A fancy-dress five-aside tournament in memory of a 24-year-old Silsden rugby player who died last year has raised nearly £6,000 for a trust fund set up in his name.

Chris Brown died in September, 11 days after suffering a brain haemorrhage while playing rugby for Silsden Park Rangers.

It would have been his 25th birthday on Sunday and his mother, Linda Brown, said the tournament and fun day on Saturday was designed to be a celebration of his life. Hundreds of Silsdeners, family and friends flocked to the sports club, on Keighley Road, in Silsden, to watch wig, swimming costume and furry-outfit donning men compete against each other for the Browny Cup, sponsored by Nolte Mobel, Chris’s former employers.

Mrs Brown said: “It was a fabulous day, it rose above our expectations and we would like to say thanks to everyone for coming. The whole idea was not to dwell on our loss but to remember Chris as the strong personality that he was.

“We had Chris Brown wristbands and children were waving Chris Brown flags. Afterwards in the club his friends were chanting his name and doing the same dance moves he used to do.”

A team calling themselves The Silsden Superstars won the tournament, which was entered by 21 teams.

The money raised will go towards helping someone get by while they are suffering loss or hardship.

The next fundraising events will be a bear hunt around Chris’s memorial bench in Silsden Park and a charity dinner.