Bridge court case: No date given for ruling

Judgement has been reserved in a challenge against funding body Sport England's refusal to recognise the card game bridge as a sport.

Mr Justice Dove gave no indication when he would give his ruling at the end of the High Court hearing.

The English Bridge Union wants the game to be classed as a sport and argues it has health benefits for the mind.

Phil Smith, head of Sport England, said it had to promote fitness and bridge "isn't getting the nation any fitter".

The English Bridge Union (EBU), which has 55,000 members, claimed in court the ordinary and natural meaning of "sport" in the 1996 Royal Charter, external which established Sport England was sufficiently broad so as to not necessarily require physical activity.

Alex Peebles, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represented the EBU, said after the hearing: "Bridge can benefit the mind and as the court heard it is a sport available to older people, which can provide a sense of community and inclusion.

"A change in the legal status of bridge will help the English Bridge Union to access the essential support network they need to continue growing and attracting new players."

But Sport England has argued bridge is no more of a sporting activity than "sitting at home, reading a book".

Bridge is played by four players who form two partnerships. It uses a standard 52-card deck and involves bets being made on the number of tricks each side will win.

Sport England distributes government and National Lottery funding, so reclassification would make clubs eligible for grants and could help boost participation.

The Royal Courts of Justice will not decide if bridge is a sport - only whether it was reasonable for Sport England to have ruled it was not.