UK Government Funded Evaluation Report
New research from Edge Hill University, in partnership with Rugby League Cares, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), reveals the powerful role community sport plays in tackling loneliness and improving wellbeing for boys and young men.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, a government-funded pilot delivered Movember Ahead of the Game and the Offload programme across Wigan and Wakefield, engaging 1,400+ participants via four club foundations:
- Wigan Warriors Foundation
- Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation
- Castleford Tigers Foundation
- Featherstone Rovers Foundation
Our evaluation highlights significant improvements in social connections and aspirations for those at risk of loneliness or being Not in Education Employment or Training.
You can email Rachel Wilcock ([email protected])Â if you need an accessible alternative version of this document.