Transgender women banned from rugby in England after two-year review
READ MORE: Nadine Dorries says favourite rugby league moment is Jonny Wilkinson's union drop goalThe announcement came following recommendations from the RFU, which initially allowed some transgender women to play women's rugby, but they have had to apply on a case-by-case basis.
The World Rugby rules state: "Transgender women may not currently play women's rugby… because of the size, force and power-producing advantages conferred by testosterone during puberty and adolescence, and the resultant player welfare risks this creates."The RFU said that it "has contacted registered trans female players, on whom the policy will have a direct impact to offer its support in continuing to encourage them to participate in the sport".
The recommendations add: "In the male category it is proposed that players whose sex recorded at birth is female may play if they provide their written consent and a risk assessment is carried out."The peer-reviewed research provides evidence there are physical differences between people whose sex was assigned as male and those as female at birth. "This science provides the basis of the recommendation that the inclusion of trans people assigned male at birth in female contact rugby cannot be balanced against considerations of safety and fairness," the RFU said in a statement."The recommendation is that until such time as new science is available, a precautionary approach is appropriate to ensure fair competition and safety of all competitors.
