Sharron Davies has launched an extraordinary attack on the Rugby Football Union because I haven’t done that yet banned transgender women of playing rugby for women.
Davies spoke out after British Triathlon became the first national governing body impose such a ban in the wake of the quarrel that sport swallowed up over swimmer Lia Thomas and cyclist Emily Bridges†
Davies accused the RFU of “endangering female athletes” as it continued to review its existing trans policy, stating it had no excuse for not updating it yet, warning “they would be prosecuted to within an inch of their lives” if it resulted in serious injury.
“I can’t understand how these guys drag their feet,” said Davies, who has become one of the faces of the campaign to keep women’s sports for those born as women.
“This is a serious accident waiting to happen and they just don’t seem to care that they are risking possible injury to female athletes, and condone unfair sport.”
The RFU’s existing policy requires trans women to apply to play women’s rugby and a decision is made based on their size and weight to ensure there is no increased risk to opponents.
At the moment there are five or six trans women playing community rugby in England.
Nearly two years ago, World Rugby banned trans women from playing elite women’s rugby due to “significant” safety concerns, while pressure on the RFU to act mounted last month after Fina, the world governing body of swimming, followed suit for reasons of fairness.
Davies, the silver medalist of the 1980 Olympic 400m individual medley, added: “They would be very foolish not to do something because a precedent has been set that fair sport is what is expected and they endanger female athletes .
“They would be charged within an inch of their lives if something happened because they can’t say they don’t know now. They cannot say that there is no information, that the science is not there.
“It’s all there for them to see and do and they now know that other federations around the world can do it, legally and professionally. So there really is no excuse for them not to follow.
“And I’ve always been amazed at the RFU, that they didn’t follow World Rugby, because World Rugby did all the hard work for them.”
Davies said other sports should continue to impose bans, especially “any contact sport”, and praised British Triathlon for being the first NGB to do so.
“They dare to do something, while everyone else is doing nothing. They’re all sitting there, having their policy meetings, talking about it behind closed doors now.” The RFU has been contacted for comment.