‘Scots rugby puts trans feelings before women’s safety’

Campaigners say Scottish Rugby is putting women’s safety at risk for fear of offending trans players.

In 2020, World Rugby recommended that men who claim to be women should not be allowed to participate in women’s rugby at the top level.

But Scottish Rugby is now the only governing body among the home nations not to ban men from the women’s game.

‘Appalling’

Susan Smith, a director of For Women Scotland, branded it “disgraceful” that “the lives of female rugby players count for less than the feelings of the men who want to play on women’s teams”.

And former international women’s rugby player Tonia Antoniazzi MP argued that in such “a high impact sport” you “cannot just apply the mantra of ‘being kind’ or that trans women are women”.

She added: “it has to be sex segregated. The fact that there are trans women in Scotland playing women’s rugby I find absolutely appalling. It should not be happening. There are already enough risks.”

The Westminster Shadow Cabinet member called on Scottish Rugby “to come to a decision – based on fairness and safety of women and girls in sport – and soon”.

Safety

Earlier this month, World Rugby said it will not shift from its position that males cannot compete against females, despite being threatened with legal action.

The international governing body of rugby union has said it will continue to follow the latest scientific guidance and prohibit the mixing of sexes at elite level, but leave it up to national unions on its application at grassroots level.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said that “the safety of players is the number one priority” and that their decision on transgender participation was made on that basis.

International sporting bodies for cycling, swimming and rugby league have recently strengthened rules to protect women’s sports.