While Bow, 31, has never played with or against a transgender woman to her knowledge, she is in full support of inclusion and says she has become frustrated at rugby being used as a political football. “It’s never been the case where size has mattered in rugby, it’s partly why I absolutely love the sport,” says Bow, who has been playing for eight years. “I can play anyone who rocks up. It’s so inclusive. No one cares what you look like. That’s so good for women and young girls to see that anyone can play – whether you’re tiny or bigger, rugby is for all. And I think it’s such a shame that rugby has been targeted as something that shouldn’t be played by trans women.”
“I understand that there is a contact element. But at the same time I am 5ft 2in and weigh 60kg, and there are girls who I play against who are over 6ft and weigh a lot more than me. I am still expected to play contact sport against them so I don’t see the safety element as a thing – I think people are really hyping that up.”
The Rugby Football Union’s guidelines for domestic competition say trans women must apply to play for a women’s team, and provide testosterone readings to qualify. Of the 37,000 women who play women’s rugby, just seven trans women have applied and been cleared to play by the governing body.
The number of transgender athletes competing across grass-roots level sport remains relatively unknown as many governing bodies are only starting to collect the data. There are, however, examples of teams such as TRUK United – a side made up of transgender women and non binary players – who contested a friendly against Dulwich Hamlet Women’s team in front of a crowd of 400 people this month.
The Football Association could not provide participation figures for trans women in football, despite significant red tape involved for any trans players who want to join a club. While the FA is currently reviewing its policy, it has not been updated since 2014, and operates on a case-by-case basis, asking trans applicants to meet hormone-based requirements and provide additional evidence of their transition. Some have argued the rules are unnecessarily invasive for amateurs wanting to go for a kickabout on a Sunday. Manchester Laces, a club open to women and non-binary people, started a campaign last year calling for the FA to remove requirements such as hormone readings for amateur players, and clubs representing over 4,000 players have supported their movement.
This discourse within competitive sport was partly why Elgeti avoided getting involved in rugby, which she had played prior to her transition, because she “didn’t really feel comfortable not knowing what other teams would be like”.
