Women and girls, ethnic minorities and older adults will be encouraged to take part in rugby league as part of a new Sport England-funded participation initiative.

The grassroots sports quango has provided a £566,248 (US$801,506, €711,799) grant to launch the Local Rugby League Development Projects, designed to grow the game among non-traditional demographics.

Overseen by the charity Rugby League Cares and the Rugby Football League, the projects will be delivered across Cumbria, Coventry, Hull, London, Newcastle, Leeds, Bradford and Kirklees.

The aim is to grow the participation base of individuals and communities who have not traditionally participated in the sport over a 12-month period. Thousands of participations are expected to take part in various forms of the game – full contact, touch, tag and walking – to discover which one is right for them.

Rugby League Cares will monitor and evaluate each area throughout the year in order to gain insight into how people are connecting with the game.