TRAs protest at women's rugby training

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www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/08/11/trans-activists-crash-england-womens-twickenham-training-session/

TRAs turned up on the training session at Twickenham to express "heartbreak" over rugby's new gender (sic) restrictions.

One of the protesters, 46 -year-old Emily Hamilton, was among 15 protestors waving pink and blue flags and claimed top names in the sport were privately supportive of her cause.

"I'm a Harlequins fan, a transwoman and an ex-player of 18 seasons, but as of last week I'm prohibted from playing rugby now" said the founding co-chair of the QuinsPride supporters group.

No you're not sunshine - you are just prohibited from playing with women. No one is stopping you playing with your own sex.

"It's a heartbreaking situation," the protester added.

Well, boo hoo.

Apparently they are going to go staging protests. "We will not be going away until our voices are heard."

Your voices have been heard, loud and clear and a ban is the result.

Verity Smith, the transman who is a/the Stonewall sport officer, never actually played in the men's rugby game but continued in the women's during their transition, which i approve of. At some point they had a terrible accident and either were or still are using a wheelchair. I don't know if this was a rugby-related accident but obviously it's possible. These sports are dangerous and people attempting to override safety measures better know what they are really asking for.

A boy who was at school with DH broke his neck at a school match. I went out with someone who had all his front teeth knocked out.

it’s a flipping contact sport! People get hurt - really hurt.

Sorry PermanentTemporary I don't agree. I think it's absolutely fine for transmen to continue playing with women if they are socially transitioning only i.e. not taking any drugs which can enhance performance. If a women who was not transitioning took the drugs I expect VS was taking they would be banned. Unfortunately VS did suffer a spinal injury on the rugby pitch (playing against women). Transmen who are taking testosterone are the only group who are truly going to lose a place in sport as if on testosterone they should not be playing with women but depending on sport it would also be too dangerous to compete against men. Tranwomen have never been banned and can continue to play in their sex class.

Thanks @Believerinbiology I do agree with you about women on testosterone. VS appeared to bulk up quite rapidly which may have put additional strain on their body I suppose. I'm sorry to hear it really was a rugby injury. Ds is quite sporty but I've never lifted a finger to take him to a rugby game, it scares me too much.

The irony of one of the protesters sporting a smash the patriarchy t-shirt whilst supporting people, who are part of the patriarchy, in stamping all over women's rights.

‘Smashed by the patriarchy’ surely?

In Soviet Russia gender utopia, patriarchy smash you.

My husband who is only 2 inches taller than me struggles with the fact I can’t carry furniture upstairs as easily as he can(we have had numerous arguments about carrying wardrobes upstairs) - I keep pointing out my arm muscles are half the size of his and I’m actually fairly fit and a tall woman. Male sex is a definite advantage. Although I think he gets it especially when it comes to rugby and also he’s got 2 daughters who are very athletic but they’d get annihilated by a boy their age as much as I hate to say it. Currently in a girls school so they crack on

I was fit and healthy when younger. My son is now about the same height but lighter than me - a wall of muscle (that women don’t build) and can pick me up. I used to spar with him (we both did martial arts) and the only reason I seemed to be able to ‘better’ him was because my discipline was more effective in defence (and at that time I had a longer reach). It wasn’t long before I realised that the could easily hurt me if he went hell for leather (and this was when he was 12, 13). Even at my fittest I could not compete - just look at the muscles of a reasonably fit young man Vs a fit woman.

A boy I was in school with, now dead, had his back broken in a youth rugby tackle. Spent the rest of his short life unable to use his legs. Died due to ongoing complications.

Recently been lots of news stories about former male elite rugby players, still quite
young, 40ish, reporting with premature dementia, due to concussion injuries.

Transwomen playing against women? No. Very very bad serious injury risk.

Transwomen playing against women? No. Very very bad serious injury risk.

Transwomen and their pathetic allies don't give a shit about the injury risk to women, the exclusion of women from playing because they are taking a place on the team, nor the discomfort for women having to share changing facilities with them - it's all about them, their selfishness and validation they won't admit it of course but we all know it.

I have heard Verity Smith being interviewed and justifying TW inclusion in women's rugby because his injury was caused by a bad tackle from a woman, the point being that women can be dangerous too. I always think yes but what if it had been a bad tackle from a TW? Bigger and stronger - I shudder to think how much worse it could have been.

Boo hoo indeed.

Indeed! Verity clearly doesn't have nightmares about this! I need to reserve my sympathy for where it's justified!

I don't know why someone like Verity thinks they should have any authority to say if this is safe for women or not. What would they know, they don't have expertise on the topic.

Excellently put, Vest.

OMG you absolutely could not have a male-bodied person on a women's rugby team. Absolutely ridiculous.

They don't want to be welcomed into men's rugby. That wouldn't be validating. At 46, they'd probably be considered "past it", anyway.