Rugby League: transgender people not admitted to women’s international matches

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Transgender people will not be able to take part in women’s international rugby league matches until a full inclusion policy is established, the sport’s world body the International Rugby League (IRL) announced on Tuesday.

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This announcement came two days after that of the International Swimming Federation which decided to set up a open category to allow transgender athletes to compete separately.

IRL authorities have said they need further consultation and research to finalize a new policy for 2023, citing a legal, reputational and welfare risk game and players.

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Waiting, players who changed from male to female (transgender) cannot participate in international women’s rugby matchesthe IRL said in a statement.

International sports bodies are in the midst of thinking about putting in place regulatory measures on this subject. The International Olympic Committee announced last year that it was letting each sport determine how athletes could have a disproportionate advantage.

This topic sparks controversy between those who defend the right of transgender athletes to compete freely as women and those who believe they have an unfair physiological advantage.

The IRL announcement means transgender people will not be able to take part in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England in November.

The IRL reaffirms its belief that Rugby League is a game for everyone and anyone can play our sportshe said.

She felt that it was her responsibility to find the right balance between each player’s right to participate and the risk perceived by other players, as well as to ensure that everyone receives a fair hearing.

The governing body said it is working with the eight countries that qualify for the next Women’s Rugby League World Cup for a future policy for the inclusion of transgender women in 2023taking into account the unique characteristics of this sport.

On Sunday, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) decided that athletes born male and who became female could only compete in female categories or set female world records if they became female before puberty.

According to its medical committee, men who became women retained benefits, including bigger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and handswhich are not lost with hormone suppression.

Caroline Layt, a former transgender rugby player from New South Wales, Australia, reacted angrily to FINA’s decision on Monday. She wrote on Twitter that it was discriminatory against a minority group whose rights are already in the gutter.

The president of the International Athletics Federation, Sebastian Coe, has for his part hinted that his discipline could follow FINA’s position by adopting a stricter policy towards transgender athletes participating in women’s events.

My responsibility is to protect the integrity of women’s sportsaid Coe, present Sunday at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest.

If we need to adjust the protocols in the future, we will.he added, specifying that if he was forced to choose between equity and inclusionhe would line up always on the side of fairness.

According to the rules of the International Athletics Federation, transgender women must have sufficiently low testosterone levels for at least 12 months before a competition.

France Media Agency

Source: Radio-Canada

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