Rugby is known for its physicality and high risk of injury, but for 20-year-old Elena King , the pain she experienced in January was unlike anything she had ever faced. In a match in the Dutch Premiership, King suffered a devastating injury that has left her with lifelong pain and a lengthy recovery process. The cause? A brutal tackle by her transgender opponent, Ashley Mooney, whose strength, King claims, far exceeded what a cisgender woman could exert on the field.
The incident occurred during a match against Breda Dames Rugby Club, and the result was nothing short of shocking: King’s knee was torn apart, leaving her with a ruptured ACL and MCL. This injury has forced her into months of rehabilitation just to regain basic mobility.
"I felt the strength being used against me: it’s nothing that I can explain because I don’t have that strength myself," King shared in an interview with The Times. "A cis woman could not have pulled my leg out of its socket… I heard a really loud pop. That’s when I started screaming. My leg was on fire."
Her agony didn’t end there. The aftermath of the tackle left her unable to connect with her knee at all, feeling as though it were no longer part of her body. "I knew it was serious, I didn’t feel connected to my knee at all," she continued. "Later I would find out my nerves were dead because the ligaments were completely torn apart. I understood that yesterday was way too far away and tomorrow would not look the same."
The tackle, which occurred as a maul was forming, involved Mooney using her shoulder to push into King’s knee, causing her leg to bend in a way it was not meant to. "The trans player came in from the left side and my knee doesn’t bend that way," King recalled. "So the trans player pushed her shoulder into my knee and with immense strength pulled her arms closer to herself." The result was the sound of a "massive popping" noise, followed by excruciating pain. "The trans player had pulled my pretty little knee out of its socket and broke my MCL and ACL in one single movement."
The sheer force involved in the tackle is something King has struggled to come to terms with. "It was a type of strength that I only partly ever felt while playing with the older boys in my youth. The kind of strength that women can’t match. Women do not possess that strength," she said.
Her injury was not the first time Mooney had raised concerns. King had been apprehensive before the match, recalling a previous game where Mooney had allegedly caused black eyes, rib, and spine injuries. One of King’s teammates had even been reduced to tears following a rough challenge from Mooney. When the Dutch Rugby Union was alerted to these incidents, King says their response was dismissive: "It’s fine."
This lack of action by the Dutch Rugby Association (NRB) is something King finds difficult to accept. In a candid moment of reflection, she said, "I can’t understand how the Dutch Rugby Association can allow biological men to play in women’s rugby; a contact sport where injuries are more likely to happen."
After the injury, Mooney was initially suspended, missing four games. However, she returned to action in May and was named player of the match in her first appearance back. King, who is still recovering from her devastating injury, is appalled by the fact that her opponent is allowed to play again so soon.
"I cannot make peace with something that felt like an attack on my body. I can’t make peace with knowing that if the Dutch Rugby Association had protected my safety by not allowing transgenders into the women’s competition, I would not have my pretty little knee pulled out of its socket."
In the wake of the injury, King is now seeking legal advice and hopes to bring attention to what she believes is a safety issue for women in rugby. She has also been consulting with other players who have faced similar challenges, as the controversy over transgender athletes in women’s sports grows louder.
"Safety should come first," she asserts. "Women want the best for everyone: we want everyone to feel included, but then you actually see the reasons why it’s not possible. We have women’s spaces for a reason."
King's plight has prompted the Dutch Rugby Association to convene a discussion on the issue. On May 9, a "group of experts" was set up to review whether changes to their stance on transgender athletes are necessary. However, King remains skeptical. "I came out of that meeting incredibly let down," she shared. "It was clear to me that the Dutch Rugby Association didn’t want anything to do with this issue. They put inclusion before safety in our sport."
The controversy has also shone a light on the growing divide within the rugby world. In 2020, World Rugby became the first international sports federation to ban trans women from competing at the elite and international levels of the sport. This decision was echoed by the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union in 2022, which implemented a blanket ban on transgender players in women’s rugby. As of 2023, this ban extends across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Despite these international moves, the Dutch Rugby Association has yet to set a formal policy on transgender participation, leaving many to question their priorities when it comes to player safety.
For King, the injury is more than just a personal setback, it's a symbol of the challenges faced by women in sports as the issue of inclusion continues to dominate the conversation. "This is about safety," she insists. "Inclusion is important, but safety must come first."
The incident occurred during a match against Breda Dames Rugby Club, and the result was nothing short of shocking: King’s knee was torn apart, leaving her with a ruptured ACL and MCL. This injury has forced her into months of rehabilitation just to regain basic mobility.
"I felt the strength being used against me: it’s nothing that I can explain because I don’t have that strength myself," King shared in an interview with The Times. "A cis woman could not have pulled my leg out of its socket… I heard a really loud pop. That’s when I started screaming. My leg was on fire."
Her agony didn’t end there. The aftermath of the tackle left her unable to connect with her knee at all, feeling as though it were no longer part of her body. "I knew it was serious, I didn’t feel connected to my knee at all," she continued. "Later I would find out my nerves were dead because the ligaments were completely torn apart. I understood that yesterday was way too far away and tomorrow would not look the same."
The tackle, which occurred as a maul was forming, involved Mooney using her shoulder to push into King’s knee, causing her leg to bend in a way it was not meant to. "The trans player came in from the left side and my knee doesn’t bend that way," King recalled. "So the trans player pushed her shoulder into my knee and with immense strength pulled her arms closer to herself." The result was the sound of a "massive popping" noise, followed by excruciating pain. "The trans player had pulled my pretty little knee out of its socket and broke my MCL and ACL in one single movement."
The sheer force involved in the tackle is something King has struggled to come to terms with. "It was a type of strength that I only partly ever felt while playing with the older boys in my youth. The kind of strength that women can’t match. Women do not possess that strength," she said.
Her injury was not the first time Mooney had raised concerns. King had been apprehensive before the match, recalling a previous game where Mooney had allegedly caused black eyes, rib, and spine injuries. One of King’s teammates had even been reduced to tears following a rough challenge from Mooney. When the Dutch Rugby Union was alerted to these incidents, King says their response was dismissive: "It’s fine."
1/6 Elena King is a young woman who plays women's rugby in the Netherlands.
— HeCheated.org (@hecheateddotorg) May 10, 2025
On January 1st of this year, her team faced off against a "women's" team that actually had a man on their roster.
In a previous match, Elena had seen this player cause a black eye, rib, and spine… pic.twitter.com/93mxMvwOmY
This lack of action by the Dutch Rugby Association (NRB) is something King finds difficult to accept. In a candid moment of reflection, she said, "I can’t understand how the Dutch Rugby Association can allow biological men to play in women’s rugby; a contact sport where injuries are more likely to happen."
After the injury, Mooney was initially suspended, missing four games. However, she returned to action in May and was named player of the match in her first appearance back. King, who is still recovering from her devastating injury, is appalled by the fact that her opponent is allowed to play again so soon.
"I cannot make peace with something that felt like an attack on my body. I can’t make peace with knowing that if the Dutch Rugby Association had protected my safety by not allowing transgenders into the women’s competition, I would not have my pretty little knee pulled out of its socket."
In the wake of the injury, King is now seeking legal advice and hopes to bring attention to what she believes is a safety issue for women in rugby. She has also been consulting with other players who have faced similar challenges, as the controversy over transgender athletes in women’s sports grows louder.
"Safety should come first," she asserts. "Women want the best for everyone: we want everyone to feel included, but then you actually see the reasons why it’s not possible. We have women’s spaces for a reason."
King's plight has prompted the Dutch Rugby Association to convene a discussion on the issue. On May 9, a "group of experts" was set up to review whether changes to their stance on transgender athletes are necessary. However, King remains skeptical. "I came out of that meeting incredibly let down," she shared. "It was clear to me that the Dutch Rugby Association didn’t want anything to do with this issue. They put inclusion before safety in our sport."
The controversy has also shone a light on the growing divide within the rugby world. In 2020, World Rugby became the first international sports federation to ban trans women from competing at the elite and international levels of the sport. This decision was echoed by the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union in 2022, which implemented a blanket ban on transgender players in women’s rugby. As of 2023, this ban extends across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Despite these international moves, the Dutch Rugby Association has yet to set a formal policy on transgender participation, leaving many to question their priorities when it comes to player safety.
For King, the injury is more than just a personal setback, it's a symbol of the challenges faced by women in sports as the issue of inclusion continues to dominate the conversation. "This is about safety," she insists. "Inclusion is important, but safety must come first."
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