Dodgy Knees, Blisters & Bumble Bees
Coaches from Yorkshire recently took on the Three Peaks to support the Bumble Bees, England’s original mixed ability club.
Despite some dodgy knees and blisters, so far their haul for the hive is £4,000.
Bumble Bees players and committee members, using new walking poles donated by M1 Motor Parts Ltd, covered a modified course and met up with the Peaks group en route.
The Bumble Bees, supported by the RFU and with their home at Bradford and Bingley RFC, has more than 40 registered players. Team mates with learning disabilities are supported by able bodied players to train and play full contact rugby.
They have regular fixtures against other teams and in 2015 hosted the inaugural International Mixed Ability World Tournament in West Yorkshire. The event took place a month before the Rugby World Cup and received support from the RFU and Bradford City Council.
There were 12 teams competing in that first-ever world event, 16 at the second tournament, which was in Spain, and 28 were due to compete in the third scheduled for June 2020 in Cork but put back a year due to the pandemic. That growth shows how important the Bumble Bees efforts have been.
They were founded in 2009 by Anthony Brooke, a tenacious young man with cerebral palsy and learning difficulties and a determination to play full-contact rugby. Since then the Workers Educational Association (WEA) has set up a class for players with Learning Disabilities, the WEA Inclusion in Rugby Group promoting equality through rugby and offering a promotional training package designed to encourage expansion of mixed ability rugby.
The Bumble Bee Barbarians have played all over Europe, in both friendly and competitive matches and always display the very best of rugby’s values.
If you would like to help the Bumble Bees keep mixed ability rugby buzzing visit - https://www.justgiving.com/team/Bumbles
Contact Mark Goodwin: gooders123@talktalk.net or 07914 345004, Josh Hall: joshhall61@hotmail.com, or Dave Morris dm014u5981@blueyonder.co.uk or 07827 882891.
