Call it out! | RFL joins Cumbria’s Rugby League teams in drive to tackle violence against women and girls
Rugby teams across Cumbria are being encouraged to take part in a social media competition to raise awareness of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The competition was developed by local charity Cumbria Family Support, who support families with children through difficult times, and funded by the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) through the Property Fund. The competition is being supported by Cumbria Police.
Teams, of all levels, are being encouraged to post a picture online of their players standing shoulder-to-shoulder and state they are calling out violence against women and girls. They should also use the hashtag #CallItOut.
‘Call it out’ is the title of Cumbria Police’s ongoing campaign and initiative to raise awareness of the issue of violence against women and girls. Partners are aiming to harness the positive power and appeal of the sport at all levels to get across this vital message in a social media competition to raise awareness of the issue.
The winning team will receive a new kit, funded by the OPFCC’s Property Fund, for the following season with the slogan branded it on it. The idea is they will carry the message to the wider sporting world and public as they play.
Cumbria’s Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Mike Johnson, said: “Violence against anyone is unacceptable but women and girls are overwhelmingly more likely to have to deal with some form of abuse at the hands of men – whether it is physical or not.
“This competition is a great opportunity for rugby teams to get involved in the support of women and girls and use their platforms to call out their male fans, friends and family members who may be acting inappropriately with women that, if not stopped, could lead to violence.
“As men, we can have a lot of influence of our peers and highlighting when a friend, family member or even a stranger is acting inappropriately or in an intimidating manner towards women may have more impact that we think.
“I would wholly encourage every rugby team to take part in this competition – not only will you be speaking out against violence against women and girls but the winner will also receive a new team kit paid for by the OPFCC’s Property Fund.”
RFL Safeguarding Manager, Kerry Simmons, adds: “We are passionate about safeguarding at the RFL, and want women and girls to feel safe in our sport. I am delighted to be able to support such an important campaign – one that aims to challenge attitudes and change the kinds of behaviours that women and girls should never have to put up with.
“I am pleased too that Rugby League clubs in Cumbria are also backing this campaign. They are very much at the heart of their local communities and are therefore well placed to make a positive social impact.”
Any concerns within Rugby League can be reported via
About the competition
To enter the competition, clubs should simply post a picture of their team standing shoulder-to-shoulder, on Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #CallitOut and a sentence supporting the stand against violence against women and girls.
What is VAWG – and what is being done about it?
The term Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) refers to acts of violence or abuse that we know disproportionately affect women and girls.
Crimes and behaviour covered by this term include rape and other sexual offences, domestic abuse, stalking, ‘honour’-based abuse - as well as many others, including offences committed online.
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