Ok when sports stars are saying it some people might actually listen.

Save Women’s Sport Australasia has penned an open letter to Minister for Sport Grant Robertson and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern over concerns around the “fairness and safety” of women competing against transgender athletes.

The letter, signed by some of New Zealand’s highest-profile athletes and administrators, has called for Sport New Zealand to urgently extend consultation on its draft document ‘Principles for the Participation of Transgender Players in Sport’ and is seeking the support of Robertson and Ardern to extend the period of consultation while widening its scope.

The letter starts with saying All the Right Things before getting down to it, because of course you have to.

“However, the inclusion of trans women athletes, specifically those who have transitioned after puberty, raises issues of fairness and safety in all sport. And in this context, we believe an important principle of women’s rights has been disregarded in the draft principles.”

It quite obviously has. Belief isn’t necessary.

The open letter reads like a who is who of New Zealand sport with five-time Olympian and gold medallist Barbara Kendall CNZM and MBE, former All Black Jeff Wilson, Professor David Gerrard who has been a New Zealand team doctor and Chef de Mission at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games plus a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Boston and New York City Marathon winner Allison Roe MBE, Double Olympic gold medallist Danyon Loader ONZM, former All Blacks, Olympics and Commonwealth Games team doctor Dr Deborah Robinson and two-time Ironman World Championships gold medallist Erin Baker MBE among the 43 names in support of the letter.

Another step.

H/t Rob