Rowing trans row over claims umpires at women's regattas cannot question junior ... trends now
Umpires at women's rowing regattas are unable to question the gender of junior competitors, it was claimed yesterday, prompting fears girls could lose races to male-born transgender rowers.
Rowing umpires were said to be in uproar after an adviser from the sport's governing body briefed officials that they should not query the gender of any junior rowers, and that it should not form part of their assessment of fairness.
The rules affect all rowing events in Britain, including next month's prestigious Henley Women's Regatta.
A spokesman said the regatta was 'obliged' to stick to rules set by British Rowing. They state that boys under the age of 16 who identify as female can be approved to compete as female without medical evidence in some circumstances.
Umpires were told last month that they must accept whatever gender is entered for junior rowers on the British Rowing online entry system.
Umpires at women's rowing regattas are unable to question the gender of junior competitors, it was claimed yesterday, prompting fears girls could lose races to male-born transgender rowers (file photo of Henley Regatta last June)
During a Thames Region briefing in Oxford, they were told not to query the gender of any under-16 rowers or consider gender in any assessment of fairness, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One unnamed official told the newspaper: 'If we have a crew of what we think are junior boys and yet they declare as junior girls, then we just have to accept it.'
Umpire Carole-Ann Turner, who was at the briefing, said the rules meant every athlete in an under-16s category at women-only regattas could have been born male and umpires would be unable to challenge them.
She said crews took part in time trials with the fastest qualifiers going through to compete.
She told The Daily Telegraph: 'If you have boys able to row with girls, then it's likely to be all boy
