Over 1,000 kids attend RLWC match for free
Over 1,000 children received free tickets for the Rugby World Cup warm-up game between Cumbria Rugby League and Rugby World Cup entrants, Jamaica at Derwent Park, Workington on Friday 7 October.
To provide local children with the opportunity to take part in the event, Allerdale Borough Council gave a grant of £5,000 to Workington Town Rugby League Club to fund free tickets for kids to the match.
The tickets were distributed to local sports teams, community clubs and local schools prior to the event, but were also made available to children on the night.
The total number of tickets provided to local children was 1,066.
The total overall attendance of the match was 3,178.
Leader of Allerdale Borough Council, Councillor Mike Johnson, said: “It’s fantastic to hear how brilliant the turnout for Friday night’s game was at Derwent Park, and I’m also delighted to hear that over 1,000 children benefited from the free tickets initiative.
“For some of the youngsters, the match will have been their first taste of international rugby league in the county, and fans came to enjoy the event from all over Cumbria and beyond – so it’s a real added bonus that the Cumbria team got the win on the night!”
Director of Workington Town, Graeme Peers, said: “The whole of Cumbria got behind the game with ticket sale locations proving strong outside Allerdale too. As hosts, it was a Friday night under lights to remember and a positive outcome to what has been a difficult period for everyone at the club.
“We would like to thank Whitehaven RLFC and Barrow Raiders for their support in an organisational capacity and through coordinated social media campaigns alongside our media team that helped bring the game into the public eye.”
“The sport of Rugby League and Workington Town proved we can flourish when given the opportunity and we'd like to thank Allerdale Borough Council, our staff and volunteers who ensured the game was a huge success. Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone connected to Jamaica Rugby League for their conduct and company whilst being our guests, a superb group of people who will be forever welcome in our Town, Borough, and County.”