Transitioned Olympic champion Green says inclusion must be priority

SYDNEY : When Ellia Green's mother once said that the Olympic champion rugby player would make an incredible mum one day, the compliment triggered a moment of confusion.

"I definitely wanted kids," Green recalled. "But I just couldn't see myself as a mummy, and I didn't know why. Then I'm like, 'I'm a daddy and have always have been'."

Fast forward a few years and Green, a lightning quick winger who won gold in the women's Sevens at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is living that very role having transitioned to male since retiring from rugby last year.

The cascade of braids that marked Green out on the rugby pitch have gone, he had gender affirming surgery last November and is now a proud dad of a six-month-old baby he had with his partner.

"After finishing up my rugby career, that was something I was really excited about because I had been planning it for a while," the Australian told Reuters in an interview.

"I knew I couldn't do hormone therapy or surgery during my career ... it's all happened so quickly."

On Tuesday, the 29-year-old will make opening remarks by video at a summit on "Transphobia and Homophobia in Sport" organised around the staging of the Bingham Cup - sometimes known as rugby's gay World Cup - in Ottawa.

Gender identity in rugby has been a controversial issue since global governing body World Rugby last year banned transgender women from taking part in the women's game over safety concerns.

While not overly keen to centre his own transition in the debate, Green is certain that when it comes to balancing the various issues, inclusion needs to come out at the top.

"People deserve a choice to do what they want and achieve their dreams," he added.

"No one likes to be excluded because of how they identify, it's like