Sport in Bolton is flourishing at a time where it is putting the town on the map for the sporting events it holds including the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

Not everyone can turn sport into a career, but Bolton has its fair share of athletes from the now retired boxer Amir Khan, Olympic gold medallist Sir Jason Kenny and not forgetting Wanderers legend Nat Lofthouse.

The older athletes have inspired a legion of young hopefuls looking to take up their mantles as well as plunging the town into an era of sport never seen before.

Wanderers are sailing high in League One after being promoted last season, paving the way for other sportsmen and women from the town to be successful.

As The University of Bolton Stadium gets ready to host the England vs France game in the Rugby League World Cup on Saturday, October 22, it is safe to say that the town's sport scene is thriving.

While at a launch event to welcome the rugby teams to Bolton, Paralympian and gold medallist for wheelchair rugby, Ayaz Bhuta said: “I was privileged to meet some successful and aspiring sporting stars from Bolton at the launch event which just shows what a great sporting town we are.

“To see how excited the school children were on the day about rugby was really endearing and the impact it has already had on them was amazing, they also asked some fantastic questions regarding disability sport.

“I hope we as a town can attract many more sporting events in the future to keep on inspiring and creating sporting stars.”

Ayaz won gold with his team at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 and since then has been working to promote the sport and inspire young people to realise that nothing can stand in their way to making a career in sport.

Kiera Byland, from Westhoughton, has six gold medals from the Special Olympics and is also involved in swimming and horse riding.

The 24-year-old is another example of how sport in Bolton is so big that anyone who talks about the town doesn’t fail to mention the sporting heroes attached to it.

Kiera was awarded a British Empire Medal and was on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and has proved that even with a learning disability, nothing is a barrier to success.

She said: “Bolton is thriving because it starts in grass roots and grass roots are in schools and local clubs.

“Without local clubs and schools, Bolton couldn’t have been as successful and inclusive as we are now and will continue to do in the future.”

There is something for everyone in Bolton to be able to find what sport they can be passionate aout, with the likes of Amir Khan having a massive influence in the UK’s boxing scene in general.

But Amir has also worked in his hometown, opening the Amir Khan Academy and recently working with a new project Round4Round x Amir Khan Academy that seeks to educate young people on crime, getting them off the streets and into the gym.

This has also provided an opportunity for more girls to step into the ring with Sannah Adam, a boxing coach from Astley Bridge who has broken the stereotypes of young South Asian girls donning boxing gloves.

Amir’s own cousin, Abdul Khan, is also fresh on the scene and already at seven wins from seven professional fights with no look to slowing down and is fast becoming one of Bolton’s most popular athletes.

And there’s a whole host of other boxers in Bolton including super middleweight champion Jack Cullen, aka Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver, and not forgetting famous coach Joe Gallagher is based in Bolton at the Amir Khan Academy with newly crowned world champion Mark Heffron.

Recently at Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games, Bolton found itself in the headlines again when wrestler George Ramm won a medal.

But it isn’t just athletes in Bolton doing well, as even celebrities like Vernon Kay and Paddy McGuinness are showing their support for sport.

With Vernon now a host for Formula E – the world’s first fully electric car racing series, and Paddy at the helm of Top Gear, Bolton has so much more to shout about.

Vernon himself was at the rugby teams welcome launch and said: “If we can show as much support as possible then I think the development of the game and for Boltonians showing their support, it’s important.

“Sport is doing really well in Bolton, and we can see that because even at one event there’s so many successful athletes.”

Vernon urged people in Bolton to get their tickets for the match if they hadn’t already, as it wasn’t one to be missed and if they couldn’t get concessions, he jokingly said, ‘blag it.’

England V France takes place on the weekend on October 22.