The English Bridge Union (EBU) has decided to take legal action against Sport England after they were denied recognition as a sport.
The High Court will now be forced to rule on the matter after Judge Mr Justice Mostyn allowed the appeal, saying: “You are doing more physical activity playing bridge, with all that dealing and playing, than in rifle shooting.”
A spokesman for the EBU said: “When ruling on what constituted a sport in the 2011 Charities Act, parliament specifically included ‘mind sports’, stating that sport comprised ‘activities which promote health involving physical or mental skill or exertion’.”
Official recognition would improve funding into developing the grow of the card game as well as giving British bridge players a better chance to compete internationally.
Needless to say, people on Twitter seemed to agree with Sport England’s decision…
Bridge players on Radio 4 saying it's sport, because you have to concentrate for long time. Which means watching West Wing boxset is sport.
— Dan Thompson (@artistsmakers) September 22, 2015
To be honest, musical chairs is closer to the definition of 'sport' than bridge. And just as competitive
— Catherine Collins 💙 (@RD_Catherine) September 22, 2015
https://twitter.com/TheEastAnglian/status/646292399015219200
https://twitter.com/Vintage_82/status/646293792551763968
Any sport where you can smoke while you're playing is not a sport #bridge
— DB (@dacy_essex) September 22, 2015
