The event marked the end of a hugely exciting and memorable tournament and the beginning of a wave of new enthusiasm for the game that’s inspiring young people across Bolton to take up the sport.
The competition arrived at the UniBol Stadium on October 22 last year, when England beat France 42-18 in front of a crowd of almost 24,000 supporters.
These supporters were treated to a spectacle with one of the tries of the tournament, when Dom Young sprinted the length of the pitch to score in front of the South Stand.
But success came off the pitch too, as enthusiasm for the sport skyrocketed.
Some of the beneficiaries were Bolton School, University of Bolton, Horwich Leisure Centre and The Last Drop, all of which hosted ‘Les Bleus’ over the course of the competition.
But one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tournament was Westhoughton Lions, which received a grant of almost £300,000 for a new clubhouse at its home on Cunningham Road.
It was at this new clubhouse Rugby League World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton, Bolton Council chief executive Sue Johnson, Bolton Wanderers chief executive Neil Hart and other stakeholders met this week to celebrate the legacy of the “biggest, best and most inclusive Rugby League World Cup ever”.
Afterwards, Ms Johnson said: “Today was a fantastic opportunity to look back on our Rugby League World Cup experience. Being here at Westhoughton Lions’ new clubhouse is clear evidence of the legacy of the tournament in Bolton and the benefits of hosting high-profile sporting events in our town.”
Mr Dutton added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to come back to Bolton today. The new facilities created here in Westhoughton through our ground-breaking social impact programme are the real legacy of the Rugby League World Cup and will be an amazing resource for generations to come.”
Westhoughton Lions have 200 junior members and an ambition to attract more.
For information on the club, follow them on Facebook (@westhoughtonlions).
This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.
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