IRFU Transgender Women Policy Change

Good to see the integrity of the Women's game protected and a clear policy being set down so that there will be no uncertainty or grey areas. The worst possible thing that could happen is for any person to be included in the game, only to be disappointed later by a variation or lack of clarity.

Its good too that the IRFU will explore rugby participation for Trans Women through other non-contact outlets under its remit. Rugby is a game for all, but player safety must come first.

Its not about win/lose.

Yes, there are very few players affected, but the Union have a responsibility to protect not just the integrity of the game and safety, but also themselves and their financial wellbeing from the potential consequences of litigation, either by an injured party or by a transgender player impacted by the application of a piecemeal or discretionary policy.

Any risk analysis will say that a comprehensive policy now, is better for all in the long run.

Absolutely incorrect.

Treating one person differently from another on subjective grounds, without an underpinning policy, actually IS discrimination and just the sort of mess the IRFU are specifically trying to avoid here. The sort of mess which could see them cleaned out in Court cases over unfair procedures.

And its not just two people involved here. Its amazed me how very intelligent people have been referring to that all day since the announcement, as if we're stuck in this moment forever. Its 2 today, it could be 30 or 40 in a year.

And absolutely nobody has mentioned 4,500 female players, above the juvenile age grades, whom this policy is designed to protect and reassure.

Mods (I think this includes you @awec) any chance of moving this discussion to its own thread rather than derail the women's rugby thread ten days before our tour starts?

There was a topic thread started after the RFU announcement a few weeks ago, it was closed down.

Ever think that maybe them Trans Women never wanted to go throught that puberty in the first place and would have been very happy to Transition then but the World was not ready for it yet and they or their familys did not know that they were not alone and could do it. All Trans Women would be very happy to have Transitioned before puberty. It's not their fault they might be stronger than other Women its societies fault for taking so dam long to change.

Have to hand it to OTB, this is a considered and objective piece.

I'd encourage anyone to listen to the end for Ross Tucker's contribution about the science.

In essence, puberty gives a born male a 30-50% strength advantage over his born female counterpart. Testosterone suppression only corrects 7-10 percentage points of that. There really is no getting around that.

That's not the IRFUs problem, nor is it the problem for women that these people would be competing against. That's a separate discussion. The IRFU can only legislate for what's in front of them and That's what they've done based on the science. Clearly they have not rushed into it as there were some already competing

Sensible decision imho.

Which is? I've played rugby for almost 15 years and I don't remember ever having any aspect of my eligibility checked. Will they have to introduce checks for the women's game only?

There's nothing stopping transgender players playing contact rugby either.

Trans players can play with their biological sex and trans men afaik can play on the men's teams subject to assessment for their own safety.

It's only trans women that cannot play on women's teams.

That's fair enough.

The issue is that transitioning doesn't mean you lose all the extra mass and muscle that you accumulated as a biological man, no matter how many years it takes, and you cannot discount that in a contact sport.

And in the case of a trans woman that has taken puberty blockers?