Schools - get skilled, get playing and raise money for charity

England Touch, the Rugby Football League and British Heart Foundation have partnered together to launch a new initiative to get more young people engaged with the Rugby League World Cup and raise funds and awareness for one of the country's most important charities!

Playing Touch Rugby and Rugby League are two of the British Heart Foundation’s newest fundraising events. Not only are both sports a great way for children to get active but also a fantastic way to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation’s life-saving work and research. 

With the Rugby League World Cup just around the corner, hosting your own themed festival can bring your school together with children of all ages and abilities playing Touch Rugby games together, choosing the names and colours of the nations who are competing in the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair World Cups, and completing the Rugby League skills challenges.

For all the information, including registering your school to take part in this great initiative, just download a special resource pack from englandtouch.org.uk/rlworldcupfundraising

All registered schools will enter a ballot to win a set of balls for their school.

The British Heart Foundation is the charity partner of the England Touch Association and recognises the cardiovascular benefits of playing Touch Rugby and how this can therefore improve heart health due to the nature of the game, which promotes moderate to vigorous physical activity levels. 

Coronary heart disease is the one of the UK’s leading causes of death and the most common cause of premature death. The money your school raises will help the BHF to fund work and research to prevent, predict and try to cure heart disease. The funds raised will also provide vital support to those children and adults enduring daily battles with heart disease today. 

Heart disease touches us all. It is indiscriminate, affecting young and old alike. 

• Around 13 babies a day are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in the UK
• Around 50,000 UK school children are living with a congenital heart defect and we need to fund research to help them live longer, happier lives
• It’s estimated that 30 per cent of children in the UK have a BMI defined as overweight or obese