# Sports bar boycotts women's rugby over transgender policy

> Portland bar bans women's rugby league due to transgender athlete rules
- Title: Sports bar boycotts women's rugby over transgender policy
- Summary: Portland bar bans women's rugby league due to transgender athlete rules Sports bar boycotts women's rugby league over transgender athlete policy
- Keywords: sports bra, portland, nfl, seahawks, seattle, transgender, rugby, women's sports, bar, sports bar, rugby league, news
- Source: OutKick — https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/womens-sports-bars-hypocrisy-disavows-very-thing-meant-support-matt-calkins
- Author: Matt Calkins
- Published: 2026-09-17T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: sports bra, portland, nfl, seahawks, seattle, transgender, rugby, women's sports, bar, sports bar, rugby league, news
## Sports bar boycott
The Sports Bra bar in Portland expelled fans wearing XX-XY Athletics shirts during a National Women's Soccer League match.

> We're doing this in solidarity with the players, fans, and organizers calling for rugby to live up to its own values of respect, integrity and inclusion
## Rugby boycott reason
The bar boycotted Women's Elite Rugby matches after the league refused to allow transgender athletes to compete.

> The Sports Bra exists to celebrate and elevate women and girls in sports. That includes trans women and girls. Always.
## Bar's stated purpose
The bar claims to support women's sports and trans inclusion while banning rugby due to transgender athlete policies.

> We love women's sports. We love seeing new leagues grow. We want more athletes on bigger stages with more fans in the stands.
## Boycott impact
The boycott reduced visibility for Women's Elite Rugby, a niche sport with limited audience reach.

> All this boycott did was limit the already scarce number of eyeballs that would have been on a niche women's sport.
## Trans athlete debate
Trans athletes have won championships in sports, but some activists oppose their participation in women's competitions.

> You can do this while also acknowledging an unmistakable biological advantage that has led to various trans athletes winning high school, college and professional championships.
## Bar's hypocrisy
The bar previously supported women's sports but now bans a women's league over transgender policies.

> Funny, when the bar opened four years ago, it seemed like it was one of women's sports biggest champions. Now? It may just be one of women's sports biggest enemies.
## Sports bar history
The Sports Bra bar opened in Portland four years ago as a women's sports venue.

> We're doing this in solidarity with the players, fans, and organizers calling for rugby to live up to its own values of respect, integrity and inclusion
## Key takeaway

Sports bar boycotts women's rugby league over transgender athlete policy