Excluding trans women from rugby doesn't feel right
In 2020, World Rugby was the first international federation to create a policy that specifically excluded trans women from competing at elite level in women’s sports. Player safety was considered central to this decision, with the governing body citing that trans women have “Size, force-and power-producing advantages” over their cis female counterparts, resulting in increased risks to player safety.
Rugby is a sport that’s well known for its inclusivity, it is widely praised by many for the fact that people of all shapes and sizes can find a place on the field. Therefore, this decision is understandably a highly divisive one and one which continues to stir debate.
Those that support the decision reference scientific research which suggests transgender female athletes possess an unfair advantage over their cis female counterparts due to their biological makeup. Specifically, the research suggests the lowering of testosterone only reduces trans womens’ athletic performance by five to ten per cent when compared to pre-transition performance.
Those that disagree with the ruling argue that hormone therapy is enough to mitigate differences in performance and that the decision is transphobic in nature.
USA D2 rugby player Grace McKenzie, an American trans athlete, told RugbyPass that her performance has altered greatly since her transition: “Your body completely changes when you go through a transition, as a result of hormone therapy. Pre-transition I used to be able to squat 185lb, now I can only manage 90lb. This isn’t due to a lack of training, I still train hard for my sport, it’s because my body has changed physically.”
“The reality is every trans women’s physiology is different in the same way that every cis women’s physiology is different.”
Due to the contact nature of the game, rugby raises specific concerns which are not necessarily present when evaluating other, non-contact, sports. For example, in Olympic lifting, weightlifters compete as individuals. Therefore, they do not ever physically come up against each other, the only individual they can cause injury to would be themselves, so the rules could potentially be applied differently here.
This is particularly important considering the recent decision to allow Laurel Hubbard, a transgender athlete, to compete at the Olympics. Criticism for this decision is rooted in fairness and equality, whilst World Rugby’s ruling was couched in a player safety argument.
No offence to Laurel Hubbard or the trans-community but this makes me angry every time it comes up.
NZ have so many sporting achievements to be proud of but this tarnishes our reputation BIG TIME ??https://t.co/dz6lHgbdja
— Daniel Leo (@danleo82) June 21, 2021
Player safety in rugby is the number one issue on everyone’s lips– but has the discussion been had with cis female players regarding their thoughts on this? Do they really feel like they are at a competitive disadvantage playing against trans women?
The answer to this remains unclear.
Grace did acknowledge that World Rugby had interviewed a small section of international players, but most declined to give a straight opinion because they were unsure. I suspect this is down to a lack of education on the issue. Players need to be presented with all the facts, opinions and arguments to enable them to make a fully informed decision.
I, even with the scientific evidence stacking up in favour of the ruling, still don’t feel entirely comfortable supporting it. Idealistically, we should be guided by scientific research. However, for me, it still doesn’t feel like the best option. There must be a way to design the game, so it is safe and inclusive for everyone.
Defending World Rugby’s decision, Jon Pike, writing in the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport made an interesting point in his recent research paper on the subject: “World Rugby is uniquely fitted for the role of protecting rugby and rugby players: it is not uniquely placed for the role of securing a world free of discrimination against trans people.”
The player safety argument is a strong one, especially in a sport like rugby. However, if the science is so solid in its findings that an international federation feels confident to make a landmark decision based on them, it does beg the question as to why transgender women are still being actively encouraged to play the sport.
Just a few weeks ago the French Rugby Federation (FFR) board voted unanimously to overturn World Rugby’s guidelines and will allow trans women to compete in domestic tournaments next season. FFR president Serge Simon referred to the nature of rugby, stating it is an “inclusive, sharing sport, without distinction of sex, gender, origin or religion”.
The FFR are set to go against World Rugby's guidelines on the hotly debated matter. https://t.co/tintT5aMTB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 17, 2021
As the FFR demonstrated there is clearly room for manoeuvre here. National unions are allowed to be flexible in how they apply guidelines and recommendations.
We are still in the embryonic stages of this debate; more research needs to be completed, and most importantly everyone involved in the game, from grassroots and up, needs to be presented with all the facts to come to a fully informed opinion.
Difficult conversations must be had, that is how we evolve and learn as a society, more so it is how we make improvements to the world we live in.
It is also important to consider the knock-on effects of this decision for lower levels of the sport. It is possible that this thinking could filter down into the grassroots level, if this is the case; is it fair that younger transgender children will be excluded from the game? This is particularly pertinent given that just a few days ago the Swedish Athletics Association announced that young transgender children have the right to choose which gender team they want to play with.
It is important that more education and awareness on this subject is rolled out into the community. I think most people, like I was before, are too nervous to speak out on the issue because they are not educated enough to make an informed opinion on it. It is controversial for a reason.
We must work hard to carve a place out in our game for these women. Currently, under World Rugby’s rulings, transgender women have no place in the game, and for a sport that repeatedly brands itself as a fair and inclusive community, this doesn’t sit right.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar 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.
9 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.
35 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.
2 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
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
35 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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments