RUGBY review of transgender women in women's sports

[mindtheclegs]

twitter.com/WNTTgra/status/1230840273854488577

World Rugby is preparing for a "comprehensive review" of the sport's policies on transgender players.

The governing body will hold a forum next week to consult "expert voices" and is seeking elite players' views.

As a reason for the review, World Rugby cites research suggesting that reducing testosterone does not lower strength and power proportionately.

"World Rugby's vision is 'a sport for all, true to its values'," said World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

"There is growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society and all sports are currently evaluating their policies to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose in the modern sporting and societal landscape.

"Rugby is no different and this forum makes it possible to explore the best available evidence and hear the relevant expert opinions."

World Rugby follows the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) policy. Guidelines issued by the IOC in November 2015 stated that transgender women must suppress testosterone levels for at least 12 months before competition. Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass.

Athletes transitioning from female to male are allowed to participate without restrictions, but the IOC is currently developing new guidelines.

"It is important for contact sports, such as rugby, to find an appropriate position for player welfare and risk," a World Rugby statement said.

[Binterested]

My male colleague just whatsapped this link to me. He gets it ! He’s learned about the whole shitshow from me (with a little help from Pips Bunce ).

[Languishingfemale]

This is long overdue. My concern is that they listen to genuine experts as opposed to all the self identified, self interested experts pushing a particular lobby group line.

[Binterested]

The debate is happening.

[Babdoc]

Let’s hope they come to the right decision before any more sportswomen get folded like deckchairs or have their skulls fractured.

[Mockersisrightasusual]

"There is growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society," said Bill Beaumont.

Said Bill Beaumont????

[MrsSnippyPants]

Just saw on Twitter that Dr Nic Williams from Fair Play for Women will be there.

[Languishingfemale]

Then that's progress MrsSnippyPants . Nic Willaims is great.
After the appalling biased and inadequate "research" that the IOC used to inform their decisions about trans athletes and sport, it is some progress if women and sports science experts are finally being consulted. If I remember correctly many of the leading male sports science experts are unanimous in their condemnation of born men shoehorning themselves into women's sport.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Good. Let’s hope this is the start of banning male bodied athletes from competing on women’s teams.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

.... or competing against women in women only sport events.

[DuLANGMondeFOREVER]

Thank fuck. No sane parent would sign a daughter up for youth rugby knowing that she risked being ‘folded like a deckchair’ by a male bodied player.

If contact sports draw a line, and obvious strength sports draw a line, it’ll be a good start point for everyone else.

[Winesalot]

Hoping that the findings truly reflect and focus on imbalance of strength, size and all the physicality of the differences and not just 'recommendations' for training. Particularly in light of the release of the Swansea university and the findings that women are more prone to concussion. Due to the way the brain fibres are not as robust AND playing style eg. including 'weaker' necks to hold head up off the ground in tackles. The playing style has to be taken into account as well as biology surely.

And let's not forget that pearl of wisdom from Jane Fae in pointing out women's 'eggshell' skulls, which make some deaths from DV simply accidental. Like it makes a difference in DV situations ... great womanly empathy there.

Link in case you missed this article:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51434749

[R0wantrees]

"There is growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society," said Bill Beaumont.

& growing disregard for Safeguarding & female players welfare.

[mindtheclegs]

I wonder where he is coming from with that R0wantrees. He's not agreeing with it, but he is making a statement acknowledging it's happening. (Thinking out loud)

[GoulashSoup]

Was just coming on to post the link posted by @Winesalot and to ask that someone on Twitter can make sure Dr Nic Williams is aware of it.

[littlbrowndog]

Elizabeth Williams, a senior lecturer in biomedics at the university's college of engineering, is behind the study.
She said: "Head impacts in the men's game are usually caused by player to player contact whereas with the women it's often head to ground, or head to knee.
"That's enabled us to be specific about how we can train the women differently to improve the areas where the women are weaker, which might not necessarily be the same as men, so we train them as women and not as small men."

NOT AS SMALL MEN. WE ARE DIFFERENT

[R0wantrees]

I wonder where he is coming from with that R0wantrees. He's not agreeing with it, but he is making a statement acknowledging it's happening. (Thinking out loud)

The statement from the RFU when first approached by TRAs (who seem in this case may have been The Beamont Society) should have been :
"There may growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society however the reasons that rugby has been segregated by sex post mini-rugby is for clear Safeguarding & player welfare reasons. We support the growing numbers of female rugby players & allowing males (regardless of their gender identity) to compete in a dangerous contact sport such as rugby would be to expose them to unacceptable risk. We at RFU are keen to be as inclusive as possible and so will do all we can to ensure that all potential male players or coaches regardless of their gender identity or presentation are welcomed into men's rugby teams & clubs without fear of prejudice" (in my opinion)

[Winesalot]

Yes. I loved that quote and read it aloud to my family.

NOT AS SMALL MEN

www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/15/testosterone-boosts-womens-athletic-performance-study-shows

This article was fabulous too in case people missed it last year. It is well worth a read. Particularly about the DSD women’s record holders that dominate their relevant sports.

But also:

In the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48 healthy 18- to 35-year-old women were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of daily treatment with 10mg of testosterone cream or 10mg of a placebo.

The scientists tested the hormone’s impact on aerobic performance measured by how long the women could run on a treadmill before reaching the point of exhaustion, and leg power, muscle strength and lean muscle mass.

Circulating levels of testosterone rose from 0.9 nmol/litre of blood to 4.3 nmol/L in the women given the hormone cream. This was below the recent 5 nmol/L IAAF limit and below the normal male range of 8-29 nmol/L.

Running time to exhaustion increased significantly by 21.17 seconds (8.5%) in the testosterone group, compared with those given the inactive substance. The group given the hormone also had significant changes in lean muscle mass, gaining 923g vs 135g overall and 398g vs 91g in their legs.

To me, if this published study has been peer reviewed, it should be shutting down most, if not all, argument for transwomen’s inclusion into women’s sports.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Bloody hell that study or future studies need to be implemented quickly and used to get women’s sport exclusively for women again.

[Winesalot]

I yelled that from the rooftops when I read the article too!!!!

[NothingIsWrong]

My daughter plays rugby - she's currently in the U7's so I'm not worried at the moment, but no way will she be playing on a mixed sex team into adolescence. I think she will continue to play with the boys until the end of her U11 season and then I need to find a girls team which they don't currently have

[Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons]

Excellent
There have been a few rugby players speaking up. Fair play is a big theme in rugby & I have great Hope sense will prevail

[RandomMess]

My DD plays rugby, she is a scrum half or another position sometimes (tiny, fast, tells others what to do and she isn't in the scrum?) she has had some bad injuries mainly from much bigger players, one of whom fell on her 🙈 and fractured a vertebrae. No way should be playing against Male bodied players...

[GingerPCatt]

This is Maggie Alphonsi and Lewis Moody. They both played 7 at international level. Now I’m sure she could tackle him, but if he tackled her full force he could seriously injure her.

[Twooter]

It would be good if sporting committees knew the makeup of those who came up with the original guidelines - very heavily male weighted plus one person with an intersex disorder and 1 transwoman . It’s no wonder the decisions were made as they were.
stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/2015-11_ioc_consensus_meeting_on_sex_reassignment_and_hyperandrogenism-en.pdf

[Fieldofgreycorn]

This is Maggie Alphonsi and Lewis Moody. They both played 7 at international level.

I’d shit a brick if either of them came at me tbh.