The Sussex Merlin’s have partnered with the London Rugby League foundation and the Sky Try project to bring Rugby League into schools in Brighton and Hove

The Foundation is the main community organisation in the south funded by the RFL to deliver the Sky Try project, which aims to get 100,000 children and young people playing rugby league across the country every year.

Over the next six weeks, three Brighton and Hove schools from a total of 58 primary schools in the south east will receive rugby league coaching for boys and girls from Year 2 to Year 4. The main focus is to encourage the children to attend their local community club at the end of the coaching programme.

Nick Weston, chairman of Sussex Merlins, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the London Rugby League Foundation on Sky Try. It gives us an opportunity to build relationships with our local schools, develop our club coaches and recruit more young people to play rugby league at our club. In 2016, we delivered to one local school, and already we’re seeing increased demand with three schools booked in for 2017, and more requesting our support.”

As part of the programme, the Sussex Merlins club will be holding an open day at their home ground of Waterhall playing fields on 25th March 10-11:30 for all kids years 2-6 every. Dan Steel from the Foundation said “We’re really encouraged by the number of clubs who want to engage with Sky Try to create local partnerships, become a more welcoming club and grow their playing and volunteering numbers. The Merlins are one of the clubs that have shown a real appetite to get involved and deliver directly with their own club coaches to help make the project work. It’s a huge challenge to run a community club in the South East, and we’re really excited by the appetite from many of the local clubs to take on the challenge and get more kids playing our sport.”

- See more at: http://londonrugbyleaguefoundation.org/news__events/8190/foundation-launches-biggest-club-recruitment-drive-with-sky-try#sthash.8jtuNC7g.dpuf