The rules have been changed so that only players born female can participate in these matches.
The two British federations have put forward “scientific elements” to justify measures which, according to them, were taken for security reasons.
The Rugby League Federation (RFU) said in a statement that "research has provided evidence that the physical differences between male and female born players and the benefits in terms of strength, endurance and physique brought by testosterone and male puberty are +significant+ and maintained even after testosterone suppression”.
The RFU Council approved the new regulations by a narrow margin of 33 votes to 26 against, with two abstentions.
RFU chairman Jeff Blackett, while insisting that inclusion was at the "core of the values of rugby" and that his organization would continue to work to demonstrate "there is a place for everyone in our game", added: "we know that many will be disappointed by this decision, however, it was based on all available scientific evidence".
The Rugby Football League Board, responsible for play at XIII, has also approved the new policy, which will come into effect in August and will be reviewed in November 2024.
The announcements made by these two rugby authorities on Friday follow similar decisions in other sports.
Last month, the International Swimming Federation (Fina) decided that any athlete who had experienced male puberty would be excluded from its elite women's events.
In early July, the British Triathlon Federation also announced that transgender women born male would not be able to compete against athletes born female, but could compete in a new open category.
These various decisions came after a comment by UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who said it was "intrinsically unfair" to allow born male athletes to compete in female categories and that the sport had " dodged" the question for too long.
© 2022 AFP