Latest news with #SexDiscriminationAct
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.
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.'
The Irish Sun
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Moment trans netball player flattens opponent before being banned from league as rival teams threaten to boycott matches
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. 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. Most read in Sport 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.' Read more on the Irish Sun 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.'
Sky News AU
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Women's Forum Australia's Stephanie Bastiaan calls for more to speak up against involvement of transgender players in women's sport
Members of a Victorian women's netball club have been praised after their advocacy against facing transgender players on another team sparked an investigation by the state's peak netball body. Netball Victoria is currently investigating whether transgender players pose a safety risk to women players. An independent expert is reviewing possible on-court safety risks after a club in Melbourne's outer north said it was worried about the size and strength of the two transgender players who represent Melton Central. The decision to launch the review came after Melton South players threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central due to concerns over the safety of the team against transgender players. Women's Forum Australia head of advocacy Stephanie Bastiaan said she was "very pleased" about the boycott as it meant teams were "biting back". "Parents are speaking out. Players are threatening to boycott. Teams are threatening to withdraw. But it's disappointing that it has to come to this in order to get action," Ms Bastiaan told Sky News' Danica De Giorgio on Monday. "We've had big changes overseas with protecting women's sport in the US. The whole gender issue in the UK has come to a head. And yet here we are still in Australia, where men are identifying into women's sports spaces, so on, so forth. "So well done to these players for speaking up and for pushing back. And I hope we see more of it so that we can get further action to protect women's sport. Absolutely." Ms Bastiaan said it shouldn't be up to sporting clubs to get into trouble for fielding transgender players, but argued the Sex Discrimination Act needed to be amended in order to protect women's sport. "I think there are some sporting clubs that are ideologically captured, and they're prioritising diversity and inclusion over fairness and safety for women and girls. But I think, there is also an undercurrent of fear of litigation," she said. "It shouldn't be up to sporting clubs to have to face litigation in order to work out whether they can legally discriminate against males to protect female sport. We need clarity in the law. "We need to reinstate biological definitions into the Sex Discrimination Act and we need to scrap these so-called protected provisions altogether and have a blanket support for women's sport as its own category. And if other clubs want to be more open, they can have these open categories or mixed sporting teams."
Epoch Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Minister Defends Trans Inclusion After Student Breaks Records
South Australian Education Minister Blair Boyer has defended the inclusion of transgender girls in school sports, following criticism from federal and community figures over fairness and safety concerns. His stance comes after media reports that a male-to-female trans student broke records at a South Australian Catholic's sports day. The 13-year-old child reportedly competed last year as well, achieving strong results in javelin throwing. Some parents expressed concern over the student's participation, prompting debate about whether current school sports policies are fair to all students. However, the state's education minister said the state's approach aligns with its gender inclusion policies, which support students competing in sports based on the gender they identify with. 'We've got a lot of kids at school in South Australia, about 280,000 at hundreds and hundreds of schools, and this issue has only been brought to my attention once or twice in the three years I've been minister,' he told reporters. Related Stories 5/8/2025 2/3/2025 'For the large part, it does operate well. I think it does mean all kids get a chance to participate and be included in sport at school. 'I can see that they are angry, but what I would say to them is as the minister—I want them to be places where everybody feels welcome,' he said. Boyer said he wanted trans children to feel included due to the high rate of attempted suicide among that demographic. Call to Protect Fairness Federal Liberal Senator Leah Blyth responded by calling for immediate action to protect girls' sports. 'Sport should embody fair play and equal opportunity,' she said in a statement. 'That principle was clearly tested this week.' She argued that allowing biological males to compete in girls' sports undermines both fairness and safety. 'For decades, we've had separate male and female sporting categories for the same reason we have age groups or weight classes—to ensure fairness,' she said. 'The federal Sex Discrimination Act allows single-sex competitions where strength, stamina, or physique are relevant.' Senator Blyth said that Boyer had focused on the fairness of the minority while forgetting the 'many.' Blyth warned that long-standing records of girls' sporting achievements could be overshadowed by the inclusion of a biological male in their sport. 'We tell our daughters that if they train and work hard, they can succeed,' she said. 'But what happens to that promise if they're forced to compete against someone with an innate physical advantage?' Blyth added that female athletes could end up walking away from their sports if they perceive a disadvantage. 'Let me be clear, transgender students deserve kindness and support,' she said. 'No one is calling for exclusion. But gender identity cannot override biological facts in competitive sport. No declaration of identity changes the physiological effects of male puberty.' The senator called on the federal government to develop clear policies that maintains sporting categories for biological girls while also providing alternatives for other students. 'Unfair on Girls' Former Australian Defence Force member, conservative blogger, and Catholic father Bernard Gaynor said Catholic schools should uphold what he called 'biological reality.' 'Catholic schools should be upholding biological reality instead of caving to the belief that a person can change gender,' Gaynor told The Epoch Times. He argued the situation raised concerns for both fairness in sport and broader school values. 'It is time for Catholic bishops to man up, get control of their schools, and start teaching truth in the same way that Christ did. He was crucified for it,' he said. 'Instead of following Christ's example, it seems the bishops would rather keep the government dollars flowing. Their priorities are wrong and society is suffering as a result.' Petition Launched Advocacy group Women's Forum Australia launched a petition to help keep women's sports for biological women, particularly in events where strength and stamina are decisive. 'In events where power, stamina, and strength are deciding factors, athletes who have passed through male puberty have a lifelong advantage that tilts the playing field very significantly in their favour,' the petition states. 'In addition, transgender inclusion elevates the risk to women's safety, particularly for contact sports.' The petition can be viewed
