Very concerned with @WorldRugby's stance on this. In fact my gut reaction was anger. Been struggling to articulate why (beyond, ya know, trans rights) and think ive got it. Bare with https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/19/transwomen-face-potential-womens-rugby-ban-over-safety-concerns?CMP=share_btn_tw

(2/?)
The introduction of body policing in any form cuts at the heart of what makes #WomensRugby almost unique in the entire sporting pantheon- the knowledge that whatever you look like your body is welcome, wanted and useful!

One of the hardest tasks when I was on my team comittee was recruiting girls- not because they didnt want to play- but because they thought their bodily characteristics excluded them

"Im too tiny, id break"

"haha, does this belly look like it runs"

For every person who wasnt interested (hey, smashy smashy not for everyone ) there was another young woman who had internalised the message that her body, and by extension she, was not good enough.

I thought I wasnt good enough, until @beccaborischunk made me take a chance

People who watch rubgy see these huge men (men made so huge by the marginal gains philosphy that they are actually damaging themselves and their opponents, but lets not talk about that, men are SUPPOSED to be big ladies should be small) and they think thats what rugby is

But that elite level of mountainous dudes makes up a miniscule proportion of the rugby family; as anyone who is really involved in the women's game (and I suspect some of this working group are not) will be able to tell you

I am 5'6", slightly above average for a woman and when the world has told me my body should be aesthetically pleasing my whole life, to have rugby say "f*ck that- your body is a weapon- make it powerful!" feels so good
And I've never felt more powerful than bringing down a 6ft-er

But I am nowhere near the shortest or slightest woman Ive played with.
& I can tell you there are so many 6ft + players Id take being tackled by over @yproctorkent, smash, ella, bruno, gully, mortal, fireball, adie, pants or sumo my 5ft pocket rockets

The idea that bigger = better is so stupidly masculine! When playing lock I'm often lined up against the biggest player on the field, and I'm often greatful for it it cus, honestly, bigger tatget and I'm still a prop at heart and I cant catch the little speedy ones #propsoc4life

Basically the size differential between the largest and smalles cis women playing rugby is at least as big as that between average androgenised person and average non androgenised person- so unless were going to start putting weight classes in rugby the point is moot