Legal fears could block moves to prioritise women over trans athletes

The culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, has been told by numerous sporting bodies that they are nervous of legal challenges if they carry out the government’s call to prioritise female sport over trans inclusion, multiple sources have told the Guardian.

In an hour-long meeting with the chief executives of 15 national governing bodies, which included football, cricket and rugby, Dorries urged sports to “raise their game” and protect the integrity of elite and competitive women’s sport.

In what was described as a “pretty punchy” speech, Dorries stressed that competitive women’s sport must be reserved for people born of the female sex as the science showed that trans women, who have been through male puberty, maintain significant advantages.

However, she was told by a number of British sporting organisations that while they were reviewing their transgender policies, the threat of any potential legal challenges made them hesitant to conclude their reviews.

Dorries promised to take that point on board, but also made it very clear that she expected action sooner. Another meeting is expected to be held by the end of the summer.

In a statement released afterwards, the government said it had listened to the challenges that sports were facing in implementing policies on transgender participation. But it had also “encouraged sports to make progress with moving towards a position where fairness takes priority in competitive sport.”

Multiple sources also described the meeting as cordial and stressed that there was a collective willingness to progress with clearer policies in place. However, it remains unclear if the government’s references to “elite and competitive sport” also includes grassroots sports.

The Football Association, for