Broadcaster Sharron Davies has taken aim at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for not taking a tough enough stance against transgender women in female sport.
Davies, 59, has become a prominent figure in the trans debate and ardently believes those born as biological males should not be allowed to take part in female events. Swimming and cycling have become battlegrounds in the discussion, and Davies backed British Triathlon for implementing a ban on transwomen in female competitions.
“I cannot understand how these guys are dragging their feet,” said Davies, per The Telegraph. “This is a serious accident waiting to happen and they just don’t seem to care that they’re potentially risking injury to female athletes, as well as condoning unfair sport.”
World Rugby introduced new guidelines in October 2020, which recommended transwomen (players who were assigned as male at birth) don't participate at the elite level due to safety concerns. However, the ruling allowed for individual unions to be flexible at community level, while transmen (those assigned as female at birth) are still permitted to take part in men's fixtures.
Davies continued: “They would be very foolish not to do something because a precedent has been set that fair sport is what’s expected and they are putting female athletes in danger. They would be sued within an inch of their lives if something happens, because they can’t say that they don’t know now. They can’t say that information isn’t out there, that the science is not out there."
The RFU has made full use of that flexibility and allows for transwomen to play with other women provided they apply to do so. Players are then assessed on their weight and dimensions and approved to take part if there are no additional safety issues.
The Telegraph reported there are currently 'five or six' transwomen playing rugby at the community level in England. Given the resources possessed by the RFU under their current policy, that figure seems manageable enough to ensure safety standards are maintained.
Davies said there is "really no excuse" for England's rugby body not to adopt a stricter ban like World Rugby. She added: “And I’ve always been surprised at the RFU, that they didn’t follow World Rugby, because World Rugby did all the hard work for them.”
The International Rugby League (IRL) recently announced a ban on trans players at international level, including the Women's Rugby League World Cup later this year. However, that tournament will be used to devise a "formal transgender inclusion policy."
