England Rugby League Head Coach, Shaun Wane visited our Men’s Rugby team to present each player with their brand new training kit.

The team, which is a part of Leigh Leopard’s Development programme, received the kit ahead of their 10 day excursion to Jamaica.

Wane spent time with the team to talk about his career and experiences within his illustrious career and also provided some sound advice to the players ahead of the once in a lifetime tour.

He said: “The opportunity they have in front of them is phenomenal. It’s a great effort by everyone who’s been involved in getting this trip on and they’re going to have a trip of a lifetime. It’s something that will stick with them for the rest of their lives and I’m sure they will represent us in the best way.”

The team fly out on Thursday 15^th February where they will have the chance to work with the national body for Jamaica Rugby League (Jamaica RFL). By working with professional coaches and learning training methods, students will also put their theory into practice by helping to develop the sport in an emerging nation.

They will also use their coaching skills to work with hundreds of local school children before rounding off the trip with a match against Jamaica’s Under 19’s side, in what will be the country’s first international match.

Sports Lecturer and trip Lead, James Brabin added: “The tour should be fantastic. We will see the two contrasting sides of Jamaica, from the idyllic beaches in Montego Bay to the hustle of Kingston. We will be working in the local community, promoting the values and enrichment that Rugby League can bring into people’s lives.

“Coaching and officiating masterclasses will be ran by our staff and learners whilst over there, with a competitive game against the Jamaican U19's being the highlight of the tour. This could be the catalyst for many more UK based community and college teams visiting the country, we are hopefully setting the scene, where many will follow.”

A successful application to the Turing Scheme has made this possible, with the scheme being a government programme that provides funding for international opportunities in education.

However, the team and sports department had to get creative to raise further funds to supplement the trip. They received a very generous donation of £5,000 from Greenmount Projects, who also sourced a signed England Rugby League shirt, which will be gifted to the Jamaican RFL. A1 joinery also donated £500 for their kit bags.

The team also raised £1,800 through a sponsored Christmas run from Leigh College to Wigan’s Parsons Walk campus.

Shaun Wane was also on hand to help out with the prize draw for a raffle which also helped raise £1,000 towards the trip with corporate tickets for Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors among the prizes.