USA Rugby has approved a new competition policy that excludes transgender women from women’s sport, signaling a major shift in the national governing body’s approach to rugby union and rugby sevens. The rule, which went into effect on February 20, was announced on Friday.
The women’s category is now open only to athletes who were assigned female at birth. Trans women may no longer compete in this category, while in the men’s category “all registered men” may participate, which includes transgender men. At the same time, a third category, the so-called “Open Division,” was created where all athletes can compete regardless of their gender identity.
USA Rugby justifies this drastic change by saying it must align with the guidelines adopted last summer by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The committee effectively barred nearly all trans women from sport ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (TheColu.mn reported). Sports federations must implement these rules, or face sanctions, including loss of national federation status and the associated rights, insurance and recognition of official competitions.
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The USOPC responded like other associations to a decree signed shortly after taking office in February 2025 by U.S. President Donald Trump, which barred transgender women from participating in women’s sports (TheColu.mn reported). The slogan “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which denies transgender women their identity, is a commonly used phrase by the politician, who leans heavily on queer- and especially anti-trans rhetoric.
Until now, USA Rugby, like many international federations, had referred to the IOC’s older guidelines from 2015. Under those guidelines, transgender women could compete in the women’s category under certain medical conditions — for example, with demonstrated testosterone suppression for at least twelve months — in the women’s category.
The change has drawn broad criticism. In the rugby community, opposition to the ban is forming, particularly among inclusive and queer clubs. For instance, the editorial team of the rugby platform “Your Scrumhalf Connection” published a call urging clubs to collectively sign up for the new “Open Division” to intentionally leave the women’s category vacant in protest of the rule. Opponents warn that the move offers no proven safety or fairness advantages and instead excludes, stigmatizes and discriminates against transgender athletes in women’s sports. Some clubs, such as the queer team Atlanta Bucks, have publicly opposed the new rule and expressed solidarity with affected players.
USA Rugby, in its statement, emphasized that despite the change it remains committed to fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and supports programs like “SafeSport” to report and prevent incidents in sport.
