World Rugby refuses to bow to trans threats

World Rugby has 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.

England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) is already facing legal action after aligning its policy with that of World Rugby.

‘Safety and fairness’

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.

He noted that “other sports and rugby federations” have moved in a similar direction.

The organisation’s research noted that biological males “are stronger by 25-50%, are 30% more powerful, 40% heavier, and about 15% faster”.

It concluded that due to “safety and fairness” men should not be able to compete against women “at the top level where size, strength, power and speed are crucial for both risk and performance”.

UK

In July, after its own extensive two-year process, the Rugby Football Union concluded that its previous case-by-case approach was “no longer viable” and voted to prevent men who live as if they are women from playing contact rugby against women.

Director of Sport at Fair Play For Women, Fiona McAnena, commented: “We are delighted to see a return to common sense. I mean, who would have thought we had to have a vote about whether the female category should be only for females?”

The Welsh and Irish Rugby Unions have also recently brought their rules in line with the World Rugby recommendations.

Both unions stated that “recent peer-reviewed research” provided evidence that the “advantages in strength, stamina and physique brought about by male puberty are significant and retained even after testosterone suppression”.