RFU votes in new Gender Policy

[sweatyannie]

Just seen on twitter!

twitter.com/rfu/status/1553032749354831880?s=21&t=HQDOLBlLF9D0HTbsaM_f3A

Great news!

I hope that this display of attention to the scientific evidence and the issue of fairness to women is enough to persuade some other sports associations that they need to reconsider some of their positions and practices.

I'm glad. And relieved that no woman has been seriously injured before this rule was brought in.

Excellent news.

Yes.

www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rfu-council-votes-in-favour-of-change-to-gender-participation-policy

But it was quite a close vote though. 33 in favour 26 against and 2 abstain

Well done RFU. This is the correct decision to secure the integrity of women's sport.

Well that's good.

Idiotic that males were ever allowed on the women's team in the first place, but hey ho.

I'm surprised the decision was so close. The pictures of the Welsh player tackling opposition players showed clearly the difference in size and weight.

Now let’s see male community teams accept the 54 year olds into their games.

I think there was plenty of last minute lobbying. Of emotive stories and the usual ‘there really isn’t any evidence… the studies are not specific’ etc.

I mean Mermaids protestors were out at Twickenham doing last minute lobbying.

Baffling how close this was, seeing as mixed-sex rugby teams are not allowed in England from the age of 12 upwards!

No doubt Sky News will do more puff pieces of middle-aged transwomen players saying how this makes them sad.

@applesandpears33

I’m not. I think there’s a level of machismo in female rugby - it’s a sport involving power, strength and stamina, so hard for the women to admit they are not actually as powerful or resilient (physically) as the men. But they’re not, and the ones who don’t mind playing men don’t have the right to put the ones who do at risk. They can found their own mixed sex teams.

Very good news but really, the power of the trans lobby to put others at risk of harm - especially women and children.

Woah, there's someone on that Twitter thread with a trans flag in their handle asking "if it was a recorded vote."

Are they trying to find out the names of the people who voted against them?

I should think that they are trying to find individual votes: I could speculate as to why they would want that information.

I would hope that it's to send postcards to the panel members in which they congratulate them for their evidence-based approach to a hyper-polarised issue and commitment to women's sports.

It might be for other purposes.

26 people who voted wanted men to play against women in rugby.

Wonder why.

What is it that makes people lose their brains and all common sense the second someone with a penis claims to be a woman?

Why, when we have endless fucking evidence on the differences between male and female physiology and biology that they suddenly pretend there is none?

I am seeing some ‘dark day for rugby’ tweets… maybe that ‘dark day for MN’ is contagious!

I don't think we should underestimate the level of pressure that those council members were probably subjected to. A round of applause for the 33 who stood firm.

Crikey - common sense and evidence based decisions breaking out all over.

I have written to the RFU on this a couple of times. My sons play rugby and both of them were bigger and stronger than me by the age of 13. There is no way any male who has been even part of the way through puberty would be safe to play against most women.

I see Mermaids were outside. Mermaids are about children and young people up to 19 so is this really their domain or are they suffering from function creep?

That's the best place for Mermaids - outside of all this. The harm they've wreaked on children is incalculable and to see them adding women's sports to this is infuriating.

As a member of a club I am astounded and disappointed that 26 voted against.

2 abstained !

I hope that one of the 26 or 2 was not my RFU rep !

This is really rocking their boat, the one they thought was unsinkable.

So tw are not w in swimming, in rugby, in cycling.

Know where else tw are NOT w?

Everywhere.

Every goddamn place on earth.

So get the fuck out of my bloody hospital wards, toilets, changing rooms, refuges, women's clubs, women's services. Anywhere for women, actually.

Iceberg ahead.

The piece on Sky annoys me so, I feel for Alix and she maybe smaller than her opposition but it is about all women and all men.

Also no one is stopping anyone. Everyone can play in their sex class, much like a 20 year old can't play in U12. Inclusion does not mean do as you please.