Transgender Athletes to be Barred From Women's International Rugby League

Transgender athletes will be excluded from international women's rugby matches while the sport's governing body sets out an inclusive policy.

Two days after world swimming's governing body effectively banned transgender women from competing in women's competitions, the International Rugby League on Tuesday said it was continuing to watch review and update regulations related to the participation of transgender women in international women's tournaments.

Until further research is completed to allow the IRL to implement an official transgender inclusion policy, male-female (trans-female) players cannot play in rugby league matches where women are sanctioned, the IRL said in a statement.  

He planned to use the eight-team Women's Rugby Championship, to be held in the UK from 1 to 19 November alongside the Men's Rugby World Cup, to help develop a global policy. 

Last week, the International Cycling Union updated the eligibility rules for transgender athletes with stricter limits that will force riders to wait longer before they can compete by increasing the transition time to low testosterone to two years instead of one year.