A group of pupils from Laisterdyke Leadership Academy celebrated winning their debut rugby league match, just months after first playing the sport.
At the start of the academic year the pupils had never touched a rugby ball and less than a year later they played in their first competitive game. The team’s maiden victory against Colne Primet Academy, held at Bradford Bulls’ stadium, was the team’s first full contact match.
The team’s recent success began with the Community Cougars Foundation (CCF) delivering after-school rugby league training sessions at Laisterdyke with support from Bradford Bulls Foundation.
The CCF’s mission is aligned to the Rugby Football League’s ‘Tackle It’ campaign, which challenges racial discrimination and aims to foster community cohesion and inclusion to create a more diverse base of young participants in the sport.
The CCF has continued its outreach programme as the school’s team has developed, recently hosting a speaker session with the team where they were visited by former England professional rugby player Dr Ikram Butt.
Dr Butt became the first Muslim to represent his national side in 1995 and gave inspiring words on how he confronted prejudice in his career. Along with representatives from CCF, Dr Butt also presented the team with a brand-new kit and rugby balls for their upcoming matches.
Principal, Stephen Dixon, said:
“Our rugby team brings to life two of our STAR values, teaching pupils about the importance of teamwork and ambition to do their best. The CCF’s support has given our team the tools to thrive and I’m sure there will be plenty more successes in the future for them.”