A Victorian female netball team has forfeited an A-grade match over a male opposition player who claims to be “non-binary”, amid growing frustration with men being allowed to play in women’s leagues.
Echuca United cited safety and fairness concerns in conceding Saturday’s clash with aboriginal-led club Rumbalara, after raising the issue of the male player with the sport’s governing body, Netball Victoria, ahead of the game.
The concession came a week after upset female players and coaches complained about a “non-binary” biological male who played in the Eastern Football Netball League and Southern Football Netball League, while the Riddell District Football Netball league last year banned two “transgender” players.
Nationals MP for Murray Plains Peter Walsh told the Herald Sun in response to the forfeited game that Netball Victoria and the Murray Football Netball League had failed female players, and pointed out men were free to play in men’s leagues or mixed competitions.
“But the netball played in the Murray League, in all the local leagues, is a sport for girls and women – a sport where they all have a fair go on a level playing field,” Mr Walsh said
“That teams at Echuca United chose to forfeit at the weekend is a crystal clear message to the faceless powers of the sport that they have been badly let down by their league and Netball Victoria.
“I get that a non-binary individual has rights, but so does every netballer on the court with them, and in a world where the majority rules, why are all these women being forced to change for the sake of one or two people who have other options?”
Netball Victoria’s transgender and gender diverse policy allows players to “participate in the gender category they identify with or feel most comfortable participating in, regardless of their sex assigned at birth”, as a result of changes that came into effect in 2022.
A Netball Victoria spokesperson said their policy was “guided by federal and state laws” and that it worked closely with leagues and clubs to “provide safe and inclusive environments for players and participants”.
Late last month female players in Melbourne raised concerns about national men’s championship player David Capron, who calls himself non-binary and wants people to refer to him with “they/he” pronouns, being allowed to play in the suburban EFNL and SFML women’s leagues.
One coach told the Herald Sun it was a “joke” that Mr Capron was allowed to compete, and that “so many clubs were fuming”, while a player said “many women felt threatened and upset that their spot would be taken by someone who had played at a very high level in a men’s league”.
But Mr Capron denied having an unfair physical advantage, claimed women had “schooled” him on the court, and said he wanted to be a “beacon of hope” for homosexual children as they were almost completely unrepresented in community sport.
“Biological gender has nothing to do with an athlete’s ability, put the work in and you’ll see the results,” he said.
Mr Capron is sitting out this year’s Victorian season, but is moving to Perth where he plans to join a women’s league.
The Riddell District league last year cited “superior stamina and physique” for banning two male players who claimed to be “transgender” from playing for Melton Central after footage emerged of one, Manawa Aranui, knocking a female player to the ground.
Mr Aranui then played for the Glen Orden women’s premiership-winning team in the Western Football Netball League and has now applied to rejoin Melton Central, causing club officials to seek an urgent meeting with Netball Victoria.
Header image: Left, David Capron (Instagram). Right Manawa Aranui (supplied).
