A RUGBY union match was held today to celebrate an honours board being installed at Bradford and Bingley RUFC to recognise the club’s mixed ability rugby union team.

The Bumbles team is made up of both disabled and able-bodied players, who play full contact rugby union.

After a number of years playing at Bradford and Bingley’s home in Wagon Lane as an exhibition side, the Bumbles have been taken in to become an integral part of the club.

To mark this, an honours board for the Bumbles is being installed in the clubhouse alongside existing ones.

The ceremony was due to follow a rugby match between the Bumbles and West Yorkshire Referees Society, however due to the icy weather the board couldn’t be delivered on the day.

The Bumbles and the referees have formed a close alliance since the inaugural World Mixed Ability Rugby Union Tournament last year, held prior to the Rugby Union World Cup.

The referees helped out by officiating the games, and even putting down their whistles to play in some of the matches.

Dan Cookson, who plays for and coaches the Bumbles, organised the game and the installation of the honours board in the clubhouse.

He said: “It was a really good game, it was very competitive and good fun.

“We had the idea for the honours board because now we are quite an established team, we are trying to transition from being an exhibition side to like every other team at the club.

“All the other teams have boards up in the club, and the club’s committee said now we are a part of the club we should be the same as them.

“They said they wanted to push forward with making us more of a part of the club, just like the first or second team.

“When we first came down some people were a bit stand-offish, but now we have players and veterans training and playing with us and all the players are accepted.

“It’s nice for the lads to go into the clubhouse and be able to chat to people.”

Hamish Pratt, rugby union development officer for the West Yorkshire Rugby Football Union, said the honours board is recognition for the “amazing hard work from a lot of people”.

He said: “It’s pretty impressive, these guys are a bona fide club and should also be recognised as proper rugby union players.

“They play the same rules as everyone else, they’re just a bunch of guys who love rugby.

“What these guys have done encompasses everything that is good about rugby.”

Mr Cookson said the plan is now to unveil the honours board at the end of the season.