Bishop Tony, from the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, has officially been made the Archbishops of York's Sport Ambassador.
"My main work will be to encourage parish churches to be involved in the world of sport and for the world of sport to receive Christian ministry in a culture and language they understand," said Bishop Tony, who won an Oxford Blue as well as playing for England Schoolboy.
"I want the Church to be available pastorally and to take appropriate opportunities to share the good news of Jesus," said Bishop Tony on Premier's News Hour.
The Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, said: 'We are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Through hard work, practice and the support of teammates we also discover that we are capable of more than we ever thought possible.
"It is no accident that St Paul uses the metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian life, where discipline and the support of others help us to see God doing more than we ever thought possible. I am delighted that Bishop Tony will be working to highlight that link between faith and sport some 2000 years after St Paul!"
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also welcomed the appointment, saying: "I have known Tony for some years and his links to sport make him the ideal person for this post. I pray for his success in communicating the message of the good news of Jesus in the world of sport."
Bishop Tony was the club chaplain at Manchester City in the late 1990s and into the next decade, while based at a church in Moss Side, working with managers Joe Royle, Kevin Keegan and Stuart Pearce.
Rt Revd Tony Porter, Bishop of Sport speaking to Premier's Des Busteed on the News Hour: