Official Statement on Trans Athletes

The Furies will continue to welcome players of all identities to play alongside us. We will not

support the exclusion of trans athletes in any sport. In recent months especially, trans players

have been targeted in sports leagues across the country with baseless concerns for player

safety. We wanted to make it clear that we do not support the current USAR eligibility

guidelines surrounding trans players, and that we are deeply saddened by the introduction of a

federal ban on trans women and girls in sports.

The current policy with USA Rugby currently adheres to the International Olympic Committee

Transgender Policy, revised in 2015. While we cannot change those policies overnight, our club

is working behind the scenes to make the rugby community a safer place for trans athletes, who

should only have to focus on their athletic performance and love for the game of rugby. We are

also announcing that we will not be challenging player eligibility of our competitors related to a

player’s trans status. We hope that other teams in our league take this same approach.

To our trans players, alumni, supporters, and friends, know that we will always choose to play

alongside you. To learn more about local obstacles that face trans athletes in your area, we

encourage you to explore Rugby For All and Athlete Ally, two organizations we’ll be talking to in

the coming weeks about how to make our community more inclusive and welcoming for trans

athletes.