The Royal Air Force (RAF) will be flying into Jamaica on a 10-day tour from January 7-16 to promote a rugby league in Jamaican communities.

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaican Rugby League Association (JRLA) will be hosting the RAF for this ground-breaking tour to Jamaica, renowned for its depth of sporting talent, but very new to the sport of rugby.

The RAF team were invited following a chance meeting with a delegation from the JRLA during a visit to the United Kingdom, organised by the Leeds Rugby Foundation to help build relationships between the Leeds and West Indian communities.

The chairman of RAF Rugby League, Wing Commander Dean Andrew, said: "We were inspired by the infectious enthusiasm of the JRLA, and the RAF wanted to play a part in supporting the JDF community relations programme by engaging underprivileged youngsters in rugby league and discouraging them from drugs and crime."

As well as participating in numerous community development sessions and training referees with members of the Rugby Football League Development Department, the RAF will play an inaugural Test match against the JDF on Thursday, January 10, and a select Jamaican national side on Sunday, January 13. Both games are open to the public and will kick off at 3:00 p.m. at Up Park Camp, St. Andrew.

Since its start over 10 years ago, the RAF has been a true missionary in promoting the RAF and rugby league with overseas tours to New Zealand and Russia, hosting the finals of the U.K. Carnegie Champion Schools tournament (the largest rugby league tournament in the world), as well as being the current inter-service champions.