National Lottery And The Rfl Announce Women’s Rugby League Partnership
The RFL has unveiled The National Lottery as a new Official Partner, in a move that will also see the Camelot-owner lottery partner with Women’s and Girls’ Rugby League.
The partnership will see the support of The National Lottery acknowledged through a range of branding across the sport’s top men’s and women’s fixtures, and will also be presented as the Title Partner for England Women’s Mid-Season International against Wales on Friday 25th June.
As part of the deal, National Lottery players will also be given a range of opportunities to get VIP tickets to major fixtures, including the Mid-Season International.
The move comes on the back of a number of commercial partnerships that The National Lottery has signed with a variety of sports in recent weeks, including the LTA’s wheelchair tennis programme and with Team GB and ParalympicsGB in the build-up to the rescheduled Olympic Games. In addition, some £150 million of National Lottery funding has now been distributed to grassroots sports organisations across the UK.
In signing the partnership, the RFL highlighted the impact that the pandemic has had on the women’s game, with almost all of the 2020 campaign lost to postponement and cancellation, despite a 53% increase in the women’s playing community since the Betfred Women’s Super League was launched in 2017.
“The growth of girls’ and women’s Rugby League at all levels has been wonderful, which made the impact of over a year of not playing so hard for the players, coaches, volunteers and clubs,” said Ralph Rimmer, CEO, The Rugby Football League
“But we bounce back with this new commercial partnership and with the support of The National Lottery, and we look forward to kicking off our vibrant domestic competitions, followed by a mid-season International, and the excitement of a home World Cup this autumn. Our thanks to The National Lottery who share our vision and understand that Rugby League changes the lives of the girls and women involved.”
Nigel Railton, CEO, Camelot, added: “Every day, The National Lottery and its players make a huge difference to communities across the UK – and have been doing so since 1994. Supporting sports has always been part of the mission of The National Lottery and this inventive partnership will undoubtedly make a difference. The loss of spectators and cancellation of events has had such an impact, so I am proud that National Lottery players are able to support Rugby League after a difficult year.”
The National Lottery says the money for these initiatives is coming from a National Lottery promotional fund, and is not being funded by money allocated for National Lottery Good Causes, or by Camelot.
