Source: Some rugby programs
Summary
USA Rugby has introduced an “open” gender division, allowing athletes of any gender to compete in sanctioned events. The Charlotte Royals and Mother Ruckers have announced they will switch from women’s teams to open teams. The change comes in response to a new policy requiring biological females to compete in women’s competition. The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee and USA Rugby have updated their policies to comply with President Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
Our Reading
The game followed a familiar script. Women’s teams are getting eliminated, and “open” teams are taking their place. The Charlotte Royals and Mother Ruckers are leading the charge.
Trans women were the trailblazers of the U.S. LGBTQIA+ Liberation movement during Stonewall, especially Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Now, they’re getting pushed out of women’s sports.
This is the latest chapter in the ongoing debate about trans athletes competing in women’s sports.
USA Rugby is trying to find a way to accommodate trans athletes while still allowing women to compete in women’s sports. But it’s a tricky balancing act.
This one feels recognizable early. It’s a replay of the same arguments and debates we’ve seen before.
Original Observation: The “open” division is just a euphemism for “no women-only option.”
