refurbishing our changing rooms, which was much needed. Long term, the project as a whole will financially secure the future of rugby league in our area.

“The facilities for our existing members will be first class and this will lead to being able to attract new players to our sport.”

Moor have been awarded £200,000 as part of RLWC2021’s wider InspirationALL legacy initiative,

The first phase of the project will see the club refurbish and extend their existing changing room pavilion to provide a new bar area, kitchen and dining area, a purpose built function room, new toilets and six new changing rooms with shower and toilets, including purpose-built female changing rooms.

It will also include a gym and additional storage, as well as car park and access improvements to service its existing users and the local community.

The second phase will transform the current facilities at the club and provide a bespoke training area.

Dewsbury Moor spokeswoman Paula Brown said: “It means so much to our club to receive this amazing grant which will help us complete the extension and refurbishment of our existing clubhouse to the standard our players and members deserve.”

“Thanks to RLWC2021’s legacy programme, we now have a generous sum which will be added to the tremendous support we have seen from the Dewsbury Moor Big Local, Sport England and Dewsbury Moor ARLFC’s own funding.

“The completed project will see Dewsbury Moor ARLFC custodians benefitting from a £1.5m sporting facility, which will provide a safe environment for our junior players to develop and our senior players to flourish.

“This has just made everyone even more proud of our amazing club and what we have achieved.”

Jon Dutton, chief executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, commented: “A staggering £2million invested in these collective projects will undoubtedly have a very positive impact on the future of rugby league.

“Dewsbury Moor and Drighlington have been awarded a large grant via our CreatedBy capital grants programme, after they demonstrated an excellent vision for how the funding will be used to deliver a wider impact on the local community.

“We are confident that these new developments will become established hubs for local people, help local players at a grassroots level and have a real positive impact on the development of rugby league in the future.”