Michael Lawrence to be part of RFL’s inclusion board

The 30-year-old forward, who was Super League’s top tackler in 2020, will sit on the Rugby Football League’s inclusion board which was launched on Tuesday as part of the governing body’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and anti-discrimination.

The board will meet four times a year and members, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds such as education, media, business and retail, will serve two-year terms, after which they will be eligible for reappointment.

Other members include media consultant Aaqil Ahmed, education programme manager Aisha Suleiman and former Rugby AM presenter Alex Simmons.

RFL chair Simon Johnson said: “Through TACKLE IT the whole game has made a commitment to meet discrimination head on and break down any barriers to involvement in rugby league.

“I’ve been asked ‘what does success look like?’. It is a game that is fully representative of its communities and where we make the most of the immense talent, passion, skills and experience which exists.

“This work complements, and accelerates, our work on the gender balance in our sport and LGBQT and disability inclusion.”