No sport is more connected with the town of St Helens than rugby.
The town is home to the most successful side in rugby league history, St Helens RLFC- affectionately referred to as Saints. It comes as no surprise then, that the St Helens was seen as the perfect candidate to host part of the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
The tournament got underway in Newcastle on October 15, concluding on November 19 in Australia. Saints' stadium was chosen to host three games.
READ MORE: Pride and progress as the world comes to town that 'had to fend for itself'
The World Cup brought in fans and players from all over the world to St Helens, giving the town an opportunity to showcase itself on the big stage. Rugby fans in the town spoke to the ECHO ahead of the World Cup, in September.
Season ticket holder David Hankinson said: "I think the World Cup will be a massive boost for the town. I think the fact that it was delayed a year is no bad thing, last year was the wrong timing - people were still getting over the pandemic, so I think it’s the right timing. The World Cup can only be a good thing for the town. I can’t see any bad coming out of it whatsoever."
David added: "Rugby League is all that St Helens has been left with. It’s had to fend for itself. Saints doing so well is a point of pride for the town. If we got relegated or anything like that, I think there wouldn’t be anything left in St Helens - it would be a dying town."
Rugby has always been vital to the town, since Saints' creation in 1873- making the club among the oldest in the world- as well as one of the most successful. Week on week, the matches bring in people from across the north west- vitally boosting the economy when so much of the town centre has been struggling.
Councillor Anthony Burns, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage, said: “For us, being part of the Rugby League World Cup was always going to be a lot more than just hosting three fantastic matches at Saints - we really wanted was a leave a legacy and a lasting impression which has certainly come to fruition.
“From the get-go, a lot of work has gone into really maximising the opportunities of being involved in one of the biggest sporting events in the world and welcoming people from all over the world to our borough. From dressing up St Helens town centre and other areas of the borough; the immense effort that’s gone into education - including schools adopting a participating nation; learning about different cultures; our school meals service introducing a themed menu – to facilitating 27 player visits to primary schools in one afternoon.
“Then there’s the significant amount of funding that has gone into growing the grassroots game. After going down to visit a number of clubs who have benefited from our grants, I’ve been blown away by the transformations and what it means to those associated with the clubs, many of whom give up many hours of their time a week to volunteer.
"By Investing this money, we pledged to support local rugby league teams to help improve the facilities and hopefully influence the next generation of rugby league stars in a borough where rugby is more than just a game - it's a way of life."
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