Transgender players shut out of netball internationals

Ruling takes effect immediately under new participation and inclusion policy

Transgender players have been banned from international competition by World Netball with immediate effect under a new participation and inclusion policy.

The global governing body of what has traditionally been, and remains at international level, a women’s sport said it had undergone a lengthy consultation before issuing the policy.

“Following detailed review of the science and consultation with experts and members, it has determined that international level women’s netball is a gender affected activity and that a policy is required [to] ensure fairness and safety at this level of our sport,” World Netball said in a statement.

“World Netball believes that the research on which it has relied is robust. It comprises many research studies, all of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals and come from multiple distinct research groups around the world.”

Global governing bodies for cricket, cycling, athletics, swimming and chess have all tightened their participation rules for transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions over the past couple of years.

The netball policy pertains only to international competition and World Netball said national governing bodies could choose to “modify or even not apply these guidelines” if they decided to base their participation rules on other factors.

Critics of any transgender inclusion in women’s sport say going through male puberty imbues athletes with a huge musculoskeletal advantage that transition does not mitigate.

LGBT advocacy groups say excluding trans athletes amounts to discrimination and that not enough research has been done into the impact of transition on athletic performance.

World Netball will review the policy on an annual basis.

“World Netball is committed to evidence-based decisionmaking and commits to evaluating any emerging evidence that pertains to elements of the policy,” the statement added.

“This includes any highquality research that is published, and which will inform a formal review of the policy.”

International netball is a gender affected activity ... a policy is required [to] ensure fairness WORLD NETBALL