Pride soccer team blitz Sydney female competition, claiming $1000 prize

A skilful Sydney football team which includes at least five trans women has won every game in a female cup competition, sparking concerns of fairness among grassroots female players.

Concerns have been raised about a Sydney women’s soccer team which includes five transgender players, after they blitzed the pre-season Beryl Ackroyd Cup and won the $1000 grand final 4-0 at Macquarie Park on Sunday.

The team, called the Flying Bats FC, won every game they played during the four-week competition with some victories coming by huge margins – with one trans player scoring six goals in a 10-nil match.

The Daily Telegraph has spoken to club officials in the North West Sydney League, who say some parents have pulled their daughters out of the games over safety concerns and say the players did not anticipate signing up to play against biological males in the female Sunday comp.

They also believe the Flying Bats team, which is supported by Pride Football Australia and is part of the “biggest LGBTQIA+ Women’s and Non-Binary Football club in the World” should instead play in the Mixed competition on Saturdays, which includesmen.

“Our girls are here to play for fun and expect to play in the female competition. They did not sign up for a mixed competition,” one senior club official said.

A Sydney women’s soccer team which includes five transgender players, has blitzed the pre-season Beryl Ackroyd Cup and won the $1000 grand final 4-0 at Macquarie Park on Sunday.

“There’s no transparency from Football NSW, the girls don’t know if they are going to be playing biological males or not.

“Some of the parents were so concerned they would not let their daughters play … It was so disheartening for them to see the huge ­difference in ability – they’re killing it.”

NSW upper house Libertarian Party MP John Ruddick, who has campaigned on the issue of retaining biological sex rights, questioned the inclusion of trans players in the female comp on the grounds of safety and sportsmanship.

“It’s not just a question of fair sportsmanship,” Mr Ruddick said. “It’s also a question of physical safety for female playersborn female.”

Binary Australia spokeswoman Kirralie Smith has raised the issue with sporting authorities. “North West Sydney Football and Football NSW continue to put girls at risk and create an unfair playing field,” Ms Smith said. “Many teams are stressed about the situation.”

Kirralie Smith is a spokesperson for the organisation Binary.

John Ruddick, Upper House Libertarian MP campaigns on biological sex rules.

She claimed some girls teams were warned not to complain or forfeit or they would be fined and referred to Anti-Discrimination NSW.

The Flying Bats Football Club president Jen Peden said the club stood very strongly for inclusion and that “trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify”.

“As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values our cisgender and transgender players equally.

“We strongly support the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.

“These guidelines, along with the Sex Discrimination Act, inform the gender inclusion policies of Football Australia, Football NSW, and the North West Sydney Football Association at the community, grassroots level at which we play. Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify. Trans women have played with the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to skilled, just like our cis women players. Our players are graded on ability, and placed in the team that is most appropriate for their skill and experience level, and we look forward to a respectful, competitive season across our eight teams in 2024.”

A spokesman for Football NSW said it takes “pride in being at the forefront of developing inclusive policies for the sport in Australia and operates within the existing legal framework, including anti-discrimination legislation”.

“Football NSW continues to align with Football Australia’s adoption of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s ‘Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport’, under which, community players are permitted to participate in Football on the basis of the gender with which they identify,” the spokesman said.

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