NZ Rugby navigating transgender inclusion

In 2020, World Rugby became the first international federation to create a policy that specifically excluded transgender women from competing at the elite level in women’s sports. How does NZ Rugby reconcile the governing body’s position with its own stated ambitions of making the game accessible to all?

Rugby likes to market itself as a game for all. No matter where you come from, what shape or size you are, there’s always a place for you in rugby, or so the slick advertising campaigns tell us.

In 2020, World Rugby seemingly launched a counter-attack to its own spin when it became the first international sports federation to implement a policy that excluded transgender women from competing at the elite level.

The move was driven by safety concerns, with the international body citing studies that trans women have ‘‘size, force and power-producing advantages’’ over their cis counterparts.

World Rugby’s position puts it at odds with steps taken by other sports federations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to remove barriers for transgender, intersex and non-binary athletes to compete. It also clashes with the views of some of its own member organisations.

Last year the French Rugby Federation (FFR) voted unanimously to overturn World Rugby’s guidelines and allowed trans women to compete in domestic tournaments. In announcing the decision, FFR president Serge Simon pointed rugby’s higher ideals of being an ‘‘inclusive, sharing sport, without distinction of sex, gender, origin or religion’’.

Now, NZ Rugby is attempting to reconcile the governing body’s view with its own stated ambition of building a diverse and inclusive participation base.

It may pain the traditionalists, but over the past four years NZ Rugby has been driving a shift at the community end of the game from a ‘‘game-centric’’ model to a ‘‘participation-centric’’ approach – everyone should get to play, even if it’s non-contact or modified versions.

Former Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer, who now holds a position on the NZ Rugby board, says the philosophy is simple.

‘‘I would like us to make rugby at all levels more welcoming. I’d like there to be diversity at all different levels. I would like people to be able to just go to a club and say ‘I want to play rugby’ and there’ll be an opportunity for them to play.’’

But creating a way for transgender, intersex and nonbinary players is anything but simple. NZ Rugby is still in the consultation phase as it undertakes a review of its guidelines – work that started in late 2020.

Mike Hester, NZ Rugby’s participation development manager, who is leading the work, says it is complex terrain to navigate, and he readily accepts that sometimes the steps taken have been a little ungainly. ‘‘We’re a bit clumsy at times about this area because it is really complex, and we don’t walk in those shoes,’’ says Hester. ‘‘Our communities come from low levels of understanding about some of the complexities around the issues, so when we hear concerns about things like safety or competition integrity, it sort of needs to be put in that context of what’s the level of understanding of the issues and how we might address those. Policy is one thing but, actually, do people feel welcome and respected? And that’s actually what’s going to drive ultimately quality experiences, not a piece of paper. It’s really about the reception that they get at their club or their school by their team-mates and by the opposition.’’

Hester, a former international football referee, says a series of engagements with the LGBTQIA + community late last year, including surveys, online hui and face-to-face meetings has helped gain a better understanding.

Cognisant that trans athletes tend to become political lightning rods, Hester says the consultation has deliberately been carried out ‘‘below the line’’, ensuring trans, intersex and non-binary players have been able to have input into the process without having to out themselves if they were not comfortable in doing so.

The anecdotal evidence suggests that rugby’s highly structured model in which, but for a few examples, participation is divided along the lines of gender, age group and weight, the rigidity has created barriers.

‘‘We can see that in the trans, intersex and non-binary space that there’s some real barriers in terms of it’s not really clear about and how can they access the game,’’ says Hester. ‘‘We have just got to try and find a way through moving from a sort of binary view of the world to actually a view of the world in which everyone can see their place in.’’

But World Rugby’s policy means there is currently not a place for transgender women to compete at the international level. Beyond that, it has left it up to member nations to determine domestic policies.

NZ Rugby faces difficult decisions assessing how far a transgender player can advance through the ranks.

It’s an issue that sits at the intersection of competing values: inclusion, safety and fairness – and there isn’t a clear way to balance all three.

‘‘I would like us to make rugby at all levels more welcoming. I’d like there to be diversity at all different levels.’’ Farah Palmer, above