The governing body of organized rugby in the U.S. announced on Feb. 27 that transgender women would be prohibited from playing in women’s competitions.
According to USA Rugby’s new eligibility policy, effective Feb. 20, women’s division rugby teams will be open to only players assigned female at birth. The policy change is in accordance with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and Executive Order 14201, which the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee determined to be applicable to all National Governing Bodies.
“While USA Rugby meets the requirements set forth by the Administration and the USOPC, we recognize this change has a meaningful impact on members of our community and may conflict with values of our game,” the organization wrote in a statement. “We understand that some athletes, teams, and clubs will be directly affected. Prior to adopting this policy, USA Rugby made every effort to explore all available options, so this was not actioned without thorough consideration.”
The Atlanta Bucks, Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ rugby club, shared a statement to social media standing “firmly against this decision.”
“As an LGBTQIA+ team and a proud member of the International Gay Rugby community, we never discriminate against individuals based on their gender identity,” the statements said. “We stand in solidarity with our transgender teammates and competitors on and off the pitch.”
The men’s division of rubgy will be open to “any athlete registered as male,” according to the policy document. USA Rugby also created a new “open” division for any athlete regardless of sex or gender.
Your Scrumhalf Connection, a women’s rugby news site, published an article on Feb. 27 calling on every women’s club in the U.S. to register as the Open Division so that the women’s division would be empty and the policy would fail.
Related stories:
• Trans candidates Aaron Baker and Robin McCoy run for Georgia General Assembly
• Wrong turn leads to chaos in Publix Atlanta Half Marathon women’s race
