Rugby League bans transgender athletes from top events

Rugby League is researching its inclusion policy and has banned trans players from international matches.

The sport's governing body said it wanted to "balance the individual's right to participate... against perceived risk to other participants".

A number of sports are fighting over trans inclusion.

If a swimmer has gone through male puberty, they won't be allowed to compete in elite races.

According to Lord Coe, the sport could follow swimming's example if it adopts a new eligibility policy and insists fairness is not negotiable.

The IRL said it had considered relevant developments in world sport in coming to its decision to ban trans athletes.

The World Cup will take place in England in October. There are teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cook Islands, England, France, New Zealand, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

"It is the IRL's responsibility to balance the individual's right to participate - a long-standing principle of rugby league and at its heart from the day it was established - against perceived risk to other participants and to ensure all are given a fair hearing."

A set of criteria will be developed to balance the individual's right to play with the safety of all participants, according to the statement.

A number of sports have been considering their inclusion policies in recent months, especially after the International Olympic Committee ruled earlier this year that participation policies for trans athletes should be decided by each sport.

The IRB will work with the nations competing at the Rugby League World Cup to get data to inform a policy regarding gender identity in the future.

Critics of the participation of trans athletes in women's sports argue that they can have an advantage over their peers. Many athletes and their supporters disagree with the claim.

The controversy was made worse by the recent move of swimming. Megan Rapinoe, one of the most influential voices in sport, said the decision was disgusting.

I want to know if trans women are taking everyone's scholarships, are dominating in every sport, and are winning titles. Rapinoe apologized to Time magazine.

We can figure it out, that's what I have faith in. We cannot start at the opposite. It's cruel. It's just repulsive. We're saying that trans people can't be successful in sports. Take a break and get a grip on reality.