ENGLAND SQUASH TRANSGENDER COMPETITION POLICY

Transgender issues in sport are expected, once again, to claim the attention of international and national sports governing bodies during 2026, and these include new guidelines to be introduced by the International Olympic Committee and those recently introduced by England Squash, which has published the following Summary of its updated Transgender Inclusion in Competition Policy:

“England Squash is committed to creating a safe, fair and inclusive environment for everyone who wants to play squash.

Our Transgender Inclusion in Competition Policy sets out how transgender and non-binary players can take part in competitions run by England Squash.

The Policy follows the Equality Act of 2010 and the guidance for domestic sport provided by the UK Sports Councils.

Because squash is recognised in law as a gender-affected sport, we must balance inclusion with fairness and safety. This means some competitions have eligibility rules based on birth sex, while others are more flexible and open to all.

The policy applies to all England Squash competitions.

Competition categories

England Squash recognises two types of competition

• Regulated Competitions
  Competitions where outcomes directly contribute to England Squash rankings, national and regional titles, selection for the England talent pathway, selection for higher level events and competition, or international representation. Fairness is prioritised and eligibility rules apply.
• Recreational Competitions
  Competitions primarily intended to promote participation, enjoyment, and community engagement. Recreational competitions are not linked to England Squash rankings, titles, or selection processes. These formats are more flexible and inclusive.

Key points of the policy

• Open and Female categories are used in competition.
• Transgender women (birth sex male):
  • Eligible to play in the Open category in all competitions.
  • Not eligible to play in the Female category in regulated competitions.
  • Eligible to play in the Female category in recreational competitions.
• Transgender men (birth sex female):
  • Eligible to play in the Female category until starting gender-affirming hormone treatment.
  • Eligible to play in the Open category at any time.
• Non-binary players:
  • Eligible to play in the Open category.
  • Eligible to play in the Female category if birth sex is female.”

The Policy differentiates between competition types in order to manage fairness, safety, and inclusion, with certain categories which are restricted based on sex, and was developed in collaboration with the Inclusion Advisory Group to be consistent with the UK Equality Act of 2010 and current UK Sport guidance.

Details of this new Policy, which is effective as of 31 January 2026, can be accessed via the England Squash website at ‘www.englandsquash.com’.

We act in all aspects of transgender issues in sport in England, Switzerland and elsewhere and further information may be obtained from Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw and Dr Lucien Valloni by emailing them at blackshaw@valloni.ch and valloni@valloni.ch respectively.