Education secretary to hold summit to get more children into team exercise in wake of plummeting numbers

Record numbers of children are severely obese when they reach primary school

Education secretary Damian Hinds (PA)

Education secretary Damian Hinds will hold a summit national football and rugby associations before launching a new drive to encourage more children to take part in school sports.

In the wake of falling numbers of 5 to 10-year-olds playing competitive sports, Mr Hinds will launch an action plan to boost participation among primary school pupils.

Record numbers of children are severely obese when they arrive at secondary school, leaving tens of thousands of pupils at risk of a lifetime of health problems, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

It comes as Theresa May threw her weight behind calls for the UK and Ireland to bid to host the 2030 football World Cup, saying the government would give its "full support" if football authorities decide to push ahead.

The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland are collectively considering whether to enter a formal application and are carrying out preparatory work on how a jointly-hosted tournament might work.

Mr Hinds will join forces with sports minister Tracey Crouch to challenge the Premier League, the FA and the RFU to increase the number of schools involved in their high level national competitions.

Speaking ahead of Tory party conference, Mr Hinds said : “Whilst we have done a lot to support schools to deliver sport – including the introduction and then doubling of the PE and Sports Premium – we need to go further to make sure that every child, whatever their background, has the opportunity to explore different kinds of sport and take part in competition in the one – or the many – that they enjoy.

“Competitive sport also plays an important part in growing up. Learning to win humbly and pick yourself up again after a loss are useful life lessons.

"By coming together and striving for a goal, children learn key skills like teamwork and resilience.

"These are character traits that will serve them well in later life, with businesses often talking to me about the ‘soft skills’ they look for in employees."

Thousands of activists will descend on Birmingham for the annual Tory conference on Sunday, which is likely to be dominated by rows over Brexit and the direction of the party.