Transgender women are threatening to defy the Football Association's ban on those born male playing in women's football in England.
The rule change, set to come into force on June 1, follows last month's Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces.
Telegraph Sport has revealed that WhatsApp messages show players in a women's league plotting to ignore the ban.
Around 20 transgender women will be affected by the FA's decision, which has sparked fierce opposition from those impacted.
Trans footballers are planning on defying the FA ban
PA/GETTYOne player taking a particularly defiant stance is Fae Fulconis from Hackney Women, who compete in the sixth tier of women's football.
"My birth certificate says that my sex is female, my passport says F, I see no reason why I can't play football, so I'm going to play," Fulconis told The i Paper.
"I'm going to fight this ruling. If they want to ban me, then they can physically come and get me off the pitch."
Fulconis believes the ban "goes really against the spirit of football" and misrepresents who transgender women are.
The FA's stance on this matter is clear, with strict consequences for any club found to have fielded an ineligible player.
Such clubs face being sanctioned and potentially ejected from competitions where the offence occurred.
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There remains the possibility that transgender women might attempt to overturn the ban through legal channels.
The FA has offered affected trans players "free, fully confidential online talking therapy" and suggested they might consider moving into coaching or becoming match officials.
The governing body also indicated hopes to have mixed-gender football available from the 2026-27 season.
Hackney Women FC, one of the world's oldest LGBTQIA+ football clubs, released a statement expressing devastation at the FA's decision.
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FA chief Mark Bullingham had been under pressure to change the organisation's policy on transgender footballersPA"It is heartbreaking to see the governing body of our sport implement a policy that actively excludes members of our community," the club said.
They described the ban as "a direct threat to the inclusive values" they have upheld for nearly four decades.
The club, established in 1986, vowed to stand "in full solidarity with our transgender players" and continue fighting for inclusivity.
The FA's decision reflects a broader trend across British sports governing bodies implementing similar restrictions.
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The FA has offered affected trans players "free, fully confidential online talking therapy"
GETTYThe England and Wales Cricket Board is expected to follow suit, banning transgender women from the women's game.
England Netball announced comparable rule changes on Thursday.
Several other sports have either previously implemented such bans or plan to do so.
