Dan Leo smashes head long into transgender athlete debate on Twitter
One of sport’s most hotly debated topics currently is transgender athletes competing in women’s sport.
This subject was brought into sharp relief recently with former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova’s documentary, The Trans Women Athlete Dispute with Martina Navratilova, which explored the science behind this, and whether transgender women are at a greater advantage.
Former Olympians such as Dame Kelly Holmes, Sharron Davies and Paula Radcliffe have also called for more research into this area, and have expressed their reservations. In doing so, they have been branded ‘transphobic’ by some, and it has therefore been avoided by other sports stars.
This is not an issue that has really been discussed in the rugby community, but former Samoa international and long-time Wasps player Dan Leo has weighed in on the debate. He explained on Twitter how his sister missed out on playing representative volleyball in Australia in favour of a transgender athlete, and has shown his disapproval.
He has previously highlighted that eventually, a transgender woman will want to play rugby, suggesting that there should be a transgender competition to avoid something that may always be a contentious topic. This was in reaction to women’s weightlifting, and transgender athletes competing there. He has said that this makes women’s fight for equal opportunity “more challenging if not impossible”.
https://twitter.com/danleo82/status/1151111169421250563?s=20
https://twitter.com/danleo82/status/1150296281346117632?s=20
Womens plight for equal opportunity just got that more challenging if not impossible.
— Daniel Leo (@danleo82) July 14, 2019
This has caused a huge storm on Twitter, and while there are a lot of people that support Leo, he has equally received some criticism, such as from trans athlete Athena del Rosario, who called him “pathetic”. Nonetheless, he has stuck by his view.
Leo has also said that there has been a “deafening silence of men on the issue”, despite the swathes of comments on his posts.
He has related this to rugby players taking steroids when they are younger, and therefore technically being clean when they are professional, although they have a distinct advantage.
https://twitter.com/danleo82/status/1151460106145533953?s=20
https://twitter.com/danleo82/status/1151238640837808129?s=20
How about this for an idea… I’ll do a year of hormone treatment and we meet on the rugby field next season… we’ll discuss your thoughts afterwards over a beer 🍺 https://t.co/RQrE5dneLg
— Daniel Leo (@danleo82) July 17, 2019
While Leo may face a rebuke from many on social media, as have many female sports stars already, he is one of the first in the rugby sphere to put his neck on the line about this and he should be commended.
Of course this is not black and white, and that is why there is a demand for more research into the topic so that people can have a greater grasp of whether it should be accepted or not. For example, a lot goes down to when the transition took place in determining whether a transgender woman would have an advantage over her opponents.
But Leo is clearly impassioned about this issue and has written about this extensively on Twitter. He may be one of the first to raise it to the rugby world, as it will need to be addressed at some point, and that has proven to be very controversial in other sports.
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to comments