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Thread: @EnglandRugby Your position is unethical. Here's why:
You have plenty of evidence from the modelling of data by @scienceofsport. In asking for more data, you are asking 1/
RFU clears trans women to play women's rugby at all levels in England https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/14/rfu-clears-trans-women-to-play-womens-rugby-at-all-levels-in-england?CMP=share_btn_tw
You have plenty of evidence from the modelling of data by @scienceofsport. In asking for more data, you are asking 1/
RFU clears trans women to play women's rugby at all levels in England https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/14/rfu-clears-trans-women-to-play-womens-rugby-at-all-levels-in-england?CMP=share_btn_tw
for *actual* injuries. That is, you are waiting for injuries in advance of acting on a known and calculated risk increase of 20-30%. This breaches your primary ethical responsibility to female rugby players. 2/
This is your primary responsibility as a NGB because you govern and regulate a practice that allows potentially injurious tackling. Because you allow tackling (so it's legal on the rugby field but not on the high street) you have a special responsibility to minimise the risk 3/
involved. But here, you have been shown carefully modelled evidence of risk, and you are ignoring it. In doing so you are explicitly abdicating responsibility for the safety of the female players you are regulating. 4/
I'm not a lawyer, and you will presumably have made a cost benefit analysis on whether you can get away with this, the chances of an injury suit if you go this way, and the chances of a discrimination suit if you go the other way. You've made your choice on a calculation of 5/
legal liability. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when an injury liability case comes through.
But, whatever about the law, your position is unethical. You abdicate your special moral responsibilities over the practice you regulate in the face 6/
But, whatever about the law, your position is unethical. You abdicate your special moral responsibilities over the practice you regulate in the face 6/
of clear and well evidenced information and advice from @WorldRugby
You know that the government is funding a new centre for integrity in sport. You may know that @HouseofCommons is looking to start an inquiry into the risks of trans inclusion in women's sport. 7/
You know that the government is funding a new centre for integrity in sport. You may know that @HouseofCommons is looking to start an inquiry into the risks of trans inclusion in women's sport. 7/
I'm sure the @DCMS and @CommonsDCMS will be interested.
In my view, your position lacks integrity and is unethical. But you know that - *because you were there in the room.* This makes your position quite appallingly spineless. 8/
In my view, your position lacks integrity and is unethical. But you know that - *because you were there in the room.* This makes your position quite appallingly spineless. 8/
