IMAGE: Sheffield Eagles’ free children’s Sunday sesssions
Sheffield Eagles foundation has launched free rugby league and wheelchair rugby sessions for South Yorkshire’s youth.
The charity aims to give more opportunities to children to increase access to the game.
David Butler, Sheffield Eagles wheelchair rugby player and Eagles foundation trustee, has praised the schemes.
Mr Butler said: “Seeing the young people with smiles on their faces in photographs and turning up week in week out and enjoying themselves just reinforces everything that we do.
“We are living in economically squeezed times, people are struggling to make ends meet at home and one of the first things that has to go there is leisure time. We’ve been provided with funding that allows us to put on some of these activities for free.”
The free junior sessions take place on Sunday mornings from 10am to 11am at Kashmir Gardens Park. Eagles Foundation provides healthy snacks and bottled drinks for the children at the sessions.
Jack Pemberton, disability and inclusion officer at the Eagles Foundation said: “Each week has been bigger than the last… We get so many young people and families that probably wouldn’t be able to access any sort of sport or physical activity because of that cost element.”
Juniors looking to take up wheelchair rugby can join the new Tuesday evening session which takes place at 5pm at the English Institute Sport.
Mr Butler said: “We want to increase participation… The idea there is to give young people the opportunity to come down, have a go and experience how much fun it is.
“Our friends up at Leeds Rhinos are doing similar, I don’t think it will be too long before we see the first inter-club junior (wheelchair) game between the two sides.”
Wheelchair rugby is on the rise in South Yorkshire following the world cup matches last year, many of which took place in Sheffield.
Eagles’ wheelchair side came third in their league last season and reached the challenge trophy final.
More details of both sessions can be found on Sheffield Eagles website.