PremiumOpinionOpinion byAlice SoperContributing Sports Writer·nzme·30 Jul, 2026 05:01 PM4 mins to readAlice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women's sports.Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell. Photo / Sylvie WhinrayIn July last year, Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell made the controversial decision to remove the guidance for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport from Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa’s website.
The origin of this guidance was a response to growing requests for support from the
