April 22nd, 2025 marks the 55th anniversary of World Earth Day - a moment to reflect on our collective responsibility to protect and preserve the environment.
On this significant day, the RFL is proud to reaffirm its commitment to sustainability and acknowledge the environmental impact of its operations, both on and off the field.
World Earth Day provides an important opportunity to evaluate how we can continue to do better. At the RFL, we take this opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the steps we must continue to take in our sustainability journey.
The theme for Earth Day 2025 ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ highlights the power of renewable energy in shaping a cleaner future.
From reducing greenhouse gas emissions to making renewable technologies like solar panels more affordable, these advancements are critical. The RFL is proud to be part of this movement by fulfilling initiatives, such as:
- A new partnership with clean energy provider, Egg, which promotes sustainable practices across the sport
- The development of a Carbon Reduction Plan over the next 12 months, aligned with the UN Sport for Climate Action and the Sport for Nature Frameworks
- A long-term commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2040
- Collaborating with partners such as Sky Sports, Egg, Northern, and BASIS to implement effective and scalable sustainability solutions
Furthermore, in 2025, the RFL proudly launched the ‘More Than a Sport’ sustainability strategy, a framework outlining how Rugby League will embed sustainability into the heart of the sport. This strategy includes time-bound goals and clear expectations, underpinned by two core principles:
- Communities
- Collaboration
- Conversation
- Communication
These values closely align with World Earth Day’s mission: environmental action is most impactful when it’s collaborative.
Sustainability is a shared responsibility, and we are committed to playing our part.
Sport England’s Chairman, Chris Boardman has called for a ‘fundamental shift’ required to make sports, a ‘solution multiplier’ to tackle the threat of climate change. As major partners of Sport England, we are now required to have an environmental sustainability strategy in place before 2027. Buddle has released a video on how you can support biodiversity and physical activity: Biodiversity and physical activity | Buddle
Learn more about the RFL's Sustainability Project 2025 here.
