The Bursary was introduced in 2022 following the death at the age of 33 of Matt King OBE, the former London Broncos Academy player whose inspirational response to a life-changing injury led to the formation of the Rugby League Benevolent Fund.
With applications invited from groups as well as individuals for the first time, half of the £10,000 available has been awarded to the members of England’s Wheelchair Rugby League squad – specific to their off-field development.
Sandy Lindsay MBE, the RFL Board member who chairs the Bursary panel, explained: “The development of Wheelchair Rugby League has been one of the most positive stories in the sport in recent years, and has been all the more remarkable given the range of personal stories in the England set-up.
“Recognising that, the England management put together an excellent submission for funding to benefit the whole playing group, coaching team and support staff, with a focus on personal growth, career progress and a leadership development programme supported by a coaching and ambassador pathway.
“The latter will be especially significant in boosting the future development of Wheelchair Rugby League – exactly the sort of development which the Bursary was designed to support, in memory of Matt.
“We were delighted to receive 29 applications from right across the game, and given the quality as well as quantity, we have awarded slightly more than our £10,000 annual allocation. In total more than 40 people will benefit directly, but we are confident the positive impact will spread far more widely across the sport. There could be no more fitting legacy for Matt King OBE.”
In addition to a number of smaller awards to individuals, here have been three awards of £1,000, as follows:
Ben Stevens – PHD Student Leeds Beckett University, research in spinal cord injury;
Swinton Foundation – to support staff development at the Foundation with specific reference to becoming qualified and competent in developing and coaching LDRL and PDRL;
Halifax Wheelchair – personal growth and development programme for players.