Bridge is not a sport, the High Court has held. Ruling in R (English Bridge Union) v Sport England [2015] EWHC 2875 (Admin), Mr Justice Dove held that Sport England and other sporting bodies are legally correct in using the European Sports Charter’s definition of sport as “all forms of physical activity”. Therefore, while bridge is often referred to as a “mind sport”, it did not satisfy the requisite of physical activity.
Dove J noted in his judgment that the International Olympic Committee and some other international organisations do recognise bridge as a sport. Moreover, the Charities Act 2011 defines sport as including “mental skill or exertion”.
He stated, however, that: “The fact that the Charities Act may include ‘mind sports’ does not imply or provide any power for Sport England to fund activities without a physical element: our duty is to operate within the confines of our Charter and the legal convention on the interpretation of its terms is to do so narrowly.”
