England Hockey has introduced it can ban transgender girls from competing within the feminine class from the beginning of subsequent season.
As a part of its new transgender and non-binary participation coverage, the governing physique has established two classes of competitions – feminine and open – with the latter “open to all”, together with transgender and non-binary gamers.
England Hockey launched a evaluation into its present coverage in July 2023, taking into consideration steering from the Sports activities Councils’ Equality Group (SCEG).
“Primarily based on the present accessible proof – and that hockey requires the bodily capabilities of energy, endurance, pace and acceleration as key elements for achievement – hockey is taken into account a gender-affected sport,” England Hockey mentioned.
“Primarily based on this proof, we’ve decided that the Trans and Non-Binary Participation Coverage ought to prohibit trans participation to be able to safe honest competitors. We’re dedicated to supporting all affected gamers to make sure they discover the correct path for them to proceed to take part in hockey.”
The brand new coverage will come into impact from 1 September.
England Hockey mentioned the replace in coverage has been developed to “guarantee everybody can take part within the taking part in of hockey in a good means”.
In December, the Garden Tennis Affiliation (LTA) modified its guidelines to ban transgender girls from competing in some feminine home tennis and padel tournaments in Britain.
The LPGA Golf Tour additionally introduced final month that transgender girls who’ve gone by way of male puberty would now not be allowed to compete on main golf excursions.
That adopted the England and Wales Cricket Board’s resolution in November to make any participant who has gone by way of male puberty ineligible to play within the high two tiers of the ladies’s recreation from 2025.
Different sports activities governing our bodies have additionally modified their insurance policies in recent times – together with athletics, biking and swimming – to ban transgender athletes from competing in elite girls’s competitions.