The International Rugby League (IRL), a global governing body for the Rugby League World Cup, announced Tuesday that it will ban transgender women from participating in sanctioned women’s matches until further notice.
The league’s decision comes two days after FINA—the international governing body for water sports—adopted a new “gender inclusion policy” that restricted participation by transgender athletes in women’s events. The International Cycling Union (UCI) also updated its eligibility rules for transgender athletes last week.
In a statement released Tuesday, the IRL said that it is “continuing work to review and update rules” and will “seek to use the upcoming World Cup to help develop a comprehensive inclusion policy.”
