IRFU statement: Transgender participation policy changes

The IRFU have announced ahead of the forthcoming 2022/23 season that it is to ban transgender women from playing female contact rugby in Ireland. The decision to limit women’s contact rugby to players whose sex was recorded as female at birth was based on medical and scientific evidence and is in line with World Rugby guidance, said the governing body.

Their statement read: “The IRFU is keenly aware that this is a sensitive and challenging area for those involved and the wider LGBT+ community and will continue to work with those impacted, providing support to ensure their ongoing involvement with the game.

“Recent peer-reviewed research provides evidence that there are physical differences between those people whose sex was assigned as male and those as female at birth, and advantages in strength, stamina and physique brought about by male puberty are significant and retained even after testosterone suppression.

“The new policy, which is in line with that of World Rugby, the RFU and other governing bodies, will mean that contact rugby for players in the female category is limited to those whose sex was recorded as female at birth.

“There are two registered players affected in Ireland by this change and the IRFU has discussed the matter directly with them including options to remain active in the game, such as non-contact playing formats (tag/touch rugby), refereeing, coaching, and volunteering, underlining that the IRFU values their on-going involvement in the game.

“In the male category, players whose sex is recorded at birth as female may continue to play if they provide written consent and a risk assessment is carried out. The IRFU has spoken to players we are permitted to contact directly and will work with them to support ongoing participation in the sport.”

Spirit of Rugby manager Anne Marie Hughes, who has worked on policy development in this area since 2014, added: “We will continue to work to be as inclusive as we can be and to explore areas such as tag and touch rugby, which we know some of our players are already considering, refereeing, volunteering, and coaching.

“We continue to stand with the LGBT+ community and while we accept that today some may feel disappointed in this decision, we want to again underline to them – there is a place for everyone in rugby and we can all work together.”

The IRFU decision prompted a response from Moninne Griffith, chief executive of Belong To and co-director of Trans Equality Together. “It is openly sending a message to trans people, their families and allies that they are not welcome in the rugby community,” she warned.

“It is also setting a dangerous precedent for other Irish sporting organisations to follow their lead in banning trans players. We note the IRFU’s values include respect, integrity and inclusivity. This decision flies in the face of these values.”