A USA rugby program has eliminated its women’s teams and launched a new one under the ‘open’ gender division to accommodate transgender athletes.
After the governing body updated its policy to only allow biological females to compete in women’s competitions, the Charlotte Royals opted to switch all of its teams to the newly-introduced ‘open’ category last week.
Along with another team, the Mother Ruckers, the Royals put out a statement declaring their support for the category and urged others to follow suit.
‘The Charlotte Royals believe that trans women are women,’ the statement said. ‘Banning trans players hurts everyone in the sport and the larger community. We will be using the Open Division for any sanctioned matches we engage in, and encourage other clubs/unions to do the same.
‘Trans women were the trailblazers of the U.S. LGBTQIA+ Liberation movement during Stonewall, especially Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. We will continue to include our trans siblings in our organization and community, without hesitation.’
USA Rugby announced Friday that it was introducing a new ‘open’ division for trans athletes, almost a year after Donald Trump signed an executive order to ensure only biological females can compete in women’s sports.
The Charlotte Royals rugby team has eliminated its women’s teams to compete solely in the new ‘open’ category that accommodates for transgender athletes
USA Rugby introduced the new ‘open’ division last week ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which American star Ilona Maher (right) will hope to compete inÂ
‘USA Rugby will now have three competition categories; Men’s Division, Women’s Division and Open Division. The Open Division will permit any athlete, regardless of gender assigned at birth and gender identity, to compete in USA Rugby-sanctioned events, whether full contact or non-contact,’ the organization said in a statement.
After wiping out its women’s teams, the Royals – who pride themselves on the inclusion of trans and non-binary athletes – will only compete in the open division going forward.
The North Carolina team was previously the host club for the 2021 International Gay Rugby North American Championship.
USA Rugby’s decision to introduce an open category, which comes ahead of the 2028 Olympics on home soil, has sparked fury online, with one fan branding it ‘total BS’.
Another user posted: ‘There are only two genders. So dumb.’
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American women’s rugby teams are ELIMINATED to be replaced by ‘open’ category for trans athletes