A judge is to decide is the card game Bridge is a sport

English Bridge Union claims the game should be treated a sport

A bid for the card game Bridge to be recognised as a sport is to be decided by a judge on 22 September.

A legal battle between the Aylesbury-based English Bridge Union and Sport England is expected to take place at the High Court in London.

Legal action began after Sport England refused to recognise the card game denying access to lottery funding.

Sport England said Bridge was no more a sporting activity than "sitting at home, reading a book".

A spokesman for the English Bridge Union (EBU) said: "The EBU sought the judicial review after Sport England refused to recognised 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."

Guide to Contract Bridge

Contract Bridge is a complex game played by millions of people across the world in competitions and at social events.

All the cards are dealt from a normal 52-card deck.

Two players from each of two teams sit opposite each other across a table and through a bidding process (auction) agree to win a number of tricks.

Suits are ranked upwards - clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trumps.

If they achieve the number of tricks agreed at auction they win the game but if not they lose.

The team with the highest number of games takes the rubber.

These are the simple basic rules. At higher levels, the game includes bonus points, complex dealing and other laws.