SPORTING BODY POLICIES

UPDATED: MARCH 2026

It’s nearly a full year since the Supreme Court Judgment clarified that the word woman in the Equality Act 2010 only applies to female sex. Since 2023, our Sports listings have charted the sports governing bodies that protect the female category. In our first listings only SIX (out of 74) sports fully protected the female category. In our latest listing that has risen to 30 (out of 83) sports that full protect the female category from grassroots through to elite. There are still 53 sports that have not yet published fully lawful policies. Millions of women and girls do not have fair, safe, sport because sports governing bodies (funded by Sport England) have not complied with the law of the land.

We have modified the listings slightly. Sports are awarded:

• GOLD - 32 sports are lawful and protect the female category from grassroots to elite

• TWO-TIER - 11 sports protect the elite female category but allow males to enter the female category at lower levels of competition and recreational sport.

• NO POLICY - 18 sports have no policy or policies under review

• UNLAWFUL - 15 sports allow males to self-identify into the female category at all levels of the sport

​​

If your sport is listed as UNLAWFUL below, please contact the CEO / Chair and ask why they are delaying implementing fair and safe sport. If you need advice, contact sports@womensrights.network