“World Netball Implements Ban on Transgender Women in International Competition”
World Netball has implemented a ban on transgender women participating in women’s international competition, effective immediately. This decision follows the release of a new participation and inclusion policy by the global governing body on Monday.
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World Netball
World Netball stated that after extensive consultation, it concluded that international women’s netball is a “gender-affected activity,” necessitating a new policy to ensure fairness and safety. As per the new guidelines, women’s netball at the international level will only allow players who were recorded as female at birth, regardless of gender identity, or transgender athletes who can prove to World Netball that they have not undergone the biological effects of testosterone at any point.
The decision was made after a thorough review of scientific research and consultations with experts and members, with World Netball asserting that the research it relied upon is robust, comprising studies published in peer-reviewed journals from various research groups worldwide.
While the international policy will be reviewed annually, national governing bodies have the flexibility to modify or choose not to apply these guidelines if they opt to base their participation rules on different factors.
This move aligns with similar actions taken by other sports organizations. In June 2022, Fina, swimming’s world governing body, decided to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s elite events if they had undergone any aspect of male puberty. Additionally, the Rugby Football League, Rugby Football Union, World Athletics, the International Cricket Council, and the UCI have implemented similar bans on transgender women participating in female categories in their respective sports.
