
Really disappointing': Transgender rugby player says ban is punishmentTransgender former rugby player Caroline Layt who played before and after her transition said Rugby league's decision is really disappointing
by Agence France-Presse
22-06-2022 12:21
in LGBTQIA+
Transgender former rugby player Caroline Layt poses for pictures with a rugby ball in her house backyard in Sydney on 22 June, 2022. The Australian decried rugby league's world governing body after it announced a ban on transgender players in international fixtures while it undertakes research to finalise a new policy in 2023. Photo: Saeed KHAN / AFP
Transgender former rugby player Caroline Layt said she was assaulted by her teammates nearly two decades ago, and now she fears a new generation of players is being punished for being themselves.
--
The Australian decried rugby league's world governing body after it announced a ban Tuesday on transgender players in international fixtures while it undertakes research to finalise a new policy in 2023.
Layt played rugby before and after her transition, a three-year process involving hormones and finally surgery in 1998.
She went on to play successfully in top women's sides including representing New South Wales in rugby league, but her time in the sport was often tough.
--
In 2005 people found out she was transgender, and perceptions of her changed.
I went from the penthouse to the outhouse,
Layt said in an interview with AFP. ALSO READ: Famous at 70: Meet African Nobel winning writer Abdulrazak Gurnah
TRANSGENDER RUGBY PLAYER The 56-year-old former player, now a journalist and activist for transgender athletes, said she was physically assaulted by some fellow players during club training in 2005.
--
The following year, playing for another side, Layt said she was targeted for injury on the field by opponents.
Some of those players have since apologised to me,
she said. There's a couple that have not and would not have changed in their outlook or attitude, but the ones that have: I really appreciate that and consider them friends.
Rugby league's decision now to exclude transgender women is really disappointing , she said.
Layt said the league had decided to jump on the bandwagon , a day after international swimming effectively banned transgender athletes from women's races, placing them instead in a new open category .
ALSO READ: Ecuadoran Indigenous protester dies in anti-government demos
Singled out Swimming body FINA said male-to-female transgender athletes could only join women's races if they had not experienced any part of male puberty, deciding that it conferred a physical advantage even after hormone suppression.
We are human beings, we have feelings, and we feel like we are being singled out, Layt said.
I transitioned a long, long time ago,
she added. They don't seem to listen to the fact that it is inherent, and it is also intrinsic to us that we were female from a very early age.
Layt said she felt she was a girl when she was four years old, and if society had been different at the time she might not have had to go through male puberty.
We get punished for transitioning, we also get punished for having to go through puberty,
Layt said. Basically what they're saying is: We don't want you.
She rejected the argument that transgender women necessarily had a physiological advantage over cisgender athletes.
We are not all the same height, the same weight, the same size, Layt said.
She called on the sporting authorities to establish scientific standards on a case-by-case basis, for example by setting a number of years after transition before transgender athletes can compete at an elite level.
For now, she would not encourage transgender girls and young women to play rugby.
I would tell them to hide, Or go play a sport that is inclusive.
she said. Agence France-Presse
POLL: What is your most appealing feature of Hollywoodbets Durban July? VOTE NOW!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
30/06/2026
Could your journalism reach an international stage?
Entries are now open for the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2026, one of the most prestigi...
30/06/2026
As Brazil's only way for fans to see all 104 matches, YouTube channel proves the power of digital...
30/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
30/06/2026
New IR reverb engine, Juno-inspired chorus & more
The latest version of Rapid Flow's hardware-emulation synth plug-in expands on its predecessor with a ...
30/06/2026
Excels at heavy-handed VCA compression
For their latest release, Shy Audio have recreated the crunchy' sound of a rackmount compressor that found its w...
30/06/2026
Component scarcity drives cost increases
Shortly after Apple's CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that cost increases would soon be inevitable , the company hav...
30/06/2026
Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign
30 June, 2026
Media releases
The GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign is an independent initiative. SBS ...
30/06/2026
Hitachi and Bank Pekao S.A. have completed the installation of the first Hitachi...
30/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
30/06/2026
Life sciences has entered an era of computational scale, and for more than a dec...
30/06/2026
Fernando Cruz and Jaz Wray Join as Regional Sales Managers; Bringing Extensive S...
30/06/2026
As organizations move from AI pilots to production AI factories, infrastructure decisions have shifted from peak chip specifications to cost per token: how many...
30/06/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
30/06/2026
Scripps Research scientists demonstrate a faster, cheaper route to making critical drugs using common table sugar New method illustrates how to build a tough ch...
29/06/2026
By Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest football tou...
29/06/2026
A new multi-country study from ESL FACEIT Group, Hero Esports, and Niko Partners estimates that 400 million Gen Z consumers regularly engage with esports, under...
29/06/2026
ESPN will mark America's 250th anniversary with a series of content initiatives across its linear, digital, and streaming platforms, including a special edi...
29/06/2026
The Esports Foundation has named OBSBOT the Official Camera and Webcam Partner for the Esports World Cup 2026, bringing the company's AI-powered imaging tec...
29/06/2026
Insight Productions has launched Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit designed specifically for esports production, live entertainment, and digital-fi...