Cricket bosses ban transgender women from female competitions

Transgender women will no longer be permitted to take part in female competitions with immediate effect, England’s cricket bosses have said.

The change in law was prompted by a UK Supreme Court ruling last month that said only biological and not trans women meet the definition of a woman under equality laws.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: “With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches. Transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket.”

The ECB said its regulations had always aimed to ensure cricket was “as inclusive a sport as possible”.

“Given the new advice received about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, we believe the changes announced today are necessary,” the board added in its statement.

Last month, Supreme Court judges unanimously decided that the definition of a “woman” and “sex” under the UK-wide Equality Act 2010 refer to “a biological woman and biological sex”, after a long-running legal challenge.

While the ECB acknowledged its decision would have “a significant impact on transgender women and girls”, it will work with recreational cricket boards “to support people impacted by this change”.

The board maintained that abuse and discrimination have “no place” in cricket and wanted to ensure that the sport is played “in a spirit of respect and inclusivity”.

The new policy follows blanket bans on trans women in women’s sport introduced in athletics, cricket and rugby.

Its decision comes a day after England’s Football Association also announced transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s football.

Earlier this week, the Scottish FA announced it was also banning transgender women from competing in the women’s game.

The Football Association of Wales said on Thursday it would “await further guidance for the sports sector” before making a decision.

While the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court on 16 April was welcomed by campaigners, Lord Hodge said the judgement was not “a trumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another”.

“The Equality Act 2010 gives transgender people protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender,” he added.

“This is the application of the principle of discrimination by association. Those statutory protections are available to transgender people, whether or not they possess a gender recognition certificate.”

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