BRADFORD is to stage a world tournament – a month before the Rugby World Cup begins.

The inaugural World Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament will be held at Bradford & Bingley Rugby Club – home of the award-winning Bumble Bees – from August 17-21.

The tournament will cost £300,000 to stage, will involve 400 players and involve ten nations, who will either send teams or delegates, the latter with a view to starting their own national sides.

Mixed ability rugby, which allows players with learning or physical disabilities to play alongside non-disabled players in a full-contact game, was pioneered by the Bumble Bees.

They were founded on the back of the determined Anthony Brooke, who has cerebral palsy and learning difficulties but was unable to play the sport he loved because it was deemed "too dangerous".

The Bumble Bees quickly found a home at Wagon Lane – the venue for the late summer tournament – and they have been supported by England Rugby Development since 2009, which was the year after the idea of the Bumbles was born.

Links were soon formed with teams from Wales (Llanelli Warriors) and Scotland (The Clan), and two of the players – Martino Corrazza and Mark Goodwin – went on to form International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS), which promotes inclusion in rugby in England and have organised the first global tournament.

Now the tournament, which is being supported by Corrazza's Ability Rugby International (ARI), not only has the backing of Bradford Council, but also former Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe MP, who is the tournament's first patron, fellow local MPs Philip Davies and David Ward and UK Minister for Sport & Tourism Helen Grant MP.

Goodwin said: "The idea for the tournament came about last February after talks with our fellow UK-based clubs, but it has mainly been driven by Martino with his European contacts.

"We met on Wednesday with Helen Grant MP, who is really keen about the concept and has promised her support in promoting the tournament and assisting the two adult education tutors.

"She wants to get Sport England involved with the fund raising too, and we have also got £20,000 from Bradford Council, plus we want to sell advertising boards around the ground from local businesses.

"We have also written to some insurance companies who put money into sport, so I think we are going to be all right on the sponsorship front.

"The tournament logo has also been designed, a trophy is being designed and made and the opening ceremony will be in Centenary Square."

Anyone who is interested in backing the tournament should contact Mark on 07914-345004.