Welsh Rugby Union ban transgender women from competing in female category

The Welsh Rugby Union has become the latest domestic governing body to ban transgender women from competing in the female category in the sport.

The WRU said the decision will be implemented with immediate effect, emulating moves by the Rugby Football Union and the Irish Rugby Union among others.

It said it had come to the same conclusion “based on the best current medical and scientific evidence and in line with World Rugby guidance”.

It means only players whose sex is recorded as female at birth can compete in women’s contact rugby, updating the previous policy which theoretically allowed transgender women to play subject to testosterone tests.

In a statement the WRU said it was “committed to an ongoing review of the policy as new evidence, research and insights become available”.

The RFU’s decision, which was published in July, is currently the subject of a legal challenge from transgender player Julie Curtiss, the Daily Telegraph reported this week.