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Wheelchair Rugby League Pioneer Stephen Jones Honoured for The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday

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A pioneering wheelchair rugby league coach from Wrexham is one of seven sporting 'Game Changers' honoured in a heartfelt poem unveiled across four iconic UK venues as part of The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday celebrations. 

Stephen Jones, Head Coach and Chairman of North Wales Wheelchair Rugby League & Disability Sports Club, is celebrated in one of seven verses that together form a powerful tribute crafted by world-renowned Scottish contemporary artist and poet Robert Montgomery. Each verse, honouring a different 'Game Changer', has been unveiled at a significant sporting location across the UK.

The verse recognising Jones's groundbreaking efforts to make wheelchair rugby league more accessible was revealed at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. This iconic venue is a fitting location, given its own remarkable National Lottery legacy. Built with a record-breaking £46.3 million National Lottery grant - the largest single grant ever awarded to a Welsh project - the Principality Stadium has become a symbol of Welsh sporting pride and has hosted major rugby league events, including the opening ceremonies of both the 2000 and 2013 Rugby League World Cups.

Jones's journey from player to community leader is truly inspiring. Since founding his club in April 2013, he has transformed wheelchair rugby league in North Wales, making it accessible to people of all abilities. Under his guidance, the club has nurtured 16 international players and become a vital community hub, even expanding during the challenges of the pandemic.

One touching example of the club's impact is the story of Ted, who joined at 13. Initially terrified of using a wheelchair due to his cerebral palsy, Ted has since blossomed into a Welsh international player - a testament to Jones's passionate belief in the power of disability sports. 

National Lottery funding has been crucial to this success, providing essential equipment like sports wheelchairs. The club now boasts three teams competing in various leagues - a UK first - and has seen remarkable membership growth.

Stephen Jones said: “I fell in love with wheelchair rugby league purely because it's so diverse. Anyone can play. It's totally inclusive at the moment. We've got an 11-year-old and a 70-year-old. We've got a trans player, we've got amputees, we've got people like my son, who has epilepsy. I'm so passionate that we need sports for disabled people and with the help of National Lottery funding we’ve been able to move the dial on that significantly.”

I'm so passionate that we need sports for disabled people and with the help of National Lottery funding we’ve been able to move the dial on that significantly.
Stephen Jones, North Wales Wheelchair Rugby League & Disability Sports Club
The Principality Stadium with a banner installation featuring a verse from a poem

The unveiling of the complete poem across these venues was brought to life through a stirring recital by Clare Balding, one of Britain's most beloved sports broadcasters. 

Listen to Clare Balding’s recital.

Balding's involvement not only celebrates these Game Changers but also spotlights the thousands of sporting projects nationwide that have flourished with National Lottery support, distributed through organisations like UK Sport, Sport England, Sport Northern Ireland, sportscotland, and Sport Wales.

Clare Balding said: “Sport is about so much more than winning a gold medal, it’s about the impact it has on our lives. That’s why I’m honoured to be a part of championing these seven outstanding people who have truly changed the game in their sports and communities. Sport unites people across borders, bridges divides, and ignites the human spirit, reminding us that through perseverance, teamwork, and passion, we can achieve greatness beyond the limits we once believed impossible. 

“The Game Changers exemplify the transformative power of sport – and the role The National Lottery has played in making their achievements possible has been vital. The Principality Stadium in Wales has played host to some of the greatest sporting achievements we have seen over the last 30 years and is therefore a natural home for part of the poem to be displayed.”

Sport is about so much more than winning a gold medal, it’s about the impact it has on our lives.
Clare Balding

Brian Davies OBE, Chief Executive, Sport Wales, added: ""Stephen Jones is an inspirational game changer within rugby league in Wales and we congratulate him on this honour. Stephen and the rest of the Game Changers epitomise the power of sport and we are proud to honour their remarkable achievements, so beautifully reflected in Robert Montgomery's poem."

The seven sport Game Changers announced were selected as examples of dedicated, inspiring, high achieving individuals who have had a transformative impact on their sport, and a transformative impact on their wider communities and society. 

For 30 years, money raised by National Lottery players has helped create extraordinary sporting moments that have inspired the nation and helped to transform lives and communities through physical activity and the power of sport.

For the last 30 years no one has done more to change the game in the UK than National Lottery players. But we are just getting started, could National Lottery funding make you the next Game Changer in your community? 

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