Rugby League Cares

What Rugby League Cares does

Rugby League Cares is the official charity of Rugby League in England and an independent registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1150763), headquartered in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and founded in 2013 on a base that traces back to the 2005 Rugby League Benevolent Fund. The organisation operates four programme pillars — Community, the Seriously Injured Players Fund (rebranded 2026 from the Benevolent Fund), Wellbeing and Brain Health, and Fundraising — delivered through a 23-person team. Its core services include the Offload mental fitness programme for men aged 16+, the Ahead of the Game youth mental health workshops delivered with Movember, Brain Health Clinics run jointly with Dementia UK Admiral Nurses, the Brain Health Fund focused on memory loss and cognitive impairment in retired players, the Men's Mental Fitness Programme delivered with Blackburn with Darwen Council, the Dual Career education grant programme, and the Reduce Reoffending Programme run with the Oceania Rugby League Group in prisons and schools. Rugby League Cares also delivers RL Cares for NHS, a workplace wellbeing service for NHS staff in North West England trusts (Warrington, Widnes, St Helens).

The organisation distributes programmes through partnerships with the Rugby Football League (RFL), Rugby League Commercial, Super League club foundations (Castleford Tigers, York RLFC, Leeds Rhinos, Doncaster RLFC), local authorities, NHS Trusts, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is in-person, by former professional players and clinicians, supplemented by virtual brain health clinics and a website-based news and membership funnel. Revenue is generated through individual donations (including a dedicated Brain Health Fund JustGiving page), a recurring RLCares Membership direct-debit scheme, branded merchandise via Elite Pro Sports, corporate sponsorship across more than ten named partners (Bartlett Group, Pickups Self-Storage, Oxen Sports, Caffe Nero, Mattioli Woods, Howorth Air Tech, etc.), and government and charitable grants. Annual fundraising events include the President's Ball (~£50,000 raised in 2026), the Ciclo Italiano cycling challenge (>£30,000 raised in 2026), golf days, marathon runners, and lottery/prize draws. The 2026 RL Cares Charity Round across Betfred Super League, Women's Super League, Championship, and 1895 Cup Final marks a new sport-wide matchday fundraising vehicle supporting the Seriously Injured Players Fund.

Name

Rugby League Cares

Legal name

Rugby League Cares

Website

https://rugbyleaguecares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rugby League Cares is the official charity of Rugby League in England, delivering player welfare, mental fitness, brain health, and community programmes to current and former players, men and youth in rugby communities, and NHS staff across northern England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Player Welfare Charity

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athlete Wellness & Lifestyle Management/Concierge (Relocation, Personal Ops) (MPAKAMAK), Sports Psychology & Mental Performance Coaching (HSADAEAH)

Keywords

• Player welfare programmes
• Mental health support
• Community wellbeing
• Sports charity fundraising
• Brain health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies heavily on donations from supporters and fans, including designated funds like the Brain Health Fund. Fundraising activities include lottery/prize draws, golf days, cycling challenges (Ciclo Italiano), marathon runners, and other sporting events.
2. Membership Programme: RLCares Membership programme with monthly direct debit contributions for ongoing supporter engagement.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Rugby League Cares branded merchandise through Elite Pro Sports.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnerships with corporate sponsors for fundraising events such as Ciclo Italiano, golf days, and President's Ball.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rugby League Cares is the official charity of Rugby League in England (registered charity 1150763) delivering player welfare and community support programmes. Its core services include the Offload mental fitness programme, Ahead of the Game youth mental health workshops (with Movember), Brain Health Clinics in partnership with Dementia UK, the Seriously Injured Players Fund (rebranded from the Benevolent Fund), the Dual Career education grant programme, and community-based Men's Mental Fitness initiatives. Programmes are delivered free of charge to eligible beneficiaries and funded through donations, memberships, events, and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Rugby League Cares is an independent charity (registered in England and Wales, No. 1150763) that operates as a unified platform of player welfare and community support programmes rather than a traditional product company. The core offerings include: Offload (mental fitness programme), Ahead of the Game (youth mental health workshops with Movember), and Brain Health Clinics (dementia support with Dementia UK Admiral Nurses) which form the wellbeing pillar; the Seriously Injured Players Fund (rebranded 2026 from Rugby League Benevolent Fund) providing lifelong support for players with life-changing injuries; the Brain Health Fund for memory and cognitive impairment support; and the Men's Mental Fitness Programme for community-based mental health support. Supporting initiatives include Ciclo Italiano (annual cycling challenge), the RL Cares Charity Round (sport-wide fundraising), the Dual Career Programme (education grants), and the Reduce Reoffending Programme. These programmes work together to provide comprehensive support across player transitions, mental health, brain health, and community wellbeing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Offload: Evidence-based mental fitness programme for men, launched in 2017, delivered in community settings with current and former players sharing practical techniques for handling stress, anxiety and depression.
• Ahead of the Game
• Brain Health Fund
• Seriously Injured Players Fund

Products and services

• Offload An evidence-based, independently evaluated six-week mental fitness programme for men aged 16 and over, delivered by current and former rugby league players and coaches in community settings. Sessions cover strengths, support networks, confidence and aspirations, providing practical tools to handle stress, anxiety and depression.
• Ahead of the Game

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 40 players and families supported through Brain Health Clinics over 18 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MovembercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for Ahead of the Game mental health programme targeting boys aged 11-18. The programme extends mental health workshops into community youth centres and settings in partnership with Rugby League Foundations.
• Blackburn with Darwen CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202630-month partnership to deliver Men's Mental Fitness Programme across Blackburn with Darwen borough, including group sessions at community venues and Ahead of the Game programme for 500+ young people.
• York RLFC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership to deliver Offload mental fitness programme in York for men aged 18+ and separate programme for 16-19 year olds. Funded by York CVS through Community Mental Health Transformation Grant Programme.
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Support for Team Up Week initiative tackling isolation, loneliness and mental health issues among young men and boys. Government-backed programme with DCMS leadership.
• Steve Prescott FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership supporting seriously injured players, previously helped purchase and modify a bungalow for Luke Bryan.
• The Bartlett GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Independent financial specialists providing sponsorship for Ciclo Italiano cycling challenge and President's Ball.
• Pickups Self-StorageminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title sponsor for 2026 Ciclo Italiano cycling challenge, the main annual fundraising event.
• GBR-PriceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Yorkshire-based specialists in rail, civil engineering and construction providing shirt sponsorship for Ciclo Italiano riders.
• Oxen SportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official apparel partners designing and producing cycling jerseys for Ciclo Italiano riders.
• BOOST Energy and SportminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Energy and nutrition partner providing fuel for Ciclo Italiano riders.
• Wolf CompetitionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor supporting Ciclo Italiano.
• Vawtx LtdminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate partner powering Ciclo Italiano.
• NL CommercialminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Corporate sponsor supporting Ciclo Italiano.
• Rugby Football League (RFL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Official sport governing body partnership. RL Cares is the official charity of Rugby League, working closely with RFL on player welfare, charitable initiatives, and community programmes.
• Rugby League CommercialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint initiative partner for sport-wide Charity Round and commercial activities supporting the Seriously Injured Players Fund.
• York Centre for Voluntary Service (York CVS)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Awarded funding through Community Mental Health Transformation Grant Programme enabling Offload programme delivery in York.
• MenfulnessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026York-based men's mental health charity, match day partner for York double header. Trustee Matty Lewis serves as Player Welfare Manager with York Knights.
• British ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Memorandum of Understanding with British Army North exploring career pathways for young players and collaboration on shared values including discipline, resilience, and teamwork.
• Dementia UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership delivering Brain Health Clinics with Admiral Nurse Joe Costello providing expert dementia support to retired professional Rugby League players and their families. Clinics held monthly in various locations plus virtual appointments.
• NHS Trusts (Warrington, Widnes, St Helens)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Delivery of RL Cares for NHS wellbeing programme to NHS estate staff, providing mental health and wellbeing support to healthcare workers in North West England for over three years.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Professional Footballers' Association (PFA): Player union and welfare organisation for professional footballers in England and Wales. Operates a much larger-scale version of RL Cares' player welfare, education grants, and post-career support model, but in football.
• Alzheimer's Research UK: UK dementia research charity. Comparable to RL Cares' Brain Health Fund in funding scientific research into cognitive impairment, but at materially larger scale and across general population rather than retired athletes.
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): Leading UK charity focused on preventing male suicide. Overlaps with RL Cares' Offload and Men's Mental Fitness Programmes in targeting men's mental health stigma and isolation, but operates at a national scale across all demographics.
• Movember Foundation: Global men's health charity addressing mental health, suicide prevention, and prostate/testicular cancer. RL Cares' partner on the Ahead of the Game programme and a much larger competitor for men's mental health donations in the UK.

Direct peers

• Matt Hampson Foundation: UK charity supporting seriously injured rugby union players with rehabilitation, welfare, and education programmes. Operates an almost identical model to Rugby League Cares' Seriously Injured Players Fund and player welfare pillar, and competes for similar sport-charity donations and corporate sponsors.
• Rugby Players Association: The representative body and welfare organisation for professional rugby union players in England. Shares the player-welfare, career-transition, and education-grant focus of Rugby League Cares, although in the larger rugby union ecosystem.
• Steve Prescott Foundation: Rugby league-aligned charitable foundation supporting seriously injured players and their families. Directly overlaps with RL Cares' Seriously Injured Players Fund mandate and is a listed partnership collaborator.
• Dementia UK: UK charity providing specialist dementia support through Admiral Nurses. RL Cares' core Brain Health Clinics partner, delivering joint services to retired rugby league players; comparable in raising funds for specialist dementia nursing.
• Doddie Foundation (Doddie Weir Foundation): Charity founded by former Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir to fund research into motor neurone disease. Mirrors RL Cares' model of a retired-player-led sport charity with research, fundraising events, and high-profile awareness campaigns.
• State of Mind Sport: UK charity delivering mental health education and support within rugby league and other sports. Directly competes with and complements RL Cares' Offload and Ahead of the Game programmes in the same rugby league community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RugbyLeagueCares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rugby-league-cares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rugby League Cares