Building a healthier Yorkshire: Leeds Rhinos announce Nuffield Health as its official health and wellbeing partner

With recent research from Nuffield Health unveiling significant barriers to exercise for those living in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, the new partnership with Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Rhinos Foundation aims to inspire and motivate people of all ages to prioritise their health and wellbeing through the power of sport and positive role models.

The healthcare Charity’s Healthier Nation Index – a survey of 8,000 UK adults – revealed that 64% of people in Yorkshire state that a lack of motivation is the key barrier to exercise, whilst almost half of people (48%) say it is the cost. 

62% of those surveyed from the Yorkshire area also reported a lack of time due to work being a barrier to being physically active. Alongside this, 3 in 10 (30%) also state how they find it hard to motivate themselves to exercise in general.

To tackle these statistics, a key focus for the partnership will be working together through community-based projects to reach those with unmet health needs to identify and address health inequalities in the region. The partnership will build on the Rhinos’ groundbreaking work through the Women’s Rugby League and Netball teams and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s initiatives which currently engage over 100,000 people. 

The partnership follows existing work from Leeds Rhinos and Nuffield Health who, together alongside other local organisations, celebrated the launch of Nuffield Health’s Move Together initiative in August 2023. The free programme aims to get 11–16-year-old girls from Yorkshire, and across the nation, moving and more physically active. The Move Together programme is available across the nation all year round and aims to tackle the barriers that young girls face when it comes to exercise and fitness.

Leeds Rhinos Commercial Director Rob Oates commented: “We are delighted to welcome Nuffield Health into our family of partners. At Leeds Rhinos we recognise the importance of health and wellbeing, especially when it comes to our supporters. 

“The Leeds Rhinos Foundation already do an outstanding job with a number of programmes they deliver, using the power of the sport to benefit our community. This partnership perfectly dovetails with that award winning work and allows Leeds Rhinos to do even more. 

“As well as discounted memberships, we will be working with Nuffield Health to provide free health and wellbeing support to our fans both here at AMT Headingley and also in the community and at the many Nuffield Health centres across our region. I am sure this will be just the start of a great partnership.”

James Murray, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at Nuffield Health said: 

“To achieve our goal to build a healthier nation, we know how important it is to work with local partners to reach communities up and down the country. We are very proud to be working with Leeds Rhinos and hope our support of Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s ambitious set of community programmes will provide opportunities and motivate people in Yorkshire to improve their health and wellbeing.”

Liam Wattam, Multi-Site General Manager at Nuffield Health Leeds and Wakefield Fitness and Wellbeing Centres added, 

“As someone who has grown up in Yorkshire, it’s fantastic to be working alongside Leeds Rhinos to be able to further the impact they are having on the health and wellbeing of the community. We’ve found that a lack of motivation, time constraints and costs are some of the key barriers to fitness in the Yorkshire area and are excited to be working in partnership at a local level to tackle these.”

With more than 65 years’ experience and an industry-leading network of health and wellbeing facilities, Nuffield Health offers a full breadth of services, from physical and mental health, hospital treatments and clinical care through to rehabilitation and general wellbeing. Leeds Rhino’s teams rely on experts on and off the pitch to perform at their best, and Nuffield Health similarly understands that everyone’s health and wellbeing needs the right support.

Last updated Friday 16 February 2024

First published on Friday 16 February 2024