“Ruck You Match” to Break New Ground at 2025 IGR Union Cup in Oslo

On June 1, Oslo will host a landmark event in the world of rugby. The Ruck You Match, believed to be the first of its kind, will see a team of trans women take the field against a side made up of former international and elite women’s players. The exhibition match is part of the International Gay Rugby (IGR) Union Cup, Europe’s largest inclusive rugby tournament.

Former England prop and Barbarians player Sasha Acheson is leading the effort to make this game a reality. She wants to challenge the wave of policies that have excluded trans women from rugby competitions and remind the world of the sport’s inclusive roots.

“To my knowledge, I’ve only played against a trans woman once. She was just another shape and size of woman on the pitch,” said Acheson. “This match is about showing what rugby can and should be. Inclusive, empowering, and open to all.”

The match comes at a time when governing bodies around the world have imposed bans on trans women in contact rugby. World Rugby implemented its global ban in 2020, and national unions in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Sweden followed in the years since. These decisions were made in the name of fairness and safety, but many players, including Acheson, believe they send the wrong message.

Acheson is joined by others who share her view. World Cup players Heather Fisher, Anna Caplice, Alycia Washington, and Jess Wooden have all voiced their support for the Ruck You Match. Their solidarity reinforces a growing belief that rugby can lead the way in reimagining inclusion in sport.

The match will be held during the IGR Union Cup, where more than 45 teams from 10 countries will gather in Oslo for a weekend of inclusive competition. Acheson calls it “the perfect stage to make HER-story.”

A crowdfunding campaign has already raised over £3,000 to help cover logistics, including travel and kit for players. You can support the match directly through their GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ruck-you-match-team-support.

Any extra funds will be donated to the Good Law Project, which continues to challenge recent legal decisions that have narrowed the definition of “woman” under UK law.

“This isn’t just about one match,” Acheson said. “It’s about standing up for all women, in all their diversity. Trans women are not a threat. What’s truly harmful is the way cis women are being used as a shield to push exclusion.”

Acheson, who now coaches the inclusive men’s club Bristol Bisons, hasn’t played competitively in years. But for this event, she’s ready to lace up again. The outcome of the game isn’t her main concern. What matters most is the message.

“We didn’t ask for this ban, and we don’t accept it. Rugby has the power to bring people together and make change. That’s what this is all about.”

The Ruck You Match will be more than a game. It will be a stand for dignity, inclusion, and the belief that rugby can still be a home for everyone.