By Ro Edge
The English Rugby Union this week announced that it would be taking women’s wellbeing seriously by banning male transgender players from playing in female contact rugby competitions due to fairness and safety concerns.
The New Zealand Rugby Union, however, continues to ignore the science and has made it clear in its draft transgender inclusion policy that it places the validation of the identities of a small number of people above the rights of women and girls to fair and safe sporting competition.
NZ Rugby’s position is out of touch not only with the growing body of scientific research, it also contradicts the World Rugby guidelines which were informed by extensive research and consultation.
“This gross negligence by NZ Rugby is particularly astounding given the case currently being taken against rugby union governing bodies by players who are suffering early on-set dementia and other incurable neurological impairments due to repeated head injuries playing rugby,” Save Women’s Sports Australasia spokeswoman Ro Edge says.
“World Rugby identified the alarming degree to which female players would be at greatly increased risk of serious head injury if tackled by male players (no matter how they identify), but New Zealand Rugby is willing to put women at risk if it means they get pats on the back from Rainbow lobby groups.”
Ms Edge says the English Rugby Union considered emerging science, consulted with other governing bodies, and held a game-wide survey that received more than 11,000 responses before voting to follow World Rugby’s guidelines and ban male transgender players from competing in the women’s game.
English Rugby stated: “The review and consultation concluded that peer reviewed research provides evidence that there are physical differences between those people whose sex was assigned as male and those as female at birth, and advantages in strength, stamina and physique brought about by male puberty are significant and retained even after testosterone suppression.
“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.”
In contrast to the open approaches of their counterparts, New Zealand Rugby has developed their guidelines in secrecy and has failed to consult widely with players.
“NZ Rugby’s draft transgender policy will allow self ID meaning any male can declare themselves female even without medical intervention. This aligns with Sport New Zealand’s guidelines which also place the ability for women to have fair and safe competition at risk.”
In 2020 World Rugby became the first international sports body to ban male transgender players from the women’s game after an eight-month review process. It concluded that it was not possible to balance inclusivity with safety and fairness given that those who had gone through male puberty are “stronger by 25% to 50%, are 30% more powerful, 40% heavier, and about 15% faster than biological females” and warned of a greater risk of injuries if transgender women were on the field.
Other international sporting bodies have recognised the need to protect women’s sport, such as swimming, by banning transgender athletes from women’s competitions. Swimming is now considering creating an open category to include transgender athletes.
Save Women’s Sport Australasia, who are a member of the International Consortium on Female Sport, is calling on the New Zealand Rugby Union to follow English Rugby and World Rugby’s guidelines and ban male transgender players from participating in the female category to protect fairness and safety for their female players.
