In a high-speed sport that demands agility, reflex, and grit, Ryan Eagles brings something else entirely to the floorball court: visibility. At just 21 years old, Ryan (he/they) is the first openly transgender floorball player in Aotearoa New Zealand to be eligible for international representation — a milestone that marks both a personal and political moment in local sport.
Based in Christchurch and currently playing as a goalkeeper, Ryan’s story is one of resilience, passion, and navigating the uncharted. From early days of self-discovery at Wellington Girls’ College to advocating for his right to play in the men’s team, Ryan has become a reluctant yet determined pioneer in a sport still learning how to talk about gender diversity.
In our exclusive interview, Ryan opens up about their experiences on and off the court — from the adrenaline rush of slap shots to the weight of representation. Through honesty and humour, he reflects on the barriers, small victories, and the joy that keeps him coming back to the game.
Can you share a bit about your journey — both as a floorball player and as a transmasculine person — and how those paths have intersected?
I sort of always associated myself as one of the boys, in primary and intermediate I saw myself as a boy, and when I hit puberty, I started having issues and complicated thoughts about my body, until I went to high school, Wellington Girls’ College, it became very clear to me, I wasn’t a woman, So I began to socially transition throughout high school, from year 9 (2017) onwards, only learnt the term transgender in year 10. I also started Hormones in 2021, in my year 13, as well. I got top surgery in 2023, right before the first rounds of national men’s team trials.
I started Floorball, just before coming out, however, I was able to switch my name quite early on so that people were easy to adjust, people similar ages to me used He/him pronouns, and some older players did too, however, some would still use female pronouns occasional, and stuck me in girls team. They got better over the years, especially when I was asked to join the U19 women’s team in 2021, when this happened I had to bring forward to them that I was taking testosterone and that I went by male pronouns. When this happened, it caused a bit of confusion and I guess a hit in the face of the realisation that I was transgender.
So, they brought the issue forward to Floorball New Zealand, who stated that since we play mixed constantly, it doesn’t seem to matter to them. However, they had to talk to IFF, who then spent some time creating an early release of the 2021 transgender policy (this was a draft as the official policy was released in 2023. Which states that if I get into the men’s team, it will be based on skills. If I were to play in the women’s team, then I would put the team at risk if I get drugged tested and have high hormones. I decided not to participate in the U19 women’s team that went to Poland.
When did you first discover floorball, and what drew you to it?
I first discovered it properly in high school, in intermediate, we did like a wee bit of a hit around one day during an Ākau Tangi Sports Centre intro session we did at my Intermediate, Northland School. However never properly got into Floorball until year 9 where it was offered as a summer sport at my highschool. I was drawn by my love for hockey, but wasn’t the best at it, and wanted to play, so I would often play stick at first, but when I played goal, I found it more exciting, the adrenaline and the speed of the game made it more fun to play in that position.
How has your identity shaped your experience in sport, both on and off the court?
As a kid, I guess no one cared about your gender when playing sports, I was in the best soccer team in Tawa when I was in primary, and no one cared if I was the only girl in the team, but it was when I go older and starting getting into competitive sport is when the issued a raised. I played for my high school my whole time in high school, it was good, and fun and enjoyed it, and my teammates respected my gender as well.
It’s been mixed, really, and not to stereotype but it was probably the more older experienced and skilled players that had the most issues with me, like my identity when not playing was also a male, however on the court, I guess a lot of them were like, you go to an all-girls college, so you are a girl kind of mentality. Even after I left High School, I had some of the same problems until I moved to Christchurch.
When I moved to Christchurch, it was after top surgery, but no one cared I was transgender, like it comes up in conversation sometimes, but no one has ever had an issue about it. It’s just been easy, and I guess less of a need to feel like I need to prove myself to my cis counterparts. Whereas in Wellington, I often felt like I had to be above or equal to them constantly, and that I couldn’t have a bad game like the others, because I felt like there was just a constant need to be perfect otherwise I am less likely to get chosen.
What does it mean to you personally to be the first openly transgender floorball player eligible for international competition in Aotearoa?
It gives me an opportunity to showcase myself and to prove to others that sports is open to all, and that understanding that we are not born perfect but with determination, we can be the best. It also gives Aotearoa a chance to showcase its strengths and commitment to inclusivity and to help all grow their skills in Floorball. Overall, it provides a sense of belonging in the sport I am passionate about.
Visibility matters — how have people responded to your presence in the sport, particularly as an out trans athlete?
It’s been a mixed response, Cause I am on Testosterone, I had to use a TUEs (therapeutic use exemption) form so that if I was drug tested and showed signs of elevated testosterone I would be less likely to be accused of doping, as with an Approved TUE, it means I cause to use the HRT drug, Reandron 1000, safely and legally in floorball.
New Zealand floorball never has an official transgender policy, however, IFF (International Floorball Federation) does, which was officially released in 2023. I had some people who honestly didn’t care, and I had some people who asked questions about being transgender as they were curious and I happily answered them, because I believe that if we have the conversation to help educate people it will lead to a more inclusive environment. I never really had issues with transphobia when it came to sports, I had a few people telling me I could only play in women’s teams but I also had some people who were more concerned about doping regulations.
I am one of the few who has had a sit-down conversation about playing sports as a transgender person at a national representation level. I would have liked to have seen it as more of a conversation that happened before, but I guess it’s a conversation that doesn’t happen until it needs to, realistically in most sporting people’s eyes.
Do you feel like your presence in the sport has opened up conversations or changed perspectives among your teammates, coaches, or the wider floorball community?
It’s opened up for conversations, since I needed to spell out to the U19 woman’s coach, that I am a male, despite going by male pronouns, male name and dressed masculine, and it was a bit of a hang on a moment situation. I spent a while, roughly a year to hear if I can legally play, and since I was the first person to submit a TUE, to the IFF as a transgender. It took them 8 months to process it fully, which I was patient for. After the first 4 months of informing Floorball New Zealand about the situation, we discussed having a transgender player. We have chosen to mostly consist of mixed teams in floorball leagues and teams giving us the ability of just group the best or more collaborative teams based on skills vs. their gender which proves often to be a good thing. We only split into genders when it comes to national representation.
It took them 4 months to more or less explain to me, that it’s fine for you to play regardless of what you identify as, except when it comes to national representation. Where they stated, that you can get into the men’s team based on your skill vs just your gender, as in they weren’t going to pull the tokenism stance to just get news headlines in the floorball world by having a transgender player.
I’ve had a few conversations about gender identity with players, but honestly, most haven’t asked, and while I am still unknown to the floorball world currently, I am looking forward to being able to have this conversation more.
Are there any trans or queer athletes — in floorball or other sports — who’ve inspired you or helped you feel seen?
I am not 100% sure how to answer the question. I guess there isn’t any particular athlete that has helped me feel seen. I would say if any probably Laurel Hubbard, she was the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics, and that I guess kind of helped the world to recognise transgender people exist however there weren’t any queer role models for me in sporting and being trans, however, I never really looked as well.
What kinds of systemic or social barriers have you encountered as a transgender person in sport?
I don’t feel like there has been a systemic barrier, like there was a hang on a moment, let us double check the paperwork, with me potentially playing internationally; however, besides that, it has always been more social barriers than anything. I guess for me, I am towards the younger end of the New Zealand men’s team eligibility, as there is a large age range, on average between 25-45 for the men’s team, meaning there can be that generation gap issue along with the separation of gender.
When trailing for the men’s team last time, I honestly felt alone. I wasn’t given much social interactions at both trial weekends I attended, and like I felt awkward going up and joining the conversation, so during the breaks I either sat by myself or like nearest to the group. No one also complimented my play I was told off for a couple of mistakes I made, and that’s the only critique I had at the time, before getting an email talking about how I did well but didn’t make the team, and gave me like some things to work on as well, and stated for me to come to trials again.
I have honestly never approached people about their feelings about me being transgender, I know the captain of the men’s team has taken some time to adjust, with people using comments around “he’s a bit slow with these things.” He often was the one who would ask me to compete in the women’s team. I also had some discrimination when it came to ruling for the Wellington Floorball League, which states “All teams in the league are to have two females on the court the entire time.” When I commented how then the two girls would need to stay on the court the entire time. He corrected his introduction of the rule to the team as “two non-cis males.” Which was him stating, you weren’t born a male, therefore you aren’t classed as a male. This ruling was to encourage inclusivity but honestly, it annoyed me that I was being looped in with females just so they get the tick box of inclusivity.
Have you faced any difficulties around eligibility, uniforms, facilities, or inclusion policies, and how have you navigated those?
In floorball, all our uniforms are Shorts and shirts for stick players, since I was a Goalie, I had my separate gear, which meant no real issue when it came to floorball, The facilities I used were bathrooms, which I had no issues with, as most places are rec centres which is friendly, and fortunately I do pass quite easily as a male too.
When it came to eligibility, for most of my high school time, I was seen as a female, due to the fact that they never offered me positions for the U19 men’s team, only women’s, which I would have been able to get in if I were a female easily. However, there was a lot of grey area to discuss with the matter when it first came out, I spent a while sitting on my hands waiting to hear from people as they talked and discussed if I was going to be eligible.
I provided the paperwork needed, and at the time it was a waiting game for them to work through the policy, they had not finalised exactly at the time, and for them to go through the process of having a transgender athlete at a high level. Due to COVID, there was a delay in the year for the U19 men’s team that led to me not being eligible before ageing out which meant I needed to compete solely in the men’s team.
What support structures (or lack thereof) have made a difference for you, whether within sport or your wider community?
I don’t know, there isn’t any group solely for trans sporting members, or like groups that help support transgender people that way, a lot of my support came from Dad, and a few friends as well. I suppose more support for education surrounding transgender athletes would be beneficial for future athletes.
What keeps you coming back to floorball? What do you love most about it?
I enjoy being a goalie, call me insane, but I do find joy in blocking and trying to catch the balls being slap-shotted at me going at 100-300 kmph. It’s different from most sports I’ve had play, where it relies on not only teamwork, and communication but also on the thinking and reactions of players. In goal, I am often the final stop, and it means that there is pressure to stop the balls, but it’s a high-risk, high-reward situation, where every save I make, leads to a more prouder moment for me.
Can you describe a moment in your floorball journey that felt particularly joyful, affirming or powerful?
As a transgender person, I never had any times where I felt particularly affirming, however, during the CFO 2025 (this year) overall I felt affirmed and powerful with my skills as a goalie. I let in a possible 7 goals overall, not including the 4 that were done for penalty shootouts during the semifinals for the open grade. I played well, did good saves, and overall performed well.
How has being part of a team shaped your sense of self or your relationship with your identity?
It’s been a mixed experience, so in Christchurch, we play mix, in every training session, and tournament, we often play in mixed teams so we let people express themselves the way they want to while playing. We often make comments, joke and keep things light-hearted on the court, as we aim for a more fun bubbly atmosphere vs a serious, and stern similar to that of the NZ Men’s team and most teams in Wellington. It’s just two different perspectives with floorball really, as one is more friendly and relaxed as it’s a small club and they aim to make it enjoyable. Whereas in Wellington it was rather serious, I often made jokes or comments while on the court when I lived there, however, it was to select people.
What changes would you love to see in Aotearoa’s sporting spaces when it comes to trans inclusion?
I would love to see a group of people dedicated to assisting and educating transgender athletes, or even an organisation you can join, where people who don’t fall into the Cisgender categories can collaborate and learn from each other, as well as being a group that people can look to for help, and education on how to be inclusive of transgender athletes, and the actual complications that occur for transgender athletes, eg; testosterone levels in the blood, or how certain hormone types provide a disadvantage to people.
What advice would you give to a young trans athlete who’s just starting, maybe unsure if there’s a place for them in sport?
If they are already playing a sport, what they can do, is bring it forward to their coach, or a manager that they trust within their club/team. Inform them about your wishes to pursue a higher level of competitiveness in sports, and ask about any ruling for transgender in the sport.
If you are transgender and haven’t played the sport before, you just sign up with your chosen name and gender, and realistically, almost all sports are fine for people at social levels to play in the category they wish for. Quite a few sports in New Zealand follow the standard policy for transgender athletes that the Ministry of Sport has outlined, so, if you can compete within those guidelines, I say go for it, give sports a good, do it for fun, exercise and do it for yourself.
I feel like my answer I have already put is very diplomatic, which isn’t necessarily what people need. Basically, if you want to play sports, regardless if you are cisgender or not, you should go play sports, we play in a society that often have mixed gendered sports as well as single sex categories.
Most clubs are welcoming or see any real issue because we have no need to have doping or other serious discussions for local/regional level sports. We as a national only really become concerned of segregated sports when it comes to national and international level representation of sports. That is where we pride ourselves on our males and female teams doing well, and care less about our mixed teams in international levels. If you want to play sports and are transgender, play any sport you find fun, it’s what I did, and now I am making the attempt to get into the national men’s team.
You’ve spoken informally about gender and sport — is advocacy or community education something you’d like to do more of?
I have explained to small individuals in my opinion how it works, being transgender, and also playing sports, If I am given the right material, and with assistance, I would happily talk and provide education to the sporting community in a formal setting. We need to help provide understanding to sporting members about how identity affects players on and off the court. I would like a more formal setting to either talk directly to sporting managers and teams or to give a generalise talk to the public, to help provide information to develop a solid understanding on how being transgender and competing in sports can work easily together.
Do you see yourself as a role model, and how do you feel about that role?
Well, I sort of see myself as a role model, though I probably feel like the term Pathfinder would be more fitting, cause usually with role models, traditionally already have a system in place, they just excel within the system usually, however for me its I am treading on an unknown path, along with my country, and the IFF, we aren’t shown how this would look like, and it’s something we have to do carefully. When it comes to their role, I already feel proud due to the fact I am the reason there is a transgender policy in place. Someday it’s very stressful, and someday it’s joyful.
I recently had a day during the week after the king’s birthday tournament, where I was just really tired of having to be in this role, I feel like if I compete in tournaments where the majority of the NZ men’s team is there, that I need to prove myself there, like I am trailing for the men’s team, be on the A game constantly, it’s tiring and I ended up calling my dad, claiming I am tired of it, tired of having to be the best constantly to please others so that I can be one of the team or be proven to play high-level floorball. On other days I wake up confident in my ability, when I play well I believe that people notice me and that they know I belong. It just depends on the day.
For those less familiar with floorball, how would you describe it — and what makes it such a unique or exciting sport?
It’s a mix of ice hockey and field hockey components on a shin-height rink. It is a type of indoor hockey played inside a rink with carbon-shaft sticks and a plastic ball. With teams of 5, plus a goalie the team, they can play a fun, easy and fast sport that helps build strong communication and team bonding for those who play.
What’s the state of the floorball scene in Christchurch and in New Zealand more broadly? Is it growing, and how inclusive is it?
The Christchurch floorball scene is relatively small; it’s possibly the second biggest club, as we got the combined team between Christchurch and Selwyn under the Canterbury floorball name. We are aiming to follow a similar style to what Wellington has done and to establish a league; however, that takes logistics, which is slowly being worked through as we speak.
In my personal opinion, Christchurch is probably one of the more inclusive clubs, now I cannot speak about the clubs in Wanaka, Hamilton, and Auckland, as the only clubs I have been a part of have been Wellington and Canterbury. The relaxed attitude that the club brings to floorball provides a sense that they are the most inclusive for people. The club’s drive is to get members who enjoy the sport, regardless of age, fitness, gender or sexuality. Due to this attitude, it is a much more relaxed environment when it comes to training, as we don’t have enough members to establish a league yet, we do weekly training with ends with games for the last 60-30 minutes of the session.
The biggest floorball scene will be Wellington, It is where most national team trials and most development camps take place as it has the highest concentration, with at least 3 clubs there, some exclusive clubs, and two which are open to others, plus having a school league from primary through to high school does give wellington that capacity to continuously grow. As for the inclusivity, when I was there, it was a mixed response, some people were fine, some were curious, and some needed me to directly tell them that, I am a dude, do not put me in female teams, I am a dude.
There was one particular time I was put down as a ‘woman’ for an elite grade team so that they could easily deal with the ‘need for at least two females on the court at one time.’ Ruling that was put in place that year. When I pointed out to the team manager I am a dude, he corrected himself to ‘non-cis males.’ I looked at the regulations later that week to see it states Women/females, however, I am also aware if I argued on that, I would have gotten nowhere with it, so I left it alone for that season.
Do you think floorball has the potential to lead when it comes to queer and trans inclusion in sport? Why or why not?
Well, yes, in a way, they compete in queer-based competitions like the Gay Games and Eurogames, which are sporting events specifically for the LGBT+ community. Scotland’s Perth Parrots prides itself on being an LGBT+ floorball club; they take pride in that. I believe we can lead in inclusivity if we play the cards right. There isn’t a massively wide scene currently in both New Zealand and most of the world, but if done correctly, with the growth of the sports, we can help become leaders in being inclusive to all.
New Zealand can help lead that space but reaching out to the LGBT+ community within the nation and seeing if there is a possibility of sending a team to one of these games, cause while Eurogamers is almost inclusive to Europe only, we can also ask if we can send a team, or perhaps combine with Australia and send a team, do something collaborative to help become inclusivity leaders within the sport.
