Women’s Rights Network applauds Football Association ruling

The Women’s Rights Network (WRN NI) has strongly welcomed the Football Association’s recent announcement to "preserve single-sex participation in women’s football".

The organisation, which describes itself as "a network of women from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with one main focus: to defend the sex-based rights of women" said the FA's decision was "a crucial step in restoring fairness, safety, and biological integrity in sport".

It added: "[The decision] sets a standard that must now be adopted here in Northern Ireland.

"The FA has affirmed what women and girls have always known: sport must be based on sex. No female athlete should be expected to compete against male bodies in a category designed specifically for women. The issue is not complex — it is a matter of justice, safety, and equality.

"We also welcome the UK Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which confirmed that biological sex is a material and legally protected characteristic. The Court’s unanimous judgment reinforces what is already provided for in Northern Ireland under the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976: that single-sex sport is both lawful and necessary.

"In light of these developments, we note that the Irish Football Association (IFA) has said it will review the Supreme Court’s judgment. While this is a necessary step, women and girls cannot afford to wait. The law is clear. The evidence is clear. We need the IFA to act now — with clarity, urgency, and courage — to guarantee that women’s football in Northern Ireland remains exclusively for females," the organisation said.

WRN (NI) added that it was "heartened" by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons’s previous statement that he does not believe there is any room for men in women’s sport.

Family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown applauded as they arrive at court

The Bellaghy family and large crowd of supporters have arrived at the Court of Appeal in Belfast for the latest hearing in their bid to secure a public inquiry into the killing

It said: "We now call on the IFA to reflect that same principled stance in their own policy. This is not about politics or opinion — it is about lawful protections and equal opportunity.

"Women and girls have fought for decades for the right to fair and safe competition. That right must be upheld without compromise. The IFA and all sporting authorities in Northern Ireland must act in accordance with both the law and the overwhelming public interest in protecting women’s sport.

"Women’s sport belongs to women. And we will defend it — with the law at our back."