Campaign Progress

117 Signatures so far

27 Clubs represented in signatures

Highlighted Comment of the day

Anonymous (played 4 - 5 years)
Korfball is almost unique in its inclusivity by being an intentionally fully mixed gender sport. Please keep this inclusive nature by including the trans community in the korfball community!

Clubs Represented

• Nottingham Korfball Club (NKC)
• Sheffield City
• Wales
• Nottingham Trent
• Leeds Beckett
• Leeds City
• Lancaster Phoenix
• Cambridge Phoenix
• Edinburgh City
• University of Edinburgh
• Glasgow Korfball
• Dundee KC
• Barrowland Bears
• University of Strathclyde
• Harrow Vultrix Korfball
• University of Sheffield
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Manchester Warriors
• Supernova
• University of Nottingham
• Leeds Hurricanes
• Scotland National Team
• Edinburgh Mavericks
• Bristol Thunder
• University of Reading Knights
• Southampton Spartans
• Reading Rooks

All Comments

• Jenny Cresswell (played 4-5 years) - NKC
  I’ve not been playing this season due to the new policy and it’s not been fun. I’m not even good idk why this policy is a thing! I just want to play Korfball!

• Phoebe Bridger (played 5-10 years) - Sheff City
  Korfball, according to the IKF (2025), is a sport that “embodies the principles of equality and respect”. Korfball was created in line with these basic, yet essential, values. All people, including trans people, should feel safe, included and welcome in our spaces.
  The recent change in rules feels like not only a huge step back for korfball, but also a baseless, reactive move in response to the populist political movement in the UK.
  I urge the EKA to reconsider, and to talk to the people impacted by this change. Korfball should be for all.

• Joanne Davies (played 5-10 years) - NKC, Wales
  This campaign has my full support. It’s inappropriate to make decisions based on current socio-cultural trends, especially as those trends are driven by fear-mongering in the media. Trans women have the right to be safe and to be themselves without having constant hyper visibility thrust upon them. Good luck, Jen. I think you’re brave.

• Jonny Steer (played 5-10 years) - NKC
  I fully agree with the sentiments of the letter. The inclusive nature of korfball is a huge part of what drew me to the sport and so the recent change in policy was very disappointing. I hope England Korfball will reconsider the policy so as to enable everyone to participate in the sport we all love.

• Billie Westwood (played 2-3 years) - NKC
  I want to make it absolutely clear that I stand in complete solidarity with this letter and its concerns. The issues raised reflect not only my own views, but the values of fairness, dignity, and inclusion that I believe should be central to korfball. I fully support the call for England Korfball to reconsider this policy and to work meaningfully with trans and non-binary athletes to ensure the sport remains welcoming and accessible to all.

• Tim (played 2-3 years) - Lancaster Phoenix
  I believe an exclusionary policy like this will reflect badly on korfball and puts korfball on the wrong side of history.

• Becky Lewis (played 10-20 years) - Cambridge Phoenix
  I agree wholeheartedly with this letter - this gender policy is simply exclusionary. As a non-binary player, it’s incredibly invalidating to to be ‘forced’ to play as a gender I do not identify as - I’ve stopped playing this season as the gender dysphoria has gotten too much for me. No one is pretending to be trans to gain an advantage with in sport because they can see how awful we are treated simply for existing.
  I’ve been playing korfball since I was 14 years old and it has been one of the most welcoming and inclusive communities I have ever been a part of, and I have met some of the most supportive people playing korfball. I have never had anyone question or be concerned about my gender identity within the korfball until the last year or so when this ‘guidance’ was published. I don’t feel like I’m being supported anymore by the governing body, and given the current political climate, this could lead to korfball being unsafe for trans individuals.
  Badminton England have changed their leagues so there is a women’s game and then an ‘open’ game - available to any and all genders. As far as I’ve heard from players, this change was widely accepted and implemented nationwide with no issues at all. It really is that easy, and I’m so disappointed to see England Korfball take a stance as awful as they have. Do better for the people that love this sport.

• Andrew Barnes (played 10 - 20 years) - Lancaster Phoenix
  I feel governing bodies are in a difficult position when drawing up rules and policies in this area and it seems EK have fallen in line with other NGBs. Korfball, as a mixed-gender sport is in a unique position. I do feel, though, that this provides an opportunity to take a different approach that reflects the values of inclusivity that draw many people to the sport. I suspect we don’t have any accurate data for the number of transgender/ non-binary players but it probably represents a very small percentage of the (already small) korfball community, playing at a recreational level. We should ensure that the rules around gender allow them to continue to participate in the sport they love.

• Fraser Brown (played 10 - 20 years) - Glasgow Korfball
  The Scottish Korfball Association has specifically trans inclusive policies if England korfball are struggling with how to draft this!

• Anonymous (played 10 - 20 years)
  As someone who has played korfball for many years since childhood and supported the game for its team spirit and community, it angers me that systemic issues like this ruin the sport. It is a sport championed by people from all different identities and the governing organisation neglecting the livelihoods of these people is appalling. I agree with all the points highlighted in the letter, and hope that England Korfball can rethink this policy.

• Hannah Dineen (played 5 - 10 years) - Sheffield City
  It’s so important that Korfball remains an inclusive sport!

• Anonymous (played 5 - 10 years)
  I worked with EKA’s EDI committee to create the first policy based on the policy I created for my university korfball team. If there’s anything I can do to help (even just chat) please reach out and I’d be happy to help in any way I can!

• Imogen Dhanda (played 4 - 5 years) - NTU Korfball
  One of the best things about korfball is how inclusive it is. Inclusivity should not be taken away.

• Lucy Bryan (played 4 - 5 years) - University of Sheffield Korfball Club
  The past two years the club has worked at implementing a non-binary policy in games and trainings. Whole club trainings is now practiced open category and the removal of gendered language. The policy has been successful and was well received and practiced at our previous two tournaments. Liaising both with England Korfball and BUCS. University of Sheffield Korfball Club is incredibly disappointed with the recent regulations and completely behind this open letter.

• Conor Williams (played 4 - 5 years) - Leeds City
  Extremely disappointing to see this policy, particularly with the lack of transparency around it’s development - seemingly just falling in line with others without any consultation with clubs or trans/non-binary athletes that would be affected.
  
  Complete missed opportunity to live up to their supposed values of fairness and inclusivity. England Korfball need to do better.

• Anonymous (played 5 - 10 years)
  As a member of the lgbt+community myself I am saddened to see this decision. The fact that it only applies to trans women is unfair and inhumane. As a cis woman I would welcome playing against a trans woman - the rules of korfball lend themselves to it being an inclusive sport and taking away these rights affects my perception of the sport and of England Korfball negatively. Trans women are women.

• Peter archer (played 2 - 3 years) - Leeds city korfball
  It should be open to everyone no matter how you identify

• Jacques behier (played 2 - 3 years) - Ed uni korfball club
  Lets keep korfball a safe space for queer people!

• Anonymous (played 2 - 3 years)
  One of the many reasons I have always loved korfball is its inclusivity. I don’t think the importance of creating safe spaces (for everyone) can be underestimated is a world that’s becoming continuously more hostile. I know so many people for whom Korfball as a sport and a community has made a huge difference to their lives. The policies England Korfball make impact their own capacity to make a positive difference on people’s lives and be a leading example of inclusion in sport.

• Anne Fitzsimmons (played 5 - 10 years) - Manchester Warriors
  Korfball should be for everyone, we can’t market ourselves as a gender inclusive sport whilst excluding people based on their gender identity. Trans women are women, rules and policies that hurt them hurt all of us.

• Josh Wagstaff (played 5 - 10 years) - Supernova
  In times like these actively excluding trans people from a sport we all love for being so inclusive is nothing short of shameful

• Anonymous (played 5 - 10 years)
  Korfball was the most welcoming sport when I started uni. I tried out for many other sports including football and basketball and nothing quite hit like Korfball. I am a cis female but I am part of the queer community so I know the isolation that comes with feeling ‘different’. Korfball never made me feel that way and I want for that to continue for future generations.

• Owen Shea (played 10 - 20 years) - Edinburgh Mavericks, Scotland
  It’s disappointing to see such an exclusionary and reactionary policy put in place and to read that it is already affecting people’s opportunities for playing korfball. England Korfball should be encouraging people to play (regardless of their gender identity), not making it more difficult. I’m glad that the Scottish Korfball Association has adopted an inclusive approach and I wish that other countries would follow their example.

• Anonymous (played 2 - 3 years)
  The new gender policy is poorly thought out, exclusionary to Trans/NB people and as the letter points out increases risks of discrimination against women. Please think about just how intrusive it would be someone being asked for their birth certificate to participate in most of the regional leagues around the country - just because someone assesses them as not passing for a woman (this is possible for Cis and Trans people) - humiliating and unnecessary. This is why policing gender in most levels and types of amateur sport is a stupid idea. Very poorly thought out and damaging policy. Disappointed in England Korfball as are 90% of the people I’ve talked to about this. Urge you to listen to our Korfball community and implement a better policy rapidly.

• Anonymous (played 1 year)
  By enforcing that transgender women play in a gender that does not represent them, you are impacting gameplay. Most men do not want to defend against a women (which is what trans women are) thus will not play to their full potential. The same goes for the women themselves - by forcing them to play against men, you are putting them at an unfair disadvantage. You are making the assumption that because someone was born male, they have grown and developed like a man and thus have the same strength. This is wholely untrue, and displays a clear lack of consideration for individual differences. It has been shown time and time again in sport that trans women perform at the same level, if not below, cis women and to put them against men would be going against the very rules of korfball that this policy is aiming (and failing) to protect. There is a reason men defend men and women defend women, and we need to acknowledge the fact that trans women ARE women. They have a place in this sport and that needs to be celebrated and embraced.

• Anonymous (played <1 year)
  Korfball should be inclusive for all, and the fact that trans-women specifically are being separated into a different category that doesn’t align with their own lived experience, is not okay. It’s 2026, let’s act like it. Korfball is for all.

• Owain Larcombe (played 5 - 10 years) - Southampton Spartans
  Fully supportive of the letter! Korfball should be a safe place for all and there is more to be done to ensure that!
  The feeling that some groups do not feel safe and welcome should be ringing alarm bells as an area to improve!

• David Creed (played 10 - 20 years) - Southampton Spartans
  Korfball should be open to all

• Matthew Morrison (played 4 - 5 years) - Southampton Spartans
  Korfball cannot in good faith market itself as an inclusive, mixed-gender sport when the policies of its governing bodies indirectly exclude people on the basis of their gender (i.e., by forcing those players to participate in a demeaning manner, if at all, in a gendered role against their identity and lived experience). In their well-meaning attempt to “protect female elite sport” from an unlikely, overstated problem that has never meaningfully materialised, England Korfball’s decision negatively and disproportionately affects players at the social and social-competitive, community levels of the sport. As guardians of the world’s best mixed-gender sport, England Korfball has a unique and powerful opportunity to lead on the side of progression here; the organisation, as well as the IKA, must not uncritically follow suit with the governing bodies of other sports, but rather consult with its players (at all levels) towards a more inclusive and nuanced policy.

• Liberty Gaunt (played 10 - 20 years) - Southampton Spartans
  Jenny’s letter articulates the issue clearly: asking trans women to compete against their lived gender, or demanding paperwork not required of cisgender players, is fundamentally exclusionary

• Austin Key (played 5 - 10 years) - Reading Rooks
  Korfball was built in the 20th century and led that way for inclusion and this is not something we should lose now. Korfball should be a space where all are welcome, not excluded!

• Anonymous (played 2 - 3 years)
  Inclusivity is the heart of Korfball and this new policy goes directly against that. Everyone should feel safe and comfortable to play Korfball so I hope England Korfball reconsiders this damaging policy.

• Anonymous (played 4 - 5 years)
  Korfball is almost unique in its inclusivity by being an intentionally fully mixed gender sport. Please keep this inclusive nature by including the trans community in the korfball community!

• Eric Van Looy (played 10 - 20 years) - Reading Rooks Korfball Club
  Being valued as a person should always triumph over reservations one may have about perceived physical advantages or safety. We are lucky to be a non-professional, inclusive sport in England where everyone is welcome.

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