Written question WQ87688

My position on transgender athletes participating in rugby is based on the Welsh Government’s starting point of inclusion for all. We want our country to be the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe. Sport has a key role in that ambition and sport should be a place where everyone can be themselves, where everyone can take part and where everyone is treated with kindness, dignity, and respect.

The scientific evidence and guidance for domestic sport are outlined in UK Sport’s ‘Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport’ document published in 2021. However, the point I was making in my letter to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was that a policy of blanket exclusion of transgender women and non-binary people from community rugby risks sending a wrong message to young transgender people that they cannot have the same opportunities as their friends and other children.

The Welsh Government’s preferred position is to treat everyone the same: if transgender men are afforded the opportunity to be considered on a case-by-case basis, rather than a blanket exclusion for transgender women, the WRU should provide transgender women with the same opportunity. However, I accept that UK Sport’s guidance is for national governing bodies to determine their own bespoke policies within the framework outlined and I understand the WRU will keep its position under review.