Bingley-based The Bumble Bees RUFC have been awarded with the prestigious RFU President’s Award for their innovative mixed ability approach to the game and for using rugby as a vehicle for social change.

RFU president Bob Reeves decided to reward the Bumbles’ passion and progress with this important national honour, highlighting the impact their project has in transforming lives and the local community, enhancing individual skills and allowing previously excluded people to enjoy full-contact rugby.

Equally important has been the role of the Workers’ Educational Association’s (WEA) Inclusion in Rugby Group that features players with learning disabilities in order to promote this inclusive model and showing that sport and education can co-exist and share the same values.

The award ceremony took place at Twickenham Stadium last Sunday in front of a crowd of 50,000, who flocked to HQ to watch the England XV v Barbarians match, among them the full Bumbles squad from Bradford - even more fitting as the Barbarians were founded in Bradford.

The Bumbles would like to thank RFU regional development officer Hamish Pratt, the WEA Yorkshire and Humber, our mentors Llanelli Warriors, Bradford and Bingley Rugby Club and all the coaches, players, friends and supporters, without whom none of this would have been possible.