Looking for examples of our commissioned research? See how our researchers work with organisations to investigate important issues, answer complex questions and generate evidence that leads to meaningful change. Browse our commissioned research projects and discover how our expertise is helping to shape policy, practice and decision-making.
Our Research
Improving social connections, wellbeing and aspirations among boys and young men experiencing loneliness and isolation through the Offload and Movember Ahead of the Game programmes.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport provided funding to Rugby League Cares to pilot two programmes across Wigan and Wakefield which aimed to improve boys’ and young men’s social connections, wellbeing, and aspirations. The programmes were delivered from November 2025 to March 2026.
This report by the Centre of Mental Health, Sport and Physical Activity Research and the Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University was commissioned by Rugby Leagues Cares to independently evaluate the programmes.
The evaluation highlights the impact of the programme and identifies important learning for future delivery. The key findings include:
- Over 1000 participants engaged with Movember Ahead of the Game, and a further 346 young men engaged with Offload.
- Participants experienced improved social connections, including fostering new friendships and reintegrating into local communities.
- Participants experienced positive impacts on their wellbeing, including improved emotional regulation and resilience.
- The programmes positively impacted participants’ aspirations, providing motivation to do well at college and to identify future employment prospects.
Learning about what works:
- The importance of gender-responsive approaches for engaging boys and young men.
- The importance of allowing sufficient time to build strong new partnerships between Club Community Organisations and local youth networks.
- The importance of place-based working to recruit and engage with boys and young men.
Read our Earlier Work
To read about the research team’s earlier evaluation of the Offload programme for men in Warrington, Widnes and Salford, please see the ‘Offload Evaluation Report 2019’.
To learn more about our research, our article, ‘Designing community sports-based programmes for men with mental illness: A qualitative study of the Offload rugby league programme’ provides insights into the key design characteristics for mental health promotion programmes for men experiencing mental illness.
To find out more about our commissioned research projects and how we can support your organisation, please contact Rachel Wilcock.