Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase participation in grassroots rugby in disadvantaged communities.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone.

Our arm’s length body, Sport England, is providing long-term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union (RFU) between 2022 and 2029 to support men’s and women’s grassroots rugby union participation. The RFU, as the National Governing Body for rugby union, is responsible for decisions on how and where to target that investment into rugby union clubs.

Grassroots participation issues were discussed with the RFU at a recent event to celebrate grassroots sport held at Number 10, and the Government continues to engage with key stakeholders such as the RFU to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or where they live, has the opportunity to play sport and get physically active.