On Wednesday, England Hockey announced a new policy that will ban transgender women from competing in the women’s division from the start of next season.
To address the issue of transgender and non-binary participation, the governing body has introduced two competition categories: female and open, with the latter open to all participants, including transgender and non-binary players.
The review of the previous policy began in July 2023 and included guidance from the Sports Council’s Equality Group. “Based on this evidence, we have determined that trans and non-binary participation policies should restrict trans participation to ensure fair competition,” England Hockey said.
“We want to support all affected players to ensure they find the right path to continue participating in hockey,” the organization added.
The new policy, effective September 1, aims to “ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate fairly in the game of hockey.”
Several other sports organizations have recently introduced similar restrictions on transgender women’s participation in elite women’s events. The Lawn Tennis Association has banned transgender women from some national tennis and padel tournaments, and the LPGA Golf Tour announced last month that transgender women who have gone through puberty will be ineligible to compete beginning with the 2025 season.
Similarly, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in October that post-pubertal male players would be ineligible for top-flight women’s cricket from 2025.
