Agender-diverse[gender-confused] Kiwi netballer has labelled an opposition club in Australia “hypocrites” after being removed from a second senior women’s netball league.
Originally from Hamilton but now living in Melbourne, Manawa Aranui’s removal came after club complaints and “safety concerns”.
[…] Aranui hit out on social media afterthey[he] and another gender-diverse player were deemed ineligible to play in the Riddells District Football Netball League (RDFNL) for the rest of the season due to their “superior stamina and physique”.
Superior stamina and physique...because they’re dudes.
In a statement, the league said opposition clubs had threatened to boycott matches involving Aranui.
According to Aranui’s social media post, complaints made against them to the league came from the same club that had tried to recruit them.
[…] Aranui denied claims they were “dangerous” and had “run full-speed into players and (knocked) them over”, stating they had never been “warned, penalised, or reprimanded”.
[…] Teams in the RDFNL threatened to boycott matches in which the players competed because they felt “physically and mentally threatened on court”.
[…] Netball Victoria’s gender diversity policy states that players are allowed to play “in accordance with their gender identity, irrespective of their legal sex classification”.
However, the governing body’s guidance to clubs also confirms that players can be excluded from competitions when their “strength, stamina or physique of players is relevant”.
It was the second time Aranui had been deemed ineligible to play in a competition this year.
The ABC said it understood Aranui was also excluded from the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL) in April to “protect the safety of all players”.
A statement from the league said it had deemed the player ineligible, and thatthey[he] had previously played “with an all-male netball team and now identifies as gender diverse[is gender confused].”
Couldn’t hack it when playing against other dudes, in other words.
“[…] In 2024, World Netball banned transgender players from international competition with immediate effect under a new participation and inclusion policy.
In a statement, Netball Victoria said it continued to support netballers of all backgrounds, including gender-diverse players.
“Netball Victoria is not undertaking a broad review of safety related to transgender players but is undertaking a review of concerns raised at one affiliate competition,” a spokesperson said.
“When concerns about safety in any form are raised, Netball Victoria will and does undertake a review in the interests of the welfare of participants.”
Sporting administrator Peta Guy said each case needed to be judged on its specifics, especially in contact-heavy sports.
[…] Guy said when rules were set, there would be exceptions.
“I think you’ve got to look at the fundamental principles, the health and wellbeing of the players and fairness,” she said.
[…] Guy said there had been rules implemented on gender policy in England.
“It's now having adverse consequences, particularly in an era where you have non-binary people,” she said.
“If you have a rule that then excludes them, then you’re not doing your sport the best favour.”
Um, like what adverse consequences? Blokes no longer being able to compete against women?
With the tide turning, I don’t see people like Peta Guy keeping their jobs very long. Fingers crossed.
My guess is that it’s the netball players themselves who pushed to get cheats like Aranui banned. And although, strictly speaking, he didn’t get banned because he’s a guy, at least it’s a start.
