Senator Claire Chandler has waded into a transgender row, with the liberal politician claiming that the inclusion of biological men in female sport damages ‘fairness for women’.

Women’s football team The Flying Bats has courted controversy this year, with their team – which comprises five transgender women – dominating a pre-season tournament in Sydney.

The team won every game of the competition, including a 10-0 rout in which one trans player scored six goals. 

And Senator Chandler, who represents Tasmania, has had her say on the inclusion of transgender women in female sport, issuing a warning in parliament.

Posting a near five-minute video clip of her speech, Chander wrote on Twitter: ‘The Flying Bats fielding 5 males in a women’s football league is no anomaly. 

‘Watch as I show that it was an explicit direction from the very top of Australian sport that male intrusion in women’s community sport is to be prioritised over fairness for women, and women who object are to be punished. 

‘Australian women won’t forget that when World Aquatics, World Athletics, World Rugby, World Netball, the ICC, UCI and others stepped up to protect women’s single-sex sport, Australian sporting bodies openly lobbied against women and girls at grassroots level having the same protections.’

The tweet has been viewed 130,000 times, with mixed responses in favour and opposing Chandler’s opinion.

Zelic, who last month launched a tirade against trans women on social media, backed Chandler’s speech.

She tweeted in response: ‘While the majority of our politicians and CEOs are cowering in the shadows and threatening those who speak out – Claire Chandler is standing up for your daughters, friends and mothers who deserve better. This is what leadership looks like. This is a politician we can be proud of.’

On the Flying Bats’ official website, they claim they are ‘the biggest LGBTQIA+ women’s and non-binary football club in the world’. 

Club president Jennifer Peden told Daily Mail Australia last month: ‘As a club, the Flying Bats FC stand strongly for inclusion, and pride ourselves on safe, respectful and fair play, the promotion of a supportive community for LGBTQIA+ players, officials and supporters, and the significant physical, social and mental health benefits that participation in sport brings, especially to marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We are a club that values our cisgender and transgender players equally.

‘We strongly support the Australian Human Rights Commission’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport.

‘These guidelines, along with the Sex Discrimination Act, inform the gender inclusion policies of Football Australia, Football NSW, and the North West Sydney Football Association at the community, grassroots level at which we play.

‘Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify. Trans women have played with the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to skilled, just like our cis women players.

‘Our players are graded on ability, and placed in the team that is most appropriate for their skill and experience level.’

The LGBTI Rights Australia Facebook group posted a message congratulating the team shortly after they won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup and slammed critics of the side.

‘Transgender women have been proudly part of the bats for 20 YEARS, yet it took terf N@zi$ up until this week to take notice,’ the message read.

‘This underscores that the issue isn’t transgender athletes but the exploitation of sports for political gain.

‘Congratulations to the Flying Bats Soccer Club who recently won the Beryl Ackroyd Cup! (And to all the transphobes complaining, we suggest you train a bit harder).’