US Rugby teams ditch women's division so trans players can compete in gender neutral 'open' category

In the wake of USA Rugby creating an "open" category in addition to men’s and women’s divisions that would allow any athlete, regardless of sex, to compete, some rugby programs have eliminated their women’s divisions in order to compete under the open category. 

USA Rugby said that the creation of the new category was necessary to comply with an executive order issued by Trump in 2025, "which the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has determined applies to all National Governing Bodies." Failure to comply could result in sanctions or the loss of national governing body status, the organization said.

The Charlotte Royals, a North Carolina-based team that claims to be "Charlotte’s All-Inclusive Rugby Club," released a statement saying, "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." Per Fox News, another team, the Mother Ruckers, has expressed similar intentions. 

"Trans women were the trailblazers of the US 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. 

The organization Rugby For All has urged club members across the country to urge leadership to register for the open division, writing, "We are calling on every women’s club in the United States to register for the Open Division. If we move together as a block, we prove that the restrictive Women’s category does not represent our values. We stay together or we do not play at all."

Numerous other rugby clubs have spoken out against USA Rugby’s rule changes. The Boston Ironsides club wrote, "we believe that rugby is for everyone, regardless of gender identity. This policy unfairly targets trans members of our community and goes against everything that we stand for." The Spoke Phoenix club wrote, "Rugby should be for everyone. Spokeane Phoenix stands with our trans teammates and community. Trans players belong in rugby."