IRELAND'S CAPTAIN Nichola Fryday wants to 'further educate herself' before commenting on the new IRFU transgender policy.
This week new rules were introduced by the IRFU that blocked Transgender rugby players from playing full contact rugby in the women’s game.
It's an issue that has sparked a debate about sporting integrity and fairness in rugby.
The IRFU stated that it's new rule was based on medical and scientific research
"Recent peer reviewed research provides evidence that there are physical differences between those people whose sex was assigned as male and those as female at birth, and advantages in strength, stamina and physique brought about by male puberty are significant and retained even after testosterone suppression, said the statement
Other unions have adopted a similar approach to Ireland's rugby union.
🗣 'I don't really want to make answers about that, I'd like to know more' — Off The Ball (@offtheball) August 11, 2022
Nichola Fryday responded to questions about the IRFU's ban on transgender women participating in contact rugby | 🏉
🗣 'It's not something we'd be consulted on'@VodafoneIreland | #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/8zySeF5hCQ
Despite this Fryday, who will travel to Japan for their two test tour month wants to educate herself further on the issue before passing comment
“For me, at this time, I don't really want to make any answers on that because I'd like to know more about the whole situation and the laws and stuff like that."
"So, for me, I'm just going to be focusing on Japan and I think that's something that [I] can review in a few weeks.”
When asked if the Ireland squad were consulted by the IRFU before yesterday’s announcement was made, Friday added:
“Not that I know of, but it's not something that I think that we would be consulted on. I don't know.”
Japan v Ireland, Saturday, August 20, Ecopa Stadium
Japan v Ireland, Saturday, August 27, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
