ransgender women who are transitioning from male to female could play as long as they could certify they had been on hormonal treatment for at least 12 months and their testosterone levels were under five nanamoles per litre.
Under current FFR regulations, people who have already undergone a gender transition and changed their civil record may play in the league that matches the gender on that record.
"Rugby is an inclusive, sharing sport, without distinction of sex, gender, origin or religion," FFR vice president Serge Simon said.
"The FFR is against all forms of discrimination and works daily to ensure that everyone can exercise their free will in rugby without constraint."
We've got this far into the report and there's no mention of the real issue…no mention that we're talking here about women's rugby. I mean, this wonderful inclusivity, in a sport where "everyone can exercise their free will in rugby without constraint" – does that mean that a hulking great six foot six inch 300 pound bloke can exercise his free will without constraint against a bunch of smaller weaker women? And if not, why not, if exercising his free will without constraint is the sole criterion here?
Anyway, as long as he's been on the old hormone treatment for a while and claims he's a woman he'll be fine. Even though he's still a hulking great six foot six inch 300 pound bloke who could plough through a bunch of women without breaking sweat, leaving a trail of broken bones behind him. This testosterone level business might limit his effectiveness against top-level male opposition, but the post-pubertal advantages of a male physique don't just disappear because of a bit of hormone treatment.
In 2020, World Rugby became the first international sports federation to say transgender women should not compete at elite and international level in the women's game.
At last. "The women's game" gets a mention. That's the issue. A women's game that's losing its one defining positive feature – that men can't play.
Ah well – as long as FFR vice president Serge Simon and his pals feel that big buzz of self-righteousness, all is well. Shame about the women, though.
No details yet as to how transmen can face the exhilarating challenge of playing men's rugby. For some reason it doesn't seem to be much of an issue…
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