TRANSGENDER WOMEN will not be allowed to compete in women’s international rugby league for now confirmed rugby league's governing body
The governing body said that it planned to do more research before finalising its rules around its inclusion policy.
The IRL did not set an outright ban for life but said that more data would decide how they map out their inclusion policy in 2023.
Rugby League has introduced the ban while it does further research on its inclusion policy.
The sport's governing body said it wanted to "balance the individual's right to participate... against perceived risk to other participants".
Read ⬇️ #BBCRL— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 21, 2022
"Until further research is completed to enable the IRL to implement a formal transgender inclusion policy, male-to-female (transwomen) players are unable to play in sanctioned women's international rugby league matches," the IRL said.
It added: "The IRL will continue to work towards developing a set of criteria, based on best possible evidence, which fairly balance the individual's right to play with the safety of all participants.
"To help achieve this, the IRL will seek to work with the eight Women's Rugby League World Cup 2021 finalists to obtain data to inform a future transwomen inclusion policy in 2023, which takes into consideration the unique characteristics of rugby league."
This comes days after Fina, swimming’s world governing body banned transgender athletes from competing in its events.
Controversy around the subject appeared this year after US male-born swimmer Lia Thomas won an American college championship in March.
Thomas was ranked 554th in the male 200-yard swim rankings before her transition.
Fina president, Husain al-Musallam, said: “We have to protect the rights of our athletes to compete, but we also have to protect competitive fairness at our events, especially the women’s category at Fina competitions.”
World Athletics president Lord Coe has also hinted track and field could follow the same precedent
Speaking to BBC Sport on Monday, Lord Coe said: "We see an international federation asserting its primacy in setting rules, regulations and policies that are in the best interest of its sport,"
"This is as it should be. We have always believed that biology trumps gender and we will continue to review our regulations in line with this. We will follow the science.
"We continue to study, research and contribute to the growing body of evidence that testosterone is a key determinant in performance, and have scheduled a discussion on our regulations with our council at the end of the year."
World swimming's governing body bans transgender athletes including Lia Thomas from taking part in female races https://t.co/lJltC7t7Kr pic.twitter.com/8Ij6NKk5IS
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) June 19, 2022
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