Community match day activity organised by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation has already seen over 1000 children taking part in pre-match and half time ceremonies in the two home Super League games in 2015, as the season long programme of activity gets under way for another season.
The commitment of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation to provide opportunities for children from the Ambassador Schools and Clubs to take part in a match day, provided chances for over 9,000 children across the region last year, with the 2015 season promising even greater numbers.
Community match day activity now forms a large part of the match day schedule for the Leeds Rhinos and extends not only to junior players from community clubs providing player escorts before a game, but also roles as flag bearers, guards or honour and Half Time teams.
One programme that provides not only a match day opportunity for both children and parents, but a day long chance to engage with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, is the revamped Day to Remember initiative sponsored by Caddick Construction.
The programme is designed to provide a memorable day using the positive example of Rugby League as a community sport, to emphasize important messages such as promoting healthy lifestyles and building a successful environment, and all culminates with a chance to take part in a match day.
The Leeds Rhinos recent home game against the Huddersfield Giants saw 150 children attending the game to take part in the half time pitch parade from Day to Remember Schools Manston St James and Park Spring Primary School, all part of 700 total children involved in match day activity for the game.
Both schools had received assemblies in ‘Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle’ and ‘Building a Winning team’, had a visit from Ronnie the Rhino and took part in coaching in multi-skills and Tag Rugby prior to their match day experience and took up their discounted ticket offer to finish off a memorable experience with the Leeds Rhinos in front of 12,878 fans in the Stadium.
At the Huddersfield fixture last week, Lisa McCann, the School Ambassador Manager for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, commented on the impact of the programme:
“We’ve had 150 children taking part in the half time parade, they are each here on a discounted ticket provided by Caddick Construction, it means we can get more fans to the game, people who perhaps it’s their first Leeds Rhinos game and they can all experience what is not always accessible to them.”
For the next home game against Wigan Warriors the Leeds Rhinos Foundation are hoping to welcome another big number to be involved in the match day with more schools who have taken part in a Day to Remember involved in the half time pitch parade.
The video of Manston St James Primary School’s Day to Remember experience is available below:
For more information on the Day to Remember contact: Lisa.McCann@leedsrugby.com