FAW accused of ‘sanctioning doping’ with new rule for trans players

Martin Shipton

A gender critical women’s rights group has accused the Football Association of Wales of sanctioning the doping of football players with a new rule relating to transgender people who want to play in men’s teams.

The Women’s Rights Network has issued a statement saying: “The FAW just approved anabolic steroid use – and called it policy.

“In a new policy release, FAW has given the green light for female-born players to undergo testosterone treatment to enter male categories.

“This decision makes a mockery of clean sport and fundamental anti-doping policies.

“Under Section 3.2 of the new policy, female players who identify as male / non-binary can play in men’s competitions if ‘Gender-related treatment has increased circulating testosterone to within the normal adult male physiological range (7.7-29.4 nmol/L).’

“By explicitly writing this into competition rules, a national governing body is telling athletes that doping for performance or eligibility is acceptable under its jurisdiction.

“Testosterone is classified as an Anabolic Androgenic Steroid. In any other sporting context, taking it to reach male reference ranges would result in an immediate multi-year ban.

“Beyond the integrity of the sport, this poses serious health concerns: increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack & stroke; infertility & reproductive health issues: severe hormonal imbalance & side effects.

“While FAW is moving in the right direction towards protecting the female category by restricting it to biological females (16 months after English and Scottish FAs took action), approving performance-enhancing drugs in both the male and female categories sets a dangerous precedent for sports governance.

“Governing bodies must maintain clean sports standards across ALL categories. Doping cannot be sanctioned under the guise of policy.”

Questions

In a separate thread posted on X, WRN raised further questions about the policy, including the rules governing players who have undergone testosterone treatment and subsequently want to compete in the female category.

The group said the FAW policy allows players to compete in the female category once their testosterone level falls to 2.7 nmol/L or below.

WRN questioned the scientific basis for that threshold and why the policy does not require a period out of the game before a player returns to the female category.

It argued that increased muscle bulk and endurance resulting from testosterone use could remain after treatment has stopped and called on the FAW to publish the research and evidence used to formulate its policy.

The group contrasted the rules with a basketball policy which it said requires testosterone levels to have returned to pre-treatment levels and any associated anabolic effects to have been eliminated.

WRN said: “Why is FAW ignoring the science? Why doesn’t the FAW policy recognise that the anabolic effects of testosterone can last months or even years?

“This isn’t a levels question. It’s an effects question.”

Health

The group also raised concerns about what it described as the potential long-term health effects of testosterone use and questioned whether the FAW would monitor the health of players undergoing treatment and any potential injury risk to others.

It acknowledged that players applying under the policy would face scrutiny from a panel involving medical, legal, safeguarding and diversity representatives.

WRN said: “We hope this means women can play football that is genuinely safe and fair, regardless of how they identify.”

The group separately questioned the FAW’s rules for men’s football, under which it said both male and female-born players can compete.

It argued that other sports often use an open category where males and females can compete against each other and questioned whether the FAW’s approach was compatible with the Equality Act 2010.

Nation.Cymru sought a response from the FAW, but the governing body declined to comment.

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