Protesters have gathered in Twickenham ahead of Friday’s crucial vote to ban transgender women from contact with rugby.
The Rugby Football Union confirmed last week that it would recommend its council to ban trans women after a “game-wide survey”.
In response, and hoping to speak to a representative from the governing body immediately before the vote – which will take place at 11 a.m. Friday – a group of around 30 players and supporters staged a protest outside Twickenham Stadium.
Charley Brunton, who plays for Hove alongside Julie Curtiss, one of seven registered trans women currently playing in England, is one of the figureheads of the movement.
“Julie is not a threat to anyone,” said Brunton of Curtiss, who is also part of the protest. “She’s a great person and a great teammate and she shouldn’t be banned from sports at all, including trans women who are currently playing or want to play in the future.
“If you think about it, there are 380,000 registered rugby players in this country. Seven are trans women, so full discrimination is unacceptable.
“If you look at the plaque here, at this statue, it says, ‘Rugby union is an inclusive game for all shapes and sizes.’ If they exclude trans women they should remove that plaque and any use of the pride flag because it is no longer inclusive for everyone.”
Initially, after World Rugby published guidelines that trans women should be banned from the women’s rugby union by 2020, the RFU had essentially worked on a case-by-case basis. The step to give that up was a major frustration.
“The policy leaves a lot to be desired at the moment, but it’s working,” Brunton added. “There are no injuries from trans players at all. If they care about women and the women’s game, they should invest more in it.
“They should provide S and C coaches to all sororities and physios to protect against injuries. Trans women are not the threat. It is a lack of support from the RFU that threatens women’s rugby.”
‘It is not beyond the scope of the RFU to do business with us, is it?’
Curtiss said she was “overwhelmed” by the support she has received from cisgender women over the past week on the issue and called on the RFU to continue its efforts. She also explained why moving to men’s rugby wouldn’t be an option.
“The RFU says it’s about protecting the women in the game, while the women say ‘what’s the problem,'” Curtiss said. “I also find it insulting to the women who play the game to imply that they are inferior to trans women. These are fit, strong players.
“From the trans perspective, I had a conversation with the municipality yesterday and it seems that many of them have made a decision about that. As I told them, it’s certainly not impossible for the RFU to talk to us and find out how we can involve trans women in this game.
“Because seven out of 380,000 is not a good success record for increasing diversity. Trans women can’t play the man game. It would be decimated. But they tell me to play with them and shower with them too. That aspect of it is ridiculous.
“The RFU needs to work with us. They now have a moment to show their commitment to diversity. They can take a season, do anything they want to control. They haven’t bothered to do that so far. At the end of the season, we can look at the stats, make a decision based on that and create a path for trans women in this game.”
The group was told by a councilor Friday morning that the matter would be handled “with an open mind.”
Verity Smith, who ended up in a wheelchair in 2018 due to a spinal cord injury in women’s rugby before switching to transman, is another integral member of the protest. On his last visit to Twickenham, Smith received an award from the English women’s icon Rochelle Clark. The Rhino Prop Star celebrated its commitment to inclusion in the sport.
“Seven trans women are registered, but three are playing — two full-time and one occasionally,” said Smith, who works for Mermaids, an organization that supports transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse children.
“A 14-year-old girl has just been suspended. Telling a child they can’t exercise is saying they’re a second-class citizen. We have to start from a point of inclusion.”
“Nobody really listens to the trans community. None of the people who voted today have met or spoken to any of the women,” he added.
“It’s not my life, it’s their life that’s being affected and we need to show these girls that it’s okay to dream of rugby. Not every transgender is good at sports, but every child should have the opportunity to play it.”