Boys have been banned from a national netball competition being held in Aberystwyth over concerns that their physical strength puts them at an advantage.

The Urdd National Sports Festival takes place in the town in May and primary schools were told last month that netball would be played by girls only.

However, girls and boys will be able to play in the football competition at the same tournament.

Organisers Urdd Gobaith Cymru said it was aimed at encouraging more girls to take part, while boys’ physical strength sometimes put them at an advantage.

They said that they are “committed to equality of opportunity and we aspire to provide safe and enjoyable opportunities for children and young people through our sports activities”.

“Single sex sports are permitted under the Equality Act when differences in strength and physique would otherwise make the competition unfair,” an Urdd spokesperson said.

“Following discussions with Sport Wales and Welsh Netball, the decision was made by the Urdd’s sports panel in September 2018 to offer an all-girls primary netball tournament in 2019.

“The main reason for this decision is to ensure that girls are able to take part in a competition where the circumstances are fair for all.

“There is also a significant gender gap in terms of participation in sports between boys and girls, through offering an all-girls tournament in this sport with a clear pathway for continued participation from primary to secondary school age, we are actively taking steps to close the gender gap in sports participation.

“As an organisation we are very proud of the range of sports competitions that are offered to girls, boys and mixed teams, all of which adhere to the Department of Education guidelines and are reviewed annually as part of the sports department’s continuous evaluation.”

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