RFU clears TW to play at *all* levels of rugby

[Kit19]

the absolute fuckers!!!

I came on here to talk about this. Fuckers. I mean even the questionable piers Morgan thinks this is lunacy. I just feel such utter despair.

Name change as I have tweeted on this point.
Concussion risk for women is significantly higher than for men. The RFU has a concussion programme called HEADCASE that is supposed to reduce concussion risk. How does this fit in with that strategy.

See this at 30 mins for Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group on female concussion risk in rugby

Shane Williams: Rugby, Concussion and Me, Shane Williams: Rugby, Concussion and Me: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000fvjz via @bbciplayer

RFU are asking that we let TW play & then produce evidence of injuries which is fucking outrageous

There are no words...

Wait. There is.

Cowards.

I’d they want evidence of men vs females when it comes to physical contact, I’m happy to provide photos of my face and my ex’s face when I had to try and defend myself.

They could compare and contrast.

He had a scratch. My face is now significantly different to the one I started out with.

But fine. Let us break women in the name of sport.

Why not skip the middleman and just throw us to the lions?

@Purpler5 I imagine the best way to help is to financially support Fair Play for Women to fight this. I’m certainly sending them my annual British Cycling membership money. They’re not getting a single penny from me ever again.

RFU are asking that we let TW play & then produce evidence of injuries which is fucking outrageous

This. They're basically saying to women either put up and shut up or get hurt then tell us. Those are your options.

Fucking hell how has it come to this.

#bekind unless you were born with a penis in which case don't worry about it

@WeeBisom

A thought just occurred to me , apologies if it’s already been discussed. Suppose a male competitor with a male identity takes cross sex hormones and suppresses his testosterone down to the required level to compete in female sports. He applies to compete in women’s sports but avows that he doesn’t identify as a woman but a man. Would he be allowed to compete and if not why not ? If a male competitor gets his hormone levels to the requisite amount why should a particular mental state that can’t be even proven be the determinant factor?

Because feelings.

Infuriating.

I’m a long term reader of these boards and not usually one to put my head above the parapet .. but I’m so appalled by this I’ve stuck it on fb .... if any of my friends disagrees with me on this I’m happy to Unfriend them

@Ereshkigalangcleg

It seems as though th various sports bodies in the UK are doing this at the same time.

It does. It seems coordinated, to me.

Stonewall have been working with the RFU for years, as well as Howdens. Total stitch up.

The lack of injury evidence is quite simple to explain.

Only women are allowed to play women's rugby.

TWAW.

Therefore, all injuries are women-on-women.

The data shows no injuries for males-on-women, because there are no males in women's rugby, only women.

Nothing to see here.

(In reality, we know there have been many injuries caused. Some serious enough to end women's ability to play rugby. But there is no way of recording these within The Rules as separate to women v women, so - 1Poof! - like magic, they don't exist)

If a male competitor gets his hormone levels to the requisite amount why should a particular mental state that can’t be even proven be the determinant factor?

It's a good question. For all the talk about diversity and inclusion, I think a lot of this is driven by the same old prejudices. Men who have "those types of feelings" belong with women, basically.

If any serious injury was allowed to get into the public domain - bearing in mind it would be considered politically very unkind indeed to even mention it - there is a whole load of bitter experience as to how it would be treated.

Basically the circumstances would make injury attributable to something else, the evidence would be insufficient, there would be a whole lot of debate about how it was actually the injured player's fault, and if any of that looked like sticking a bit then there's always the back up of it's only one/a few/a bit, and women do it too. And talking about it at all would be framed as a hate crime and unacceptable pressure on the player involved. (Not the injured one.)

Anyone who's seen the CPS record on prosecuting rape, or heard the evidence from the women at the refuge meetings where those holding the meetings later denied the meetings had ever happened or those women ever spoke, or seen the total lack of interest or care in the victims White was enabled to create, or seen how women get treated for saying hang on, people born female have specific needs too which need to be met for equality - knows exactly how this would go.

It is sickening. I never thought to live in such awful times to be alive as a female, or that misogyny like this still existed.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when their insurers hear about this.

One glimmer of hope that I have is that this is so spectacularly dangerous and unfair that it reveals to the population at large the full implications of regulatory capture. Older people will recall how women in the 1960s - 80s gradually were 'allowed' to participate in the full range of sports. Now watching these rugby team places and awards being handed over to men who claim to be women will perhaps be a tipping point for rational people??

I wish a well known male rugby player, maybe just retired, said they were going reduce their testosterone and play on the women's team.

Let the fucking bastards then decide it's not about testosterone, it's not about being male, it's about saying some magic words.

Yes Michelle.

It’s so shite that women and girls can’t even have their own sports let alone anything else

It’s just like have RFU hav3 completely lost their minds

I can’t write anything else as I am so angry 😡

I suspect that most rugby playing / watching men will see the insanity of this. They know how brutal the game can be.

Is it really going to have to wait for an injury. I agree that insurers will be panicking because World Rugby have already said it’s too dangerous. So if any woman was injured it would be very hard to claim it wasn’t a foreseeable risk.

People are putting too much hope in "the insurers", I think.

In reality, the decision to insure them will be made by some young-ish male underwriter and this will be such a minor consideration in the grand scheme of insuring RFU as a whole.

The injuries will happen, and the claims which follow will take years to settle, especially if it needs to go to court. (Even then, I expect there would be every effort made for the fact that the 'woman' was male to be concealed)

Unless a particular underwriter particularly cares about women, and even then is willing/able to risk ire by speaking up, this probably won't be on any underwriter's radar for years, if it ever is. In money terms, a few broken necks isn't that big a deal.

Alison moyet on twitter

Here

I agree Chazs most men, in fact most everyone, will see that this is insane, totally unfair and very dangerous. That for every man who says he's a woman who is included at least one women is directly excluded and many many more will be put off even trying.
Waiting for the Welsh RU response now. Several brave women gave evidence (should that actually need any more FFS). Hoping against hope that they aren't going to be let down.

Does anyone know exactly who wants to play, as a transwoman? Is this based on a particular person's case or as a blanket rule?

Its a blanket rule, Candy, there are lots of transwomen already playing in the women's game.

Blanket rule Candy but once even one TW is on a women's team, other teams will follow suit in order to ensure a fair playing fields (hollow laugh). If this stands it's the beginning of the end women's rugby.

@CandyLeBonBon

Does anyone know exactly who wants to play, as a transwoman? Is this based on a particular person's case or as a blanket rule?

This player for example.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/rugby-union/49298550

"I feel guilty, but what can you do?" the player says.

Not cheat your way into women's rugby would be a good start.

(The earlier version of this article mentioned the fact that the player in question had broken the male coach's arm in training - for some reason the BBC edited this out of later versions. Can't think why. [That's sarcasm btw - since people seem to have missed the sarcasm in my earlier post about Joanna "I measured a whole 8 of my mates and it was all fine" Harper.])

I am staggered by the cowardice, stupidity and misogyny of this decision - against all the evidence. Absolutely appalling. As Germaine Greer said 'women have very little idea how much men hate them'.

At the very least this decision is made in total disregard of the safety or inclusion of women and girls. At worst it's a deliberate attempt to end female participation at all levels and to give men's feelings priority over women's biological reality.

We're awaiting the Welsh RU response with real anxiety.