The Rugby Football Union Recommends Ban On Trans Women In Female Rugby
The Rugby Football Union has recommended a ban on transgender women playing female rugby.
The governing body says that players whose sex was “assigned male at birth” should not be allowed to play in the women's category.
The recommendations follow World Rugby's stance and come after the recent ban on transwomen from participating in women's international rugby league.
The RFU will vote on it on 29 July, according to the BBC.
A vote in favor of the recommendations will change the governing body's policy before the 2022-23 season.
The RFU began a two-year review in autumn 2020, which included a game-wide survey that received over 11,000 responses, considered scientific evidence, and sought guidance from other sporting bodies.
The review concluded that 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," said a statement by the RFU.
“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.”
The RFU said it had contacted registered trans players “to offer its support in continuing to encourage them to participate in the sport.”
In June, swimming's world governing body, FINA, voted to stop transwomen athletes from competing in women's elite races if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty.
British Triathlon become the first British sport to establish a new open category in which trans athletes can compete.
The RFU has proposed players whose sex is recorded as female at birth to play in the male category “if they they provide their written consent and a risk assessment is carried out.”
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews
