Two Australian ‘transwomen’ (i.e. male) netballers were banned from competition by Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) in the state of Victoria.
Manawa Aranui of Melton Central played elite men’s netball prior to his transition. Along with a teammate, he was excluded from the women’s game after a video showed an opponent being knocked to the ground. Rival teams, including Melton South Netball Club, threatened to boycott Melton Central, citing a danger to their players.
The RDFNL announced its removal of the two trans Melton Central athletes, stating:
After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL netball competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors, deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant.
In response, Aranui took to Facebook and berated Melton South with a reminder that “Your head coach tried to recruit me to play for your club,” highlighting the uneven response to such issues across the sporting world.
Following a UK Supreme Court ruling, England Netball immediately banned all ‘transgender women’ from competing in the female category, arguing that the word “woman” applies to ‘biological’ (i.e. born) females. In contrast, April’s Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 was contested by a duo of players who were born male.
