Latest news with #MeltonCentral
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Transgender netball player hits back after being banned from Victorian league
A transgender netball player who was banned from a Victorian competition has hit back at the decision, accusing a rival club of hypocrisy and fuelling a climate of discrimination. Manawa Aranui, who transitioned after previously competing in men's netball, was told she could no longer take the court for Melton Central Football and Netball Club in the Riddell District Netball League (RDNL). The ruling followed a threat from neighbouring club Melton South, which said it would forfeit matches if Aranui or her fellow transgender teammate were allowed to play. The club cited concerns over player safety. On Wednesday, the RDNL confirmed the ban under Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act, which permits sporting bodies to restrict participation where strength, stamina, or physique is considered a material factor. The league's statement triggered an impassioned public response from Aranui, who posted to Facebook criticising both the ruling and the motivations behind it. 'I've sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I've been dragged — publicly and without consent — into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked,' she wrote. 'This won't be a long novel — because frankly, these bigots don't deserve my time or energy ... Melton South Football Netball Club and your Netball Coordinator/players: you're entitled to your opinions, but let's clear some things up. 'Your head coach tried to recruit me to play for your club. Yes — YOUR HEAD COACH TRIED TO RECRUIT ME.' Aranui shared what she claimed was a screenshot of text messages from a Melton South official, appearing to ask whether she'd be open to playing A-grade next season 'depending on the rules.' Now banned, she says her gender identity only became an issue when she wasn't on their team. 'You've played six quarters against me — AND we played all season last year alongside each other for Glen Orden — suddenly NOW I'm 'dangerous'?' she wrote. 'Apparently now, I run full-speed into players and knock them over? We have two umpires on the court to keep the game safe. If I had done what you claim, wouldn't I have been warned, penalised, or reprimanded?' She insists she has not received a single caution in any competition. 'You're entitled to believe it's 'unfair' for cis women to compete against transgender women. That's your opinion. But the lies? They need to stop. 'You're not out here protecting women's sport. You're being malicious, using false narratives to mask your bigotry and personal agendas behind the guise of 'safeguarding women's spaces.'' She claims the online abuse had been damaging. 'You've spread stories, targeted me, and enabled me to become the sole focus of online abuse and sideline harassment … I hope you're proud of that. And I hope no child in your families ever has to endure what you've subjected me to,' she said. The RDNL's decision followed the circulation of video footage showing Aranui colliding with a Romsey player. Netball Victoria has confirmed it is investigating, saying it engaged an independent expert to assess the concerns raised by clubs and players. In 2018, Netball Victoria amended its bylaws to allow transgender and non-binary players to compete in female competitions based on self-identified gender. The move aligned with national guidelines developed with organisations such as Proud 2 Play and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). Under the Sex Discrimination Act, sports may restrict participation if safety or competitive fairness concerns are objectively proven. But outside those exemptions, gender identity cannot be used to exclude athletes. The ASC guidelines state: 'It is important that sporting bodies … reflect the diversity in the communities they are a part of, and that together, we ensure every person is treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two transgender netball players banned after opponent sent crashing to ground
Two transgender netball players have been banned from competing in Australia after a video showed one of them knocking an opponent to the ground. Rival teams threatened a boycott over footage of Melton Central player Manawa Aranui sending a member of the Romsey team crashing to the court. There was no foul and Aranui, who played elite men's netball before transition, is seen offering to help the opponent to her feet. However, following a host of complaints, Victoria's Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) announced the two trans Melton Central team-mates were now excluded from competition. Credit: Snapchat/Social media Melton South Netball Club had threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central due to safety concerns. The RDFNL acknowledges the pair 'exhibit superior stamina and physique' in a statement explaining the ban. 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL netball competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors, deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant,' a statement said. Netball Victoria has also confirmed it is investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess concerns. The Daily Mail reports Aranui had already faced bans from other governing bodies after transitioning. In April, the Ballarat Football Netball League deemed Aranui ineligible for their women's competition after obtaining legal advice citing the Sex Discrimination Act. Yet Aranui continued to play for Melton Central, for whom she was recently named best on court in a Division 1 grand final. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson subsequently told News Corp reporters in Australia that she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' In response, a furious Aranui said on Facebook: 'I've sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I've been dragged – publicly and without consent – into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked. Now, it's exploded across social media and news outlets. 'I'm not usually one to let outside noise affect me, but when 'opinions' and 'statements' are being twisted and presented as facts, I no longer feel it's my place to stay silent. 'This won't be a long novel – because frankly, these bigots don't deserve my time or energy. But since things have gotten nasty, let's set the record straight. 'Melton South Football Netball Club and your Netball Coordinator/players: you're entitled to your opinions, but let's clear some things up. 'Your head coach tried to recruit me to play for your club. Yes – YOUR HEAD COACH TRIED TO RECRUIT ME. The same club now publicly speaking out against me, bashing me, and attacking the trans/non-binary community in the media, is the very club whose head coach approached me to join you. (Read that again. Let it sink in.) #Hypocrites.' Netball Victoria allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. That contrasts with protections for women's sport in the UK. England Netball was among organisations to immediately ban all transgender women from competing in the female category in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that the word 'woman' applies to biological females. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Prominent women's rights activist breaks her silence after two transgender netballers were BANNED by a local league in Australia
A women's rights activist has spoken of her delight after two transgender athletes were banned from competing in a local netball league in Victoria. Australian businesswoman Sall Grover - who founded a women's only social media app called Giggle For Girls - says she is also hopeful that the decision might pave the way for other sporting bodies to follow suit. Earlier on Wednesday, it was revealed that two transgender netball players were being banned from competing in Victoria's Riddell District Netball Football League for the 2025 season. The athletes had been playing for Melton Central against Melton Souths, but over the weekend, footage emerged showing one of the Central players, Manawa Aranui, appearing to send an opponent crashing to the floor of the court. The play was legal and Aranui had offered to help her rival player back to her feet. Some players of the Melton Souths contingent have subsequently threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central over safety concerns on their decision to name two transgender players in their squad. Grover, meanwhile, had previously called for the exclusion of both Central netball players, but upon learning that both had subsequently been handed bans, the Australian said the decision was 'very satisfying'. 'I am incredibly happy that there has been one sport in Australia who has acknowledged the relevance of female sport,' Grover told Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm very, very happy because - and for it to be netball is also very good - netball is traditionally a female-led sport and it appears that they've looked at the law and gone, oh yeah, turn on, we can ban these men and there's nothing they can do about it. That is very satisfying.' The subject of transgender athletes has been a hotly debated topic in recent years, with multiple sporting bodies, from World Athletics to World Netball, prohibiting trans players from competing in top-level events. When pressed on why she believes it is important to stop transgender athletes from comopeting in female events, Grover said: 'It exists so women have safety and fairness. 'I mean, there's a reason why women aren't going out there and demanding to be part of - the example I always use - Can you imagine a woman on a rugby union field? I mean, she'd be killed. If they played at their full capacity, she's dead. 'Or then she changes the entire match because they don't play at their full capacity. And so it's this boring match where everyone watching players tiptoe around because there's a woman on the field. 'It changes the entire game. It just is what it is. We watch these matches to watch the most extreme fitness of bodies in play like right now.' Victoria's Riddell District Netball Football League released a statement on Wednesday on the bans, revealing they had made the decision to impose suspensions on the two players in relation to Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act. The statement read: 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL Netball Competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior, stamina and physique over their competitors deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant.' The Sex Discrimination Act makes it clear that it is against the law for a person to discriminate against another because of their sex or gender identity. Section 42 of that act, states: 'Nothing in division one or two renders it unlawful to exclude persons of one sex from participation in any competitive sporting activity in which the strength, stamina or physique of competitors is relevant.' Aranui, meanwhile, has subsequently broken her silence on the matter, after it was announced she and another player had been banned. 'I've sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I've been dragged—publicly and without consent — into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked,' Aranui wrote. 'You're entitled to believe it's 'unfair' for cis women to compete against transgender women. That's your opinion. But the lies? They need to stop. 'You're not out here protecting women's sport. You're being malicious, using false narratives to mask your bigotry and personal agendas behind the guise of 'safeguarding women's spaces.' 'You've spread stories, targeted me, and enabled me to become the sole focus of online abuse and sideline harassment from other clubs and their supporters — right here, in a space where I come to play a sport I love. A place I come to laugh, sweat, compete, and find community. 'I hope you're proud of that. And I hope no child in your families ever has to endure what you've subjected me to.' Netball Victoria is understood to be investigating the matter. 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds,' a spokesperson for Netball Victoria said. 'That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' The governing body's current policy, introduced in 2018, allows transgender and non-binary players to register and compete in female competitions based on self-identified gender. 'Our goal is to ensure every player feels safe, valued and supported,' the spokesperson added. 'We are working closely with affected clubs to find a resolution that is lawful, inclusive and safe for all participants.' However, by allowing trans athletes to compete in women's disciplines, Grover claims sports are not respecting the rights of female athletes to fair competition. 'I mean, fairness is following the same rules as everyone else, which is just participating in sport according to your sex category,' Grover, who has worked in the film and television industry and studied journalism and philosophy at Bond University, added. 'That's all it is. And so if you wanted any sort of accommodations in that, it would be like making sure that male teams were quite OK with guys that wear skirts arriving and if they have the feminine presenting them, whatever, the trans-identified men, they just accept them. So the onus is on them. 'The onus is not on women's sports teams to change the entire rules of the game and put women in danger and take away opportunities. Because the other thing, and this isn't necessarily a bigger thing in recreational netball-type sports, but leaning up further into it, we must remember that every time there's a man on the team, or in the track event, or the swimming, whatever it is, women missing out purely because he's there. Because it's a numbers game. So there's eight people who can swim in the race and you've got seven women and one man. Well, who's the eighth woman who missed out? Because they put him in instead. She didn't even get a chance.' While World Netball prohibits trans players from competing on the international stage, Equality Australia, who advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, say blanket bans on trans athletes are unfair. 'Community-level sport should focus on inclusion and participation,' a representative said. 'Sport is for everyone, and [Australian Institute of Sport] guidelines reaffirm the need that sporting bodies play their part in providing a safe and inclusive environment for all,' Beau Newel, Equity Australia national program manager of pride in sport added. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) guidelines add that it is important for all Australians to have the chance to compete in sport. 'All Australians should have the opportunity to be involved in sport and physical activity, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background or ethnicity,' the ASC writes. 'It is important that sporting bodies, from local clubs through to national sporting organisations, reflect the diversity in the communities they are a part of, and that together, we ensure every person is treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination.'
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Two transgender netball players banned after opponent sent crashing to ground
Two transgender netball players have been banned from competing in Australia after a video showed one of them knocking an opponent to the ground. Rival teams threatened a boycott over footage of Melton Central player Manawa Aranui sending a member of the Romsey team crashing to the court. There was no foul and Aranui, who played elite men's netball before transition, is seen offering to help the opponent to her feet. However, following a host of complaints, Victoria's Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) announced the two trans Melton Central team-mates were now excluded from competition. Melton South Netball Club had threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central due to safety concerns. The RDFNL acknowledges the pair 'exhibit superior stamina and physique' in a statement explaining the ban. 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL netball competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors, deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant,' a statement said. Netball Victoria has also confirmed it is investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess concerns. The Daily Mail reports Aranui had already faced bans from other governing bodies after transitioning. In April, the Ballarat Football Netball League deemed Aranui ineligible for their women's competition after obtaining legal advice citing the Sex Discrimination Act. Yet Aranui continued to play for Melton Central, for whom she was recently named best on court in a Division 1 grand final. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson subsequently told News Corp reporters in Australia that she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' Netball Victoria allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex.
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Moment trans netball player flattens opponent before being banned from league as rival teams threaten to boycott matches
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a transgender netball player sent a rival crashing to the court - just days before being banned from competing as teams threatened to boycott matches. Footage shows Manawa Aranui, a former elite men's player, crashing into an opponent during a hard but legal play in Australia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The moment Manawa Aranui crashed into an opponent during a netball game 4 Aranui immediately offers a hand to help her up 4 The athlete used to be an elite men's netball player 4 Aranui has since been banned from the league after rival teams threatened to boycott all games over safety fears Credit: Instagram/westernfnl The rival Romsey player hits the deck as Aranui — towering over her — immediately offers a hand to help her up. The clash on Sunday's match has since sparked outrage across the Victorian netball community with. On Wednesday, the Riddell District Netball Football League (RDFNL) announced that Aranui and another transgender player from Melton Central have now been banned for the rest of the 2025 season. The bombshell move came after Melton South Netball Club threatened to boycott all games involving the pair over safety fears. The league said: 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL Netball Competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant.' That section of the law allows sporting bodies to exclude players if "strength, stamina, or physique" could create an unfair advantage or risk. Aranui — who previously starred in men's netball — has become a lightning rod in Australia's growing trans-in-sport debate. She was named best on ground in a Division 1 grand final for Melton Central, fuelling calls for a ban. Melton South netball coordinator Melissa Dawson said: 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous. Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' B Grade player Erin added: 'I went up for the ball and just got pushed and dropped. They're so much stronger, and I'm genuinely scared I'll get hurt.' Trans women are NOT women, Supreme Court rules in win for anti-woke campaigners after battle over female-only spaces She said she would sit out any future games against Melton Central if the players remained in the lineup. Another player added: 'It deters women from playing the sport they love. We've worked hard to keep girls in the game.' Women's rights campaigner Sall Grover also weighed in, demanding Aranui's immediate removal from female competitions. 'There are many mixed-sex netball competitions at the recreational level,' she said. 'Everyone on those teams is making a choice to participate in a mixed-sex competition.' Grover, founder of women-only social app Giggle for Girls, warned: 'Males on female teams put the females in danger, while taking away the limited opportunities there are for sportswomen.' She continued: 'There are protections in the Sex Discrimination Act for female-only sport — look them up. 'It's about women having the right to play sport without fear of injury or losing opportunity.' Despite being ruled ineligible by the Ballarat Football Netball League in April, Aranui was still playing for Melton Central until the RDFNL stepped in this week. Melton Central president Paul Sinclair previously confirmed both transgender players would continue taking the court while the club awaited direction from Netball Victoria. Now, that direction appears to be coming into sharper focus. Netball Victoria has launched a formal investigation, engaging an independent expert to assess concerns raised by multiple clubs and players. A spokesperson said: 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds. That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' Netball Victoria's 2018 policy — developed with Proud 2 Play and based on national guidelines — allows players to compete based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. But the fierce backlash has put pressure on officials to review how those policies are applied when safety and fairness are raised. Equality Australia argues against blanket bans, insisting 'community-level sport should focus on inclusion and participation.' But critics say the current system fails to protect female athletes. Grover added: 'Everyone needs to ask themselves why female sport exists in the first place. It's because male and female bodies are different, and bodies play sport.'
