VICTORIA Park has been given a £600,000 funding boost ahead of next year's Rugby League World Cup.

Tournament organisers have marked one year to go until the double-header final of the men's and women's tournament at Old Trafford by announcing three new funding projects.

The bew CreatedBy schemes sees RLWC2021 invest in facilities and equipment dedicated to improving the environments where rugby league takes place.

Victoria Park ARLFC will get £600,000 investment for the creation of a new 3G pitch.

The money will transform the club into a community hub for the development and growth of rugby league in the borough.

A spokesman for the World Cup said: "The club has fantastic community backing and is in partnership with Warrington Borough Council and supported by Warrington Wolves Foundation.

"The grant is to be used to help grow Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL), Learning Disability Rugby League (LDRL) and women’s and girls’ Rugby League. The site will also be the home of all fixtures for the PDRL World Cup, apart from the final, in 2021."

Andy Carter, MP for Warrington South said:“This is a very exciting milestone for rugby league in Warrington, particularly as we have the World Cup just around the corner next year.

"The £600,000 investment into Victoria Park will transform the area, providing better training facilities and pitches, but also providing a local community hub to support various activities, with many being spearheaded by the brilliant Warrington Wolves Foundation. I’m looking forward to visiting the project once complete and meeting with some of the players, it can’t come soon enough."

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, said: “With exactly a year to go until our finals at Old Trafford our social impact programme is really making a difference. To achieve £10million worth of new projects that will leave a long-lasting legacy in community rugby league is fantastic. As a tournament with a purpose we are dedicated to using the next twelve months to continue this much needed investment programme through the pledge that UK Government have made to the tournament.

“The three latest projects are a celebration of partners working together for the greater good and I would like to place on record my thanks to Warrington Council who have worked tirelessly to find the match funding to enable the projects to become a reality.

“We are confident that these new developments will become an essential part of their respective communities, offering future generations of the rugby league family a place to develop, while also having a positive impact on the larger community. Rugby League World Cup 2021 would like to wish all the projects and clubs the very best of success and we look forward to seeing the finished outcomes.”