Transgender women will be barred from sanctioned women’s international rugby league matches “until further research is completed to enable the IRL to implement a formal transgender inclusion policy,” the International Rugby League (IRL) said in a statement. The IRL’s statement on transgender participation came after FINA, the international governing body on elite swimming, said it will only permit swimmers who transitioned before the age of 12 to compete in women’s events. FINA members voted 71.5% in favor of the new policies. “To help achieve this, the IRL will seek to work with the eight Women’s Rugby League World Cup 2021 finalists to obtain data to inform a future transwomen inclusion policy in 2023, which takes into consideration the unique characteristics of rugby league,” the IRL said. FINA FACES BACKLASH OVER NEW ‘GENDER INCLUSION POLICY’ FOR TRANSGENDER SWIMMERSFINA’s announcement came Sunday.

Source: Fox News June 21, 2022 04:28 UTC