Rugby Stars Bring Christmas Joy to People We Support

Rugby League clubs St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Widnes Vikings brought festive cheer to people supported by Community Integrated Care, delivering special visits from players and mascots.

The Christmas surprises were kicked off on Wednesday, when Saints forwards Matt Whitley, Noah Stephens, Jake Wingfield and Billy Keeley visited the charity’s Shalom and Mill Point services in St Helens.

On Thursday evening, Widnes mascot Kemik the Viking brought fun and festive treats, including shirts and tickets for the club’s season opener against North Wales Crusaders, as he visited four services across Widnes and Runcorn.

The week was rounded off on Friday, when Warriors trio Tiaki Chan, Sam Eseh and Nathan Lowe connected with people supported by the charity across Wigan, at a special celebration at Hyndelle Lodge in Hindley.

These visits were all hosted by the clubs’ charitable foundations. They gave the people we support the chance to meet their Rugby League heroes, who signed autographs, posed for pictures and chatted about the season ahead and plans for Christmas.

Community Integrated Care is proudly a leading not-for-profit care provider in these towns, delivering specialist care and support to hundreds of people in the communities. The charity has a long-term relationship with each of these clubs across many programmes and experiences, including the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League, which was named Best Community Scheme in world sport at last year’s Sports Business Awards.

St Helens and England Knights star Matt Whitley said: “I was honoured when Community Integrated Care invited me and Billy down to come and spend a little bit of time with the people they support. It was great to be able to listen to some of the stories they shared about their lives and the memories they have of the town.

“It’s really good to get out into the community, especially at Christmas time. It’s something we look forward to doing again in the near future.”

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, said: “We would like to thank the Foundations and the players for sharing their time during this special period.

“It was a dream come true for many people we support, who love cheering on Wigan, St Helens and Widnes Vikings. The visits have set them up for an unforgettable Christmas.

“Community Integrated Care is proud to be Rugby League’s Official Social Care Partner. We deeply appreciate our relationship with these clubs and the impact they make – not only through experiences like this, but also through programmes like the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League.”

John added: “We’re excited to build on these successes in the years ahead and to make 2026 a real year of celebration and impact. We’d like to thank all the clubs and Foundations we work with across the game, plus the RFL and RL Commercial, for their support in 2025.”

Community Integrated Care is set to celebrate a decade of impact with Rugby League in 2026. The charity is proudly the Official Social Care Partner of the Rugby Football League, delivering a range of programmes with the governing body that tackle health, social and economic inequalities, and challenge discrimination in society.