Leeds Rhinos Foundation has been awarded the Rugby League’s Foundation of the Year award after another outstanding twelve months for the charity.
Recognised for the work the charity does to support its community across a range of areas, this is the fourth time Leeds Rhinos Foundation has won the award.
This year has seen record numbers of young people engage with the charity, notably with its flagship Rugby League Development project which is dedicated to developing the skills of players, coaches and referees as well as supporting the growth of the game in clubs, schools and colleges. The annual Rhinos Challenge also involved 1.400 junior players take part in Rugby League and Netball festivals over two weekends
Alongside this has been projects to address some of the big issues impacting society, such as the rising number of people not in employment or training. Through collaborative work with partners Checkatrade and Leeds City College the aim is to find practical ways to make a positive impact in this area.
The new Respect with the Rhinos project is a weekly class delivered in primary schools, to teach young people about online safety and positive role models. Initiatives such as Ahead of the Game and Offload have also continued to offer people the skills to look after their mental fitness.
Thanks to National Lottery players, Leeds Rhinos Foundation received funding to deliver the ‘Try for Tomorrow’ social impact programme which will help tackle climate change through dedicated and action-filled educational sessions on food, energy, transport, waste, nature and water delivered in our community to 200 schools.
Health services, which are all supported by partners Flutter, such as the Try Club weight management course, weekly activity sessions for people living with Parkinsons and the In Touch Dementia group have offered positive outlets for people with health issues.
The charity’s commitment to making the sport inclusive for all has also seen the growth of the inclusion teams, with more young people now participating through the junior PDRL Tryz sessions and the Wheelchair Development squad. The Learning Disability team has also seen increased numbers participate and enjoy experiences such as playing at Magic Weekend and AMT Headingley. This work is supported by partners Engie.
The past year has also inspired more people to give back through fundraising initiatives such as the Leeds Big Sleep, the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and the Leeds 10k.
Speaking about winning the award, Bob Bowman, CEO of Leeds Rhinos Foundation, said: “Staff, trustees, volunteers, friends, and supporters of Leeds Rhinos Foundation are delighted to be announced as the 2026 RFL Foundation of the Year.
“First, I would like to pay immense tribute to my staff team – a talented, passionate, and dedicated group of people who continuously drive our purpose of Changing Lives Through the Power of Sport.
“Governance of the Foundation is excellent. Dr Mariana Pexton chairs a board that provides high challenge and high support encouraging us all to strive for excellence.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation was formed in 2005 and throughout our journey, support from Leeds Rhinos has been unwavering, we are blessed to have this level of support which truly helps us deliver to the quality that we do.
“We have strong ambitions to grow and deliver even more services that get people into Sport and Physical activity, we will continue to help reduce health inequalities, too many young people are NEET and we want to be a part of that solution, and we will strive to achieve all this and more through strong partnerships and collaboration with existing and future partners.”