A group of Olympians, former athletes, doctors, and sports administrators have called on Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Bishop, to review Sport New Zealand’s (SNZ) guidelines on the inclusion of transgender people in community sport.

In an open letter, the group expressed concern that the guidelines prevent national sports federations from developing policies in line with their international counterparts. They also said there is a perceived threat of funding cuts for federations that do not align with SNZ’s policies.

The letter argued that fairness is a cornerstone of sport, and that in contact sports, safety should be equally prioritised.

It added that male-bodied athletes have an undeniable advantage over females, pointing to women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics as an example where fairness and safety were compromised.

The group said, “Despite testosterone suppression, there is unequivocal evidence of physical advantages for trans women in sport at any level.”

Sport NZ has developed ‘guiding principle’s for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport (not elite sport). On its website it said “these are designed to help sporting and other bodies consider and plan for how they can become more inclusive and supportive of transgender people. This may include amending existing policies or creating a new transgender policy.”

The main overarching principle is inclusion.— “Transgender individuals have the right to participate in sports according to the gender they identify with. Supporting this are five guiding principles: Wellbeing and safety: The health and safety of all participants must be a priority, Privacy and dignity: Respect for the privacy and dignity of all participants is essential,  Anti-discrimination, anti-bullying, and anti-harassment: There is zero tolerance for discrimination, bullying, and harassment, Listening and responding: All participants should be able to voice concerns and be heard through appropriate channels, Education: Ongoing education for communities and individuals is key to supporting inclusion.

But the group criticised the SNZ guidelines for ignoring the rights of female athletes, saying, “as much as we celebrate the spirit of inclusivity espoused by the Rainbow community, fundamental tenets of fairness and safety in sport have been disrespected by the SNZ document.”

The letter concluded by urging the government to show leadership in ensuring guidelines reflect both fairness and safety for all athletes, saying, “We owe our next generation of female athletes a fair, safe future in sport.”

The letter was signed by several notable figures, including:

• Emeritus Professor David Gerrard CNZM OBE, Olympian and Commonwealth Games swimming medallist
• Lorraine Moller MBE, Olympian and marathon champion
• Barbara Kendall CNZM MBE, Five-time Olympian and medallist
• Allison Roe MBE, Boston and New York Marathon winner
• Erin Baker MBE, Ironman World Champion
• Anna Stanley MNZM, Silver Fern netballer
• Rod Dixon, Olympic medallist and marathon winner
• Helen Leslie, Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist

Other signatories included doctors, sports administrators, and athletes from various disciplines, all calling for a re-evaluation of the current approach to transgender inclusion in New Zealand sport.