Watch the recording

Speakers

Dr Emma Hilton is a developmental biologist widely regarded as a leading voice on the science of sex differences in sport.

Her paper, ‘Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage’, co-written with Tommy Lundberg, is the most cited on this topic. Her work is cited in multiple international and national sports policies, and she is consulted by international sports federations and as an expert witness in the UK and USA.

Sharron Davies has been one of the UK’s most popular athletes since bursting onto the scene as a 13-year-old Olympian in 1976. Her international career as a swimmer spanned three decades, included numerous major titles and medals, and 200 British records. 

In 1980 she took a silver medal at the Moscow Olympics, finishing just behind Petra Schneider of East Germany, who has since admitted that her performance was heavily drug-enhanced, and this experience informed her recent book Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport.

Mara Yamauchi is a former elite marathon runner and a two-time Olympian, coming sixth in the Beijing Olympic marathon in 2008. She won the Osaka marathon in 2008 and was runner-up in London in 2009. Between 2006 and 2022, she was the second-fastest British female marathon runner ever (2:23:12). Her book Marathon Wisdom was published in 2022. 

She has spoken extensively in the media and at conferences on this issue. Her analysis of distance running events’ entry policies and results shows the unfairness of self-identification policies and non-binary categories, and their disproportionate impact on female competitors, and she has extensive contacts with female runners who have lost out to males in the Female category.

Further reading

One-page briefing on DSDs and women’s sport

Briefing on the Olympic boxing situation and the problem of male inclusion in women’s sport

Why sex matters in sport – publications and blog posts

Sex Matters’ expert team for sport

Resources for journalists

The post Sex Matters in sport – media briefing appeared first on Sex Matters.

United Kingdom – female category based on sex at birth

• American football
• Archery
• Badminton (England only)
• Basketball (England only)
• Canoeing and kayaking
• Cricket (England and Wales)
• Cycling
• Darts
• Fencing
• Football (England and Scotland)
• Hockey (England and Scotland)
• Ice-hockey
• Judo
• Karate (British but not English)
• Modern pentathlon
• Netball (England)
• Pickleball (England)
• Pool
• Rowing
• Rugby League and Rugby Union
• Sea-shore angling
• Swimming
• Table tennis (England)
• Triathlon
• Volleyball (England only)
• Waterski and wakeboard
• Weightlifting
• Wheelchair basketball
• Wrestling

United Kingdom – female category based on excluding any experience  of male puberty

• This is common in international policies. A few sports in the UK adopted this as an initial step, then moved to sex at birth (e.g. British Judo).

Note that fairness for all girls requires a policy based on sex at birth, since sex differences are apparent before puberty.

United Kingdom – female category at some levels only

• Croquet – all events publicised in Croquet England’s Fixtures Calendar are based on sex at birth.
• Golf – Scratch golf tournaments are restricted to female at birth or no male puberty. All handicap competition is self-ID – anyone can register as female and obtain a handicap as “female”.
• Orienteering – female category in “Identified Major Events” restricted to those “assigned female at birth” – but anyone can register their sex as they wish and take part, just not be eligible for a prize. In other events, it is self-ID, with a suggestion that people declare voluntarily that they are ineligible for prizes.
• Squash (England) – “regulated” competition only; most club, school and university squash to be on the basis of self-declared “gender”.
• Tennis – “specified” competition only; discretion for clubs to adopt the same rule for club competitions, but strong push from the LTA for clubs to be “trans inclusive” – that is, let male players compete in and win women’s club events.
• Yachting/ sailing – competitions organised by the RYA will follow World Sailing’s policy, but the RYA guidance recognises that “clubs and classes organise the majority of racing in the UK” and, in allowing them to set their own eligibility criteria, encourages them not to “limit exclusion”.

At world level

In March 2026, following reports that a working group led by the chief medical officer had recognised that male advantage is irreversible, the International Olympic Committee announced its “Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport”. The title is a significant shift away from past guidelines and position statements about transgender inclusion. A set of FAQs about the policy, the development process, the science and the implementation followed in April 2026.

• Athletics (World Athletics): “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – March 2023
• Boxing: World Boxing confirmed its previous position in 2023: sex at birth. The International Boxing Association is also sex-based but is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which took over the running of boxing at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. World Boxing is now vying to replace the IBA for IOC recognition, so that it can run the boxing events at the next Olympic Games. It is not clear whether it would retain biological sex as the basis of competition or adopt the IOC policy of accepting passports as sufficient proof of eligibility. In many countries the sex marker on a passport can be changed on request or with a letter from a doctor (In the UK, a GP’s letter is enough.)
• Cricket (International Cricket Council): “any part of male puberty” – November 2023
• Cycling (Union Cycliste Internationale): “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – July 2023
• Darts – April 2026
• Fencing (FIE) – December 2025 – sex at birth
• Golf: “any part of male puberty either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12” – December 2024
• Netball (World Netball): recorded as female at birth – April 2024
• Rowing: the word “gender” is replaced by “sex”, only those female at birth are eligible – March 2025
• Rugby union (World Rugby): no male puberty or effects of testosterone – October 2020
• Rugby league (International Rugby League): female at birth – July 2022
• Sailing (World Sailing): no-one who has experienced male puberty from Tanner stage 2 – May 2024
• Swimming and diving (World Aquatics): “any part of male puberty from Tanner stage 2” – 2022
• Triathlon (World Triathlon): a four-year puberty suppression requirement, with conditions including participation in academic research for the final three years – January 2025
• Weightlifting (International Weightlifting Federation): no-one who has experienced male puberty – August 2023

The state of play in other sports

Athletics: UK Athletics announced an intention to adopt Open and Female categories in March 2023, following the World Athletics position, but has not written a policy. Many male runners continue to register as women and compete in races athough this is against the stated policy of UK Athletics. The board of UK Athletics was due to review and progress its policy in March 2025.

Football: FIFA is still “reviewing” current policy. FIFA policy is from 2011 and refers to men’s and women’s football, without sex definitions (likely they did not anticipate these would be needed).

In the UK, gymnastics and snowsport state that they are reviewing.

In England, boxing and kendo were always sex-based. British Judo changed in December 2023. All the other combat sports have still to sort this out.

UK vs international policies

Some UK governing bodies have said they must follow their world body. Others have followed in the past but now set a different policy on this issue. This applies in both directions. For example:

• World Netball, World Sailing, and the International Cricket Council protected the female category but UK bodies did not follow for some time. Some, like Football Association Wales, and cricket in Scotland, have still not.
• Several UK and England bodies have moved ahead of their international federations to restore fairness for females, including the British American Football Association, Badminton England, British Judo, British Rowing, British Triathlon and Volleyball England. 
• The UK’s rugby authorities took almost two years to follow the policy adopted by World Rugby based on evidence about the increased injury risk for women facing male players. 

History of policy changes

For a full history of policy changes, see our Sports timeline

Here’s how facing a crisis pushed the biggest sports to act.

The post Sports policies for competition appeared first on Sex Matters.

The post The problem of male inclusion in women’s sport appeared first on Sex Matters.

The post XY athletes in women’s Olympic boxing: the Paris 2024 controversy explained appeared first on Sex Matters.

The post International Olympic Committee Was Warned About Male Boxers, World Boxing Organization Vice President Says appeared first on Sex Matters.

He started by reading out the IOC statement from 1st August. 

“Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination.”

This is why a protected category for women and girls is necessary in almost every sport. Category rules exclude those who don’t belong in that category. Failing to protect the female category is discrimination against females. Exclusion of males is necessary for the inclusion of females.

“All athletes [in this event] comply with eligibility rules and entry regulations and applicable medical regulations.”

That is not a satisfactory answer if the rules are unfair. New Zealand male weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was allowed into the women’s competition in the Tokyo Olympics but would not be now, since the International Weightlifting Federation changed its rules.

“Gender and age are based on their passport.”

Sex is material reality. It is not changed by what’s written on a piece of paper. If this is the extent of the requirements, it gives no confidence that competitors will face a fair fight.

“The PBU used the Tokyo 2020 boxing rules.” 

But that was also run by the IOC. 

“They were based on the post-Rio rules in 2016.” 

At that time the IOC policy was testosterone suppression. A journalist later asked Mark Adams to spell out what those post-Rio rules were, but he did not answer the question. He claimed it was in the 10-page attachment linked to the statement. But there is nothing in those attachments relating to eligibility for men’s and women’s, or male and female, competition. In a long list of technical details about gloves, scales, uniforms, it says neither men nor women can have long hair that is not tied back, and women may not be pregnant. There are no definitions of man or woman.

“The two athletes have been competing in women’s boxing competitions for many years.”

Since 2018, it seems. But past mistakes do not justify current injustices.

“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision…” 

Minutes of a board meeting of the International Boxing Association (IBA) show that tests were sent to a laboratory. Any decision may appear sudden, but that doesn’t make it wrong or arbitrary. The IOC no longer recognises the IBA, so it is not surprising to see it dismiss IBA decisions.

“The current aggression against these two athletes…”

The anger is mostly against the IOC for putting women in this situation. Is it aggressive to ask why boxers previously deemed ineligible are now allowed? If the IOC cannot come up with a better reason than “their passports say they are female”, it can expect this debate to continue.

“Rules should be based on scientific evidence…”

At last something on which we can agree. But the IOC’s 2021 framework document says there should be “no presumed advantage” for transgender or DSD athletes (those with disorders of sexual development). This is tantamount to saying there should be no presumed advantage for male athletes over female ones.

“The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games…”

But not the women, it seems.

More doublespeak in the media conference

After reading the statement Adams answered questions. Asked about the science, he said:

“There is no scientific consensus. We at the IOC would be interested to hear of such a consensus.”

There is widespread consensus that the IOC is getting this badly wrong. It has funded a study which other academics have debunked as poor science with misleading conclusions. Many other studies point to male exclusion as the only way to guarantee fair and safe competition for females. 

Adams was asked about sex testing, and repeated his comments from the previous day:

“I don’t think anyone wants to see a return to that… This is a minefield… if we can find a consensus, and we will work towards a consensus, we will certainly work to apply that… this is a question in all sports…we are open to listen to anyone with a solution to that question.”

It really isn’t a minefield. Sex testing is done with a simple cheek swab. Most female athletes wanted it and still do. If that is what the IOC believes, they need to ask women, and listen to the answer. They might also ask World Athletics, World Aquatics or UCI (cycling) how they are managing to operate their Female and Open categories.

“There are, or can be, suspicions about people’s sex. It is not up to us to act on all those suspicions.”

This is the IOC saying it will not enforce regulations in the boxing competition, even though it has taken over from the IBA. Would the same apply if there were rumours of doping? Adams answered a question about testing of the Chinese swimming team without expressing any doubts about the IOC’s responsibility to ensure clean sport.

“The Algerian boxer was registered as female… this is not a transgender issue or a man fighting a woman.”

How someone is registered is not proof of their sex. People may be incorrectly registered at birth, or their documents may later be changed. In the UK, the sex marker on a passport can be changed with a doctor’s letter. 

Asked whether to favour inclusion or safety of athletes, Adams replied:

“The IOC is always trying to balance inclusivity and fairness, to put it more broadly, also safety. That is a difficult one and something we will have to look at. That’s an entirely separate question to what’s going on here, which is a women boxer being stigmatised and potentially forced out of the competition.”

Safety can never be balanced with inclusion. Aiming for inclusion is laudable but that should never be at the expense of other people’s safety.

“There are many women with higher levels of testosterone than men.”

This is false. There is no overlap between the testosterone levels of healthy women (0.2 to 1.4 nanomoles per litre) and healthy men (10 to 30 nanomoles per litre).

What will it take?

Many sports have been unfair to women for years, but rarely do we see such reckless disregard for safety, defended as “inclusion”. Our video asks: What will it take for this dangerous situation to be addressed? 

Sex Matters is calling on the Secretary of State to recognise that leaving this to individual sports governing bodies is not working. It’s time for firm action from the government.

Read our briefings on:

• disorders of sexual development and sport
• the problem of male inclusion in women’s sport

And see also:

• Sports policies – which sports have restored fairness for women and girls
• Sports timeline of male inclusion in women’s sport
• Media briefing: why sex matters in sport

The post The IOC doubles down on unfairness for women in boxing appeared first on Sex Matters.

The post Briefing on sport and DSDs (disorders of sex development) appeared first on Sex Matters.

2003

Olympics transgender policy approved

The International Olympic Committee approves a policy for post-operative transsexuals to compete in women’s events, expecting this to be extremely rare, as Dr Emma Hilton explains in this talk.

2013

UK guidance for transgender inclusion

The UK Sports Councils Equality Group publishes its first-ever guidance for transgender inclusion in female events based on testosterone suppression. This is widely adopted by UK sports bodies despite no processes for monitoring compliance – hence in practice largely a self-ID policy.

2015

Trans runner advises amends

The International Olympic Committee consults a trans-identifying male runner, Joanna Harper, and amends its policy to require only 12 months of testosterone suppression below 10nmol (the typical female range is around 1nmol). Listen to Joanna Harper talk about being involved in changing the policy.

2018

UK women raise the alarm

Fair Play For Women starts raising concerns with UK and international sports federations.

2019

Policy review requested

Sharron Davies MBE and Fair Play For Women send a letter to the International Olympic Committee signed by 60 Olympians asking for a review of the 2015 testosterone suppression policy, to restore fairness for female competitors. There is no reply.

February 2020

World Rugby transgender policy workshop

World Rugby holds a workshop to determine its transgender policy, with full transparency and speakers from all sides including Dr Nicola Williams and Dr Emma Hilton.

March 2020

New UK guidance commissioned

The UK Sports Councils Equality Group commissions new guidance on transgender inclusion in female sport.

October 2020

World Rugby’s new policy

World Rugby announces its new policy: for female safety, no males will be permitted to play women’s international matches. National federations do not adopt the policy.

April 2021

Cycling and rugby unions consult

British Cycling and the Rugby Football Union run consultations on transgender policy, but no results are published. The RFU’s approach is a case-by-case assessment, but there is no detail on how this will work.

July 2021

Males in women’s Olympic teams from New Zealand, Canada and USA

There are three male-born competitors in women’s teams at the Tokyo Olympics, including weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who featured in the medalists’ press conference despite not winning a medal. Trans-identifying and “non-binary” females also compete in women’s teams.

September 2021

“Inclusion” or fairness – not both

New Sports Councils Equality Group guidance is published: trans (male) inclusion in female category is incompatible with fairness and in some cases safety for females. Sport governing bodies must choose.

November 2021

IOC abdicates responsibility

Widely mocked new IOC guidance abandons testosterone suppression, says there should be “no presumed advantage” and tells sports to make their own rules.

February 2022

Male swimmer in women’s races

Trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas wins and sets new records in women’s events at the Ivy League Championship and the NCAA championship in the USA. A trans-identifying female swims in the same event, in the women’s competition. Listen to the crowd in this race, dominated by Thomas.

March 2022

Opposition to male cyclist in women’s event

Trans-identifying male cyclist Emily Bridges is stopped from racing to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in the Wales women’s team by opposition from female cyclists.

April 2022

Cycling changes track

British Cycling withdraws its transgender inclusion policy, consults with its international federation, Union Cycliste Internationale, and declares Bridges ineligible.

June 2022

Women only in GB triathlon

British Triathlon announces a new policy re-establishing the female category for those born female.

The UK government minister responsible for sport hosts a round-table meeting of sport chief executives asking for policies that restore the female category.

June 2022

Women only in swimming

The international swimming federation, FINA, also known as World Aquatics, announces a new policy excluding anyone who has been through male puberty from female competition.

July 2022

English women’s rugby for women

Rugby Football Union (governing rugby union in England) and Rugby Football League (governing rugby league in England) adopt a revised policy following their international federations, restricting female full-contact rugby to those born female. A trans-identifying male player threatens a legal challenge.

August 2022

Triathlon fudges the issue;
boxing stays strong

World Triathlon announces a revised policy based on two years of testosterone suppression and a requirement not to have competed in men’s events for four years.

The World Boxing Council announces that its policy will remain sex-based for safety.

After lengthy review processes, the Irish RFU and Welsh Rugby Union adopt sex-based policies to match the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League.

August 2022

Volleyball England opts for fairness

Volleyball England introduces a transgender policy acknowledging that “safety and fairness cannot be reconciled with self-identification in the female category” and therefore excluding trans-identifying men from competing in the women’s category.

2023

Call for clarity in UK

In response to proposals from World Athletics, UK Athletics states that testosterone suppression does not work and calls for clarity in UK law. The Equality and Human Rights Commission responds with a statement that it is lawful to exclude all males, even those with a gender-recognition certificate, from female sport.

March 2023

World Athletics: women only

In a surprise announcement, World Athletics announces that female events will be open only to those born female, with effect from 31st March.

UK Athletics announces that it will adopt the World Athletics policy with immediate effect.

March 2023

Karate: females only

The British Karate Federation restricts women’s competitions to those born female.

April 2023

Open and female categories in British swimming

Swim England adopts a sex-based policy for all licensed competitions. Other UK swimming federations adopt the same policy.

May 2023

British Cycling compromises

British Cycling adopts open and female categories for all competitions from the end of 2023. But “women-only” Breeze rides – designed to encourage more women to cycle for fun – will still include “transgender women and non-binary people”.

July 2023

World cycling (UCI) gets in line

The world cycling federation, Union Cycliste Internationale, adopts open and female categories, coming into line with the other big Olympic sports – athletics and swimming.

August 2023

Rowing in Britain

British Rowing announces that its female category will be restricted to those “assigned female at birth”, alongside an open category, from 11th September 2023.

August 2023

Badminton in England

Badminton England announces its new policy with immediate effect.

October 2023

Woman’s leg broken in football match

A row breaks out in a Sheffield women’s football league after a female player is seriously injured, prompting much media coverage but no action from the Football Association.

November 2023

Pool is sued

A group of female pool players in the UK launches a legal action against pool authorities to reinstate the protected female category in women’s pool tournaments.

November 2023

International cricket takes a stand

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announces new gender eligibility regulations, protecting the women’s game.

November 2023

Angling is fair

England’s Angling Trust announces that the women’s shore-angling team will in future have only women in it. The story of how the women of the England team took a stand unfolded in the Mail on Sunday, starting in June with more in September and then a policy change at the international governing body.

December 2023

British Judo

British Judo adopts a revised policy in which only those who have not gone through male puberty are eligible for women’s events, without publicity.

A report from think-tank Policy Exchange makes the case for a protected female category in sport.

January 2024

“Inclusion” harms women

A new report from Fair Play For Women shows how “inclusion” in sport is harming women and girls in the UK, with personal testimonies from 25 sports. 

March 2024

American Football in Britain sees sense

The British American Football quietly introduces a revised policy to protect female players.

A new paper by 26 academics, The International Olympic Committee framework on fairness, inclusion and nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex variations does not protect fairness for female athletes, points out the flaws in the IOC’s November 2021 statement.

February 2024

Human rights?

Male-born rider Emily Bridges threatens to take British Cycling to the European Court of Human Rights. Watch Sex Matters’ Fiona McAnena discussing the case on Free Speech Nation.

April 2024

World Netball protects women

After a years-long review process, World Netball announces it will restrict women’s teams to those born female, regardless of identity. But the policy is instantly rejected by Netball Australia, the biggest netball country.

May 2024

World Sailing protects women

A new policy restricts participation in women’s events to those who have not gone through male puberty.

September 2024

British Fencing adopts sex-based policy

In September 2024 another UK sport protects the female category with a revised policy.

October 2024

Cricket introduces a two-tier policy

The England and Wales Cricket Board is forced to align the top end of cricket with the International Cricket Council’s policy, which restricts women’s teams to those born female, but decides that at the domestic level “individuals are accepted in the gender they identify as”.

December 2024

US Ladies Professional Golf Association is true to its name

Hailey Davidson, a male college golfer, is one stroke away from the women’s pro tour when the LPGA changes its policy to exclude anyone who has gone through male puberty.

December 2024

The Lawn Tennis Association goes for compromise

After three years’ deliberation, the LTA declares that tennis is a gender-affected sport and that “specified” competitions, anything between clubs and higher level, must be fair for female players. Clubs have discretion to follow this principle for their own events. The LTA’s shocking changing-rooms policy has also been replaced with a sex-based policy based on the EHRC guidance. 

January 2025

England Hockey keeps it simple and fair

England Hockey updates its policy, acknowledging that hockey is a gender-affected sport and so to secure fair competition its Trans and Non-Binary Participation Policy should restrict trans participation.

January 2025

Compromises for golf in England Scotland and Wales

England Golf, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf announces that women’s scratch golf tournaments will be female only, while anyone may register as female and obtain a “female” handicap for all other events. 

January 2025

Complicated rules re-establish fairness but leave the door open

World Triathlon’s new policy adopts open and female categories, but allows trans-identifying males into elite female events after four years of testosterone suppression.

February 2025

Limited fairness for female sailors, and no changing room privacy

The Royal Yachting Association adopts World Sailing policy for its events but tells clubs and classes, which organise the majority of races, to make their own rules and to favour “inclusion”(unfairness) for women. Changing room guidance says: “As a starting point, people who are trans or non-binary should be able to use the toilets, showers and changing facilities of their choice.”

March 2025

Safer ice-hockey across the UK

Ice Hockey UK announces that its female category will be restricted to those whose sex at birth was female.

March 2025

Fairness for women in rowing

88% of delegates at the World Rowing Congress vote to restrict eligibility for women’s events to those registered female at birth.

April 2025

The end of the UK pool legal case

Ultimate Pool Group amends its rules to restrict women’s tournaments to those born female, ending a 15-month legal action brought by female players. 

April 2025

Scottish Football Association shows leadership

The SFA announces that, from next season, only those born biologically female will be allowed to take part in competitive matches in the women’s game.

May 2025

The FA protects women’s football in England

On 1 May, the Football Association announces that from 1st June, trans-identifying male players would no longer be allowed to play in women’s teams. Registered male players were being contacted individually, with up to six counselling sessions on offer.

May 2025

England Netball

Belatedly following its world body, England Netball announces that from next season, 1st September, only those female at birth can play in women’s netball.

May 2025

The ECB drops its two-tier policy

With immediate effect, the England and Wales Cricket Board has said: “Only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches”.

June 2025

Scottish Rowing comes on board

From 1 June, rowing in Scotland will follow the British and Welsh Rowing policy of Female and Open categories.

June 2025

British Wrestling publishes new policy

British Wrestling’s revised policy, released on the website without fanfare, protects the female category based on sex at birth.

July 2025

Table Tennis England protects the female category

TTE withdraws its old self-ID policy and puts out a sex-at-birth policy for consultation.

July 2025

Canoeing sorts itself out

Paddle UK, which governs canoeing and kayaking, withdraws its self-ID policy and announces intention to align with the FWS Supreme Court judgment.

July 2025

Archery GB announces revised policy

The female category will be only for those registered female at birth. There will be an Open category for anyone ineligible for the female category.

July 2025

British Weight Lifting new policy leaves no doubt

In a simple one-page statement, the new policy protects the female category. It cites the Supreme Court and says: “No male has the right in law to self-identify into a female changing room, toilet or other single-sex space in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.”

July 2025

Basketball England sees the light

After a review which started in May 2025, Basketball England announces on 31st July that, with immediate effect, its policy must reflect the Supreme Court’s definition. “As such, Basketball England’s updated policy confirms that participation in the female category is open only to those who are biologically female at birth.”

August 2025

An important tweak from British Judo

Responding to the For Women Scotland judgment, British Judo’s competition policy changes from “no male puberty” to “sex at birth” – but its “Female Fighters” day is still open to anyone claiming to be a woman.

September 2025

Scottish Hockey capitulates

Acknowledging that it is a gender-affected sport, Scottish Hockey adopts a sex at birth policy for women’s hockey, renaming its men’s category Open.

September 2025

World snowsport adopts sex screening

The world federation for skiing and snowboarding, FIS, announces that it will protect the female category and will test athletes for the SRY gene, the same sex screening used by World Athletics.

December 2025

World fencing (FIE) restores a protected female category

This follows the lead set by British Fencing in 2024 in adopting sex at birth for the women’s category.

February 2026

Croquet England opts for fairness

The policy is based on sex “assigned at birth” but states clearly that this is unchanged by any form of “transition”. But competition not listed on the official calendar is not regulated.

March 2026

England Squash announces a two-tier policy

The best female players get fairness, while most women squash players will continue to face men who identify as women in women’s competition.

March 2026

International Olympic Committee announces new policy

As expected, following reports that a working group led by the chief medical officer had recognised that male advantage is irreversible, the IOC announced its “Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport”. The title is a significant shift away from past statements about transgender inclusion.

April 2026

Darts!

The Darts Regulation Authority replaced its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy with an Eligibility Policy and Rules for open and women’s tournaments with immediate effect.

The post Sports timeline appeared first on Sex Matters.