No rules

After my knee was pulled out and talking to the Rugby Bond I was astonished to learn that for transgenders to play there are no written rules. When I asked about the safety rules, they didn’t give me an answer, but started talking about how trans women usually know that they’re stronger and so they know to be playing softer. All the physical strength and advantages that trans women have, like larger hands, denser bones, more lung capacity, endurance, size and height, reaction time ettc were thrown out of the window by Rugby NL because transplayers should just know to not give their all when playing sports. For me, that’s not what safety rules entail when playing a contact sport. 

There are NO TRANS RULES ! in women’s dutch rugby

Because Rugby NL doesn’t have any rules, it means that anyone could be able to play. You don’t need any testosterone controls, no sex change, no nothing. You don’t even need to put on lipstick (I asked). 

All rugby girls joining the women’s teams watch out !

The Rugby Bond has a policy of inclusivity and have made no rules to safeguard actual cis women in the sport against the physical strength of males. By not having any rules in place, you create an unsafe space where anyone could come into the women’s league. For instance, people who are clearly not on testosterone blockers or people who have decided that they are only women on match days and during training. There are stories of bearded people in England who have played in women’s matches because they said they are women. Or maybe, players who live abroad and can’t play in their own country, come to the Netherlands because they are allowed to play here.

Bearded women playing in matches

We could well see in the future, that Rugby clubs can bring in trans women to play at the championship level, so they have a bigger chance of winning the trophy. I’m not saying this is the case in the Netherlands right now but it could be, if nothing changes. 

Girls safety thrown out the window

It has always been the case that girls and boys are separated during puberty. With boys continuing to the men’s teams and girls going to the women’s teams. This is done for the safety of the players. Now with the policy of inclusion, girls in the women’s teams are playing against biological men. The same girls, which the Bond has always protected, are now not being cared for. Where is their duty of care? These men have gone through testosterone puberty, and are stronger, bigger and older than them.  

The policy of the bond is inclusion first, see the news article 9th of May on the bond’s website where they say inclusion, fairness and safety. Why do they still put inclusion before safety?

Inclusion before safety

Why does it look like the Bond does not care about girls anymore the second they turn old enough to play with the ladies?