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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rugby league in England and Wales.

Data from Sport England’s Active Lives Adults and Children and Young People Surveys indicates that:

• 62,900 adults aged 16+ in England took part in rugby league twice a month over the May 2018 to May 2019 period.
• 684,500 children and young people in England in school years 1-11 took part in a form of rugby at least once a week over the 2018-19 academic year.

Through Sport England, since 2017, government has to date invested nearly £11m in grassroots rugby league, including investment in the Rugby Football League Ltd, together with investment in specific community rugby league projects.

Over this time period, Sport England has invested a further £9.1m in multi-sport projects where rugby league is one of the sports benefitting.

The government is investing up to £15m towards the hosting of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, and up to £10m in grassroots facilities to help drive a legacy from the event.

Sport is a devolved matter and Sport Wales has responsibility for supporting grassroots rugby league in Wales.