Some rugby programs eliminate women's teams in favor of 'open' category for trans athletes

USA Rugby women's teams Charlotte Royals and Mother Ruckers switched to new "open" category following policy restricting women's competition to biological females. Rugby Some rugby programs eliminate women's teams in favor of 'open' category for trans athletes USA Rugby's 'open' category is now a proof of concept for other programs to get around policies meant to protect women's sports By Jackson Thompson Fox News Published March 4, 2026 3:46pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries comes out in support of Trump after medaling at Milan Cortina Olympics U.S. Olympic bobsledding star Kaillie Humphries reveals her support of President Trump, including his protection of women's sports, his celebration of the men's hockey team, and immigration enforcement as a legal immigrant herself from Canada. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Some rugby programs that compete in competitions sanctioned by USA Rugby are starting to eliminate their women's teams to start teams under the "open" gender division. The changes come in response to a new policy by USA Rugby to only allow biological females to compete in women's competition. The Charlotte Royals and the Mother Ruckers each put out statements declaring their support for the "open" category, encouraging other teams to also switch from a women's team to an "open" team. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM "On 2/27/2026, a law was put into effect by the current U.S. administration that bans trans women from playing in Women's Divisions," the Roylas said in a statement. "USA Rugby has made changes to its eligibility policy based on these laws. USA Rugby has introduced the Open Division, a division separate from Women’s and Men’s divisions, for clubs and unions to sanction matches for all genders to participate in. For context, USA Rugby is the governing body of all rugby played in the US. "The Charlotte Royals believe that trans women are women. Banning trans players hurts everyone in the sport and the larger community. We will be using the Open Division for any sanctioned matches we engage in, and encourage other clubs/unions to do the same."Trans women were the trailblazers of the U.S. LGBTQIA+ Liberation movement during Stonewall, especially Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. We will continue to include our trans siblings in our organization and community, without hesitation." USA Rugby announced Friday it would be introducing a new "open" gender division to accommodate trans athletes. Gabriella Cantorna, Ilona Maher and Emily Henrich of the USA react as they sing their national anthems prior to the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A match between USA and Samoa at York Community Stadium on September 06, 2025 in York, England. (Molly Darlington - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) The new rule came more than a year after President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order and nearly seven months after the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee's (USOPC) new requirement for all governing bodies to comply with it. A general view of the USA Rugby goal line flag before the match between Team United States and Team Scotland at Audi Field on July 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Scottish Rugby)"USA Rugby will now have three competition categories; Men’s Division, Women’s Division and Open Division. The Open Division will permit any athlete, regardless of gender assigned at birth and gender identity, to compete in USA Rugby-sanctioned events, whether full contact or non-contact," the organization said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Gabriella Cantorna, Ilona Maher and Emily Henrich of the USA react as they sing their national anthems prior to the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A match between USA and Samoa at York Community Stadium on September 06, 2025 in York, England. (Molly Darlington - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) In July, the USOPC updated its athlete safety policy to indicate compliance with Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. USA Rugby's "open" category is now a proof of concept for other programs to get around Trump's executive order, to keep trans athletes competing against women while leaving women with no female-only option. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Related Article Privacy concerns, discrimination, doctor pushback: the compliance traps looming behind sex-separated sports Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com. Related Topics RugbyOlympicsSports Fox News First Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to y