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Original poster

Rugby League bans transgender athletes from top events

85 replies

2Paws · 21/06/2022 06:04

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/61875651

"The International Rugby League (IRL) said it had considered "relevant developments in world sport" in coming to its decision to ban transgender athletes until it had completed research on its final inclusion policy."

Baby steps for now, but so important for rugby. I just hope World Rugby is listening...

OP posts:
Sirzy · 21/06/2022 06:31

Good, the womens game in RL is now taking off massively and I would hate to see that development lost for the sake of “equality”

there is also obvious massive issues with regards the physical differences

zafferana · 21/06/2022 06:30

I really hope that the decisions made by FINA and the governing body of cycling cause other sports to a) take a fresh look at the science and b) FGS grow a pair and stop caving in to the vicious trans lobby. I know it's hard to be the first one to do it, but two sports have now made a stand (thank god!), so I really hope it makes it easier for the others to follow suit. And the cowardly IOC better be one of them.

Original poster
2Paws · 21/06/2022 06:28

ChateauMargaux · 21/06/2022 06:20

I wish journalists would get the headlines right on this. Transgender athletes are not banned from sport, they are banned from playing in the opposite sex category. They are welcome to continue to play in the correct sex category.

These moves does not ban people from playing the sport they love. The organisations are simply enforcing the existing rules on participation in a category that was created to allow fair competition for females.

Very true - I did hesitate on whether to correct the headline.

I thought the quote from the IRL a little further down explained it well though:

"It is the IRL's responsibility to balance the individual's right to participate - a long-standing principle of rugby league and at its heart from the day it was established - against perceived risk to other participants, and to ensure all are given a fair hearing," the organisation said.

OP posts:
McDuffy · 21/06/2022 06:27

Oh interesting, thanks for sharing. I don't follow League at all but do follow Union. Does World Rugby oversee both?

ChateauMargaux · 21/06/2022 06:20

I wish journalists would get the headlines right on this. Transgender athletes are not banned from sport, they are banned from playing in the opposite sex category. They are welcome to continue to play in the correct sex category.

These moves does not ban people from playing the sport they love. The organisations are simply enforcing the existing rules on participation in a category that was created to allow fair competition for females.

Original poster
2Paws · 21/06/2022 06:17

I was relieved to see the story when I woke up today.

We separate girls and boys rugby at 12, and my local team lost a cracking female scrum half because of it - but the boys get so much bigger and stronger so quickly - even the ones who don't immediately shoot up or fill out. U12s v U14s is a totally different game!

OP posts:
Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 21/06/2022 06:16

Let's hope it's permanent. I'm hoping yesterday's announcement is the start of all sports changing their rules. No doubt some trans activists will complain but they cannot argue that it is fair or safe in some sports for biological males to compete with females, whether they wear a dress or not.

MagpiePi · 21/06/2022 06:16

Just heard about this on the radio.

Maybe this, along with the swimming ban and slight movement from cycling, is the beginning of the end of this nonsense.

TidyDancer · 21/06/2022 06:16

I find it hard to see how anyone could reasonably object to this rule. It may be another moment that wakes up those who aren't seeing 'the big deal' with blanket inclusion. If there's a big TRA pushback on it, it may have more of a public 'wtf' reaction than the swimming ruling.

NotBadConsidering · 21/06/2022 06:11

I came to post same.

World Rugby have already ruled that males should not play rugby against females (because, you know, risk of death and all 🙄). But various rugby unions, like England’s RFU and Australia’s ARU decided to ignore it and do their own thing and effectively allow self ID 🙄🙄🙄.

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