High Court judge to decide over status of bridge
Tuesday 22 September 2015 13:40, UK
A High Court judge has been asked to get involved in the argument about whether the card game bridge is a sport or a game.
Mr Justice Dove will hear arguments about the issue at a High Court hearing in London over the next two days.
The Royal Courts of Justice will not be asked to decide if bridge is a sport - only if it was reasonable for Sport England to have ruled it was not.
At the heart of the row is a question of money.
If bridge is deemed to be a sport, then it will be eligible for a number of grants and competitions exempt from VAT payment with bridge clubs potentially being eligible to receive payments from Sport England and the National Lottery.
The English Bridge Union (EBU) brought the action after Sport England said it would not agree that the card game was a sport.
An EBU spokesman said: "Sport England refused to recognise bridge as a sport, a position which the EBU believes to be inconsistent with both the wishes of Parliament, and the opinion of significant international sporting organisations.
"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'."
The spokesman said bridge required "undoubted levels of mental skill" and had "known health benefits" and that reclassifying it would improve opportunities to play.
The EBU does have some supporters in its corner, with the 2011 Charities Act saying sports are activities "which promote health involving physical or mental skill or exertion".
The EBU says the card game is as much a sport as snooker or darts, while others believe it is more like "reading a book".
Famous bridge players include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, billionaire Warren Buffett and all the members of rock band Radiohead.
The World Bridge Federation records that in 1995 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) admitted the federation as part of the Olympic Movement, awarding it the status of a Recognised Sport Organisation.
And the judge who decided there was a case to answer, Mr Justice Mostyn - himself a bridge player - was quoted in saying in his ruling: "You are doing more physical activity playing bridge, with all that dealing and playing, than in rifle shooting."
