Thursday 22 September 2022 08:23 PM Trans players in Scottish rugby are 'putting women at risk of life-changing ... trends now
Rugby chiefs in Scotland have come under fire for allowing women and girls to go up against male-bodied transgender players in a move critics say could seriously injure female-born athletes.
Scotland is the only country in the UK to allow transgender women to compete in full-contact rugby, with governing bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland having all changed the rules to say only people born as women can compete in women's matches.
The nation's stance has been blasted by Tonia Antoniazzi, a Labour MP and former women's rugby player who was awarded nine caps for Wales.
The retired sporting star has demanded Scotland's policy is scrapped, claiming female players were being exposed to the risk of being seriously injured if it isn't.
'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,' said Ms Antoniazzi, the MP for Gower.
'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.'
The Labour shadow minister's comments come as it was today claimed two trans women players were 'actively involved' with Scottish clubs last season, with the Daily Telegraph reporting that Scottish Rugby refused to say if the pair played in competitive matches or not.
The paper reported that the two trans players in question were being consulted about any changes that could happen in Scotland.
The debate is the latest chapter in a row over trans women competing in sports.
Transgender women are allowed to play full-contact rugby against biological women in Scotland, while they are banned in the rest of the UK. Pictured are players from England's women's team training on Tuesday for the Rugby World Cup
Labour Party MP Tonia Antoniazzi said sporting bodies need to come to a decision on rules allowing transgender athletes to compete 'soon'
Current rules insist female players cannot be told if they will be competing against a male-bodied opponent, meaning they don't have a chance to back out of a game over safety fears.
Under the current agreement, clubs found to be breaking the strict confidentiality rule face the prospect of disciplinary action.
'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,' added Ms Antoniazzi.
At the moment, trans women and girls can be given the green light to take to the pitch in full-contact matches, so long as their testosterone levels fall below a certain level for a year.
But Scotland's stance goes against that of the sport's international governing body, World Rugby, which in October 2020 said that trans women who had started male puberty should not be allowed to compete in women's games, with the organisation deeming the risk to female-born players as 'unacceptably high'.
A spokesman for Scottish Rugby said: 'Scottish Rugby is in the process of reviewing its existing gender participation policy in the light of emerging guidance.
'We are currently having conversations with members of the rugby community who could be most affected by any change to the policy to help us understand views across this subject.'
It comes as debate rages about the best way to ensure sport is inclusive for all, regardless of gender, while maintaining fair and equal competition.
In June, elite swimming became the first sport to completely forbid transgender athletes from women's swimming races if they went through male puberty.
FINA, the international sports federation for swimming, announced it would be setting up an 'open category' which will separate transgender athletes to compete in a class of their own.
The move came after transgender swimmers including Lia Thomas have previously competed against female-born athletes, sparking uproar with many arguing she had an unfair physical advantage over her fellow competitors.
Sharron Davies, 59, has voiced her concerns about trans women competiting against women
The row over Scottish rugby's stance is the latest in a heated debate about the best way to include transgender people in sport
The decision was made during FINA's extraordinary general congress on the sidelines of the world championships in Budapest after members heard a report from a transgender task force comprising leading medical, legal and sports figures.
British Olympian Sharron Davies, who has advocated for fairness in sport and has spoken out against transgender swimmers in women's races, spoke of her 'pride' in the wake of the decision.
In a tweet, she wrote: 'I can't tell you how proud I am of my sport @fina & @fina_president for doing the science, asking the athletes/coaches and standing up for fair sport for females.
'Swimming will always welcome everyone no matter how you identify but fairness is the cornerstone of sport.'
But she faced a major backlash for her views, with trans rights activists blasting her for her stance.
In an interview with You magazine, the 59-year-old swimmer says she suffered a huge drop in income after anxious employers dropped her because of her stance on the 'toxic' transgender debate.
'There's been so much hate and bullying,' she says. 'It's been very hard. Charities I've worked with for 30 years have dropped me, agents I've worked with for 30 or 40 years don't use me anymore, because the trans activists can be so vicious and malicious – they go after your work, after your
