Prominent transgender Cate McGregor regrets playing in women’s cricket

A prominent Australian transgender writer, commentator and army officer, Cate McGregor has expressed her regret about featuring in the women’s cricket as a female. McGregor felt that she had an unfair advantage over female-born cricketers.

Cate opened on 2GB's breakfast show, hosted by Ben Fordham, and said that it is a little unfair from her side to compete against women.

“I've seen it from both sides, I did play some female sport for a time in Services Cricket,” she said on Thursday.

The former cricketer opined that she would never want to be a hurdle for the aspiring young female cricketers.

“With hindsight, I don't think it was fair for me to embark on that course,” McGregor said.

She remembered her grade cricket career in 1963 and the inherent advantages she had, during her male puberty.

'If you're playing first-grade cricket at 63, which I was, that says a lot about the inherent advantages I had, having gone through male puberty,” the 66-year old added.

She also revealed that she had been a part of serious men’s cricket at a young age as well and accepted the mistake of experimenting with playing from both genders.  

In 2015, she had given an interview to Women's Weekly regarding her gender transition.

“I was boiling over with the idea that I was living the wrong gender. I can't convey, I don't have the language to explain what it was like to live in that turmoil, but it was a nightmare, I could barely sleep.”

This controversy has hogged the limelight due to the transgender sports ahead of May 2021 federal election.

In 1974, McGregor joined the Australian Army as an officer cadet, and captain in 1980. As a Lieutenant Colonel in 2012, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to the Australian Army.