A devastating injury during a Dutch rugby match has reignited the complex and emotionally charged debate over transgender athlete inclusion in women’s contact sports. Elena King, a 20-year-old rising star in Dutch rugby, suffered a catastrophic knee injury in January 2025 during a tackle by a transgender opponent. The incident occurred in a Dutch Premiership league match and has since drawn international attention to issues of fairness, safety, and sports policy.
King, who was left screaming in agony on the field, later revealed that her ACL and MCL were torn—requiring major surgery and months of grueling rehabilitation. She has publicly questioned why transgender women are permitted to play in the women’s league under the current guidelines, describing the physical strength involved in the tackle as “unlike anything I’ve faced from other female players.”
Her story is now at the center of a growing call for regulatory clarity and medical review, as sports bodies around the world grapple with how to accommodate transgender athletes while protecting the physical safety of all participants.
The Incident on the Field
The fateful tackle occurred during a competitive league match in January 2025, where King’s team faced off against a squad featuring Ashley Mooney—a transgender woman playing in the women’s division. As the game progressed, King went in for a standard play, only to be hit by a forceful tackle that left her writhing in pain.
Witnesses reported a distressing scene. King immediately screamed, clutching her knee, as players and medics rushed to her side. “It was like my knee was pulled out of its socket,” King later said in an interview, describing the intense pain and instant recognition that something was terribly wrong.
Medical Diagnosis and Recovery
Following the incident, King was taken to a medical facility where scans confirmed she had torn both her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). These are among the most severe injuries an athlete can face, often requiring surgery followed by six to twelve months of rehabilitation.
King has since undergone reconstructive knee surgery and is currently in recovery, though her return to professional rugby remains uncertain. Doctors have told her that while recovery is possible, returning to pre-injury form will be extremely challenging and will depend heavily on how her body responds to treatment and rehab.
Elena King’s Statement
Following her diagnosis and surgery, Elena King decided to speak publicly about the incident—not to incite division, but to raise awareness and advocate for what she believes is a necessary conversation about safety in women’s rugby. In interviews, she described the tackle as something “well beyond what I’ve experienced in this sport,” citing concerns over the physical differences between cisgender women and transgender women, especially in high-impact, contact scenarios.
King emphasized that she supports inclusivity and understands the need to respect the rights of all players. However, she argued that safety must come first in a sport where collisions are frequent and powerful. “I’ve played against tough women,” she said, “but this was different. It was a hit I just wasn’t physically prepared for.”
Her openness about the experience has resonated with many fellow athletes, particularly those in women’s rugby who have expressed similar unease about the current lack of clear, science-based guidelines in their leagues. She has also called for Rugby Nederland and other governing bodies to consult more closely with players and medical professionals when forming their policies.
Identity of the Transgender Player
The player involved in the tackle was identified as Ashley Mooney, a transgender woman who, at the time of the incident, was playing legally under Rugby Nederland’s inclusive eligibility policy. Unlike World Rugby, which has banned transgender women from competing in elite women’s rugby over safety concerns, Rugby Nederland had no formal restrictions in place for domestic competitions as of early 2025.
Mooney, who transitioned several years ago and has been involved in the sport both before and after her transition, has yet to make a public statement about the incident. While there is no evidence of malicious intent in the tackle, the intensity of the collision has reignited scrutiny over whether current physical standards and performance baselines between players are being fairly accounted for.
Her continued eligibility has become a focal point for critics who argue that biological advantages—such as bone density and muscle mass—can persist even after hormonal transition. Advocates for transgender inclusion, on the other hand, argue that blanket bans are discriminatory and that more nuanced, case-by-case evaluations are needed.
The Debate on Transgender Inclusion in Rugby
The incident has sparked renewed interest and controversy around an already heated debate. Globally, the conversation surrounding transgender participation in sports has intensified, particularly in high-contact disciplines like rugby. World Rugby became the first international sports federation to implement a ban on transgender women from elite women’s competitions in 2020, citing research that showed retained strength advantages even after hormone therapy.
Critics of the ban claim it undermines efforts for equality and marginalizes an already vulnerable group of athletes. Supporters argue that the core issue isn’t inclusion but safety—specifically the risk of injury to cisgender women competing against individuals with greater average strength and mass.
Safety vs. Inclusion Dilemma
At the heart of the controversy is a question sports authorities around the world are struggling to answer: How can sports ensure safety for all while also respecting inclusivity? Some propose the creation of open or mixed-gender leagues. Others advocate for stricter physical assessments or tiered competition systems.
Medical experts, including those consulted by World Rugby, point to the higher force output retained by transgender athletes, even after prolonged hormone suppression. They argue that in contact sports where body mass and momentum are critical, even minor disparities can drastically increase the risk of injury.
