A club rugby team at Rutgers University has changed its name from Rutgers Women’s Rugby to Rutgers Womxn’s Rugby, a shift the group says is meant to signal inclusivity for its players.
The team announced the change in a social media post on Sept. 24. In a statement, team leaders wrote: “Important Announcement: We’re excited to announce that Rutgers Women’s Rugby will be making the change to Rutgers Womxn’s Rugby! This change reflects our team’s commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for our players. Inclusivity is an important part of who we are, and we want every member of our team to feel valued and represented through our organization. We are continuously evolving and want to properly reflect the standards of inclusion. We’re proud to continue building a rugby community where everyone belongs.”
The spelling “womxn” has circulated in some activist and academic circles for years as an alternative meant to move away from the word “man” within “woman” while signaling openness to transgender inclusion.
The Rutgers Men’s Rugby Club has not announced any changes to its name.
Broader eligibility rules unaffected
The name change is an internal decision by the student-run club and does not by itself alter competition eligibility. Those rules are set by national and international governing bodies based on biological sex, in part to account for physical differences tied to male puberty, including greater muscle mass, bone density and tackling force. World Rugby’s policy bars biological males from competing in women’s divisions, citing injury-risk data from contact play.
The name change comes amid a national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports and how Title IX, the federal law barring sex discrimination in education, should be enforced. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said her department is enforcing Title IX protections based on biological sex, stating that “women should feel safe in their spaces” and that “Title IX, which is the law, is enforced.” Federal officials have opened inquiries into universities accused of allowing biological males into women’s sports divisions or locker rooms, separate from the Rutgers case.
A reporter for OutKick, which first reported on the name change, said the outlet had reached out to Rutgers Womxn’s Rugby club leadership for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
