Tonia Antoniazzi, a Labour MP and former women’s rugby player, has called on Rugby officials to prohibit male-bodied transgender players from competing against women and girls.
The former Wales player claims that allowing trans women into the sport would endanger female-born athletes because women are built differently.
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Her remarks come after two transgender women were ‘actively involved’ with Scottish clubs last season. According to the Daily Telegraph, Scottish Rugby refused to say whether or not the pair played in competitive matches.
She said:
We’re talking about a high impact sport, with full blooded games. You cannot just apply the mantra of ‘being kind’ or that trans women are women to rugby – it has to be sex segregated.
The fact that there are trans women in Scotland playing women’s rugby I find absolutely appalling. It should not be happening. There are already enough risks.
Governing bodies, which are mainly led by men, want to be seen to do the right thing … but they need to come to a decision – based on fairness and safety of women and girls in sport – and soon.
Ms Antoniazzi, the MP for Gower.Scotland is the only country in the United Kingdom that allows transgender women to compete in full-contact rugby. Governing bodies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have all changed their rules to say that only people born as women can compete in women’s matches.
Their position contradicts that of World Rugby, the sport’s international governing body, which stated in October 2020 that trans women who have begun male puberty should not be allowed to compete in women’s games.