NRL League Stars will be coming to the Hawkesbury next month, with the program encouraging kids to be active and play a team sport.
NRL League Stars teaches participants a small format version of the game with no contact. The website says the program is "appealing to the true nature of kids, in all their messy, high energy, love of fun and play".
"The program is suitable for all abilities with the focus on practicing fundamental movement skills and having a blast with friends."
League Stars is run before and after school for primary school kids, for a period of four-six weeks.
Game Development Officer for NRL from the Penrith Area, Dean Jones, will be bringing the program to the area and said that it is designed to attract kids to the sport. "They have the opportunity to become a League Star," he said.
"League Stars is for non-league players ... it is about getting kids who would normally not play the sport to play; or introducing them to a non-contact and more fun environment to learn the sport.
"It teaches them that all of rugby is not just the rough and tough league they're used to seeing.
"They learn what it's like to be a part of a team, that they have fun and to get active, where they usually wouldn't."
Dean will be bringing the program to Glossodia Public School and Wilberforce Public School in March.
"We will be there for six weeks," he said. "It will be good for the kids because we will be travelling to the schools to do it.
"We will be in their backyards ... they don't have to travel anywhere and can just come out of class and join in.
"The program is small games that teach kids the skills of rugby league without them really knowing that they are learning or using those skills.
"They are mainly just getting active and playing in a team sport.
"We often see kids who participate in League Stars go on to play rugby league.
"They learn what it is like to play in a team sport from an early age which will hopefully help them in any sport they choose to go on to play.
"In the program there is no tackling, absolutely no contact, no competitiveness and it teaches the basics of the sport in various small and fun games.
"Joining League Stars is good since it doesn't require the kids to commit to a full season of footy, like they would otherwise have to.
"Here they can learn the sport and decide if they like it and would like to continue it, rather than be forced into playing and being driven from the sport because they weren't ready for what the rugby involves.
"I really like to see kids who aren't usually active coming to the session and getting involved in it ... getting active and being a part of a team."
League Stars has plans for a larger session in May and June, that will involve five schools and is to be held at Windsor Sporting Complex.
NRL League Stars will be at Glossodia Public School on Thursdays from 3.40pm, from March 5 to April 9.
It will also run at Wilberforce Public School on Tuesdays, beginning on March 3 and wrapping up on April 7.
There will be six sessions at each school, for five to 12-year-olds, and will cost $75 per child.