Paul Waugh – 2025 Parliamentary Question on Rugby League

The parliamentary question asked by Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, in the House of Commons on 3 April 2025.

Paul Waugh (Rochdale) (Lab/Co-op)

What steps her Department is taking to help promote rugby league.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)

Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work that rugby league clubs do across the country and to my own team, Wigan Warriors, who absolutely smashed Warrington Wolves in Las Vegas last month.

Mr Speaker

Are you still in the cup, by the way? [Laughter.]

Lisa Nandy

No comment. Rugby league clubs are at the heart of many communities, including my hon. Friend’s in Rochdale. I was delighted that, in the last financial year, Sport England awarded over £30,000 to his constituency to support grassroots rugby league.

Paul Waugh

Rochdale Hornets have had a winning start to their league season—a spicy performance no doubt linked to our new partnership with Nando’s restaurants. Mr Speaker, if you get a Rochdale Hornets season ticket, you can get 20% off in Rochdale Nando’s. Ours is a true community club with the work off the pitch as important as the results on it. Does the Secretary of State agree that we should be promoting rugby league as not just great entertainment, but a brilliant way to help our nation’s mental and physical health?

Lisa Nandy

I could not agree more. Rugby league clubs have the ability to reach where others cannot. This week, I was delighted to convene a roundtable with the Prime Minister to discuss the issues raised by the TV series “Adolescence”, and in particular the impact of mental health and isolation on young men. We are working with rugby league clubs to see what more we can do to support young men’s mental health in coalfield communities. I will be in a position to announce more to the House shortly.