Transgender darts player speaks out after being 'retired' by bans to protect Women's only events

Ed Griffiths
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:14:34 +0000

Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven has declared she has been "retired" following the Darts Regulation Authority's landmark decision to ban trans women from competing in women's events.

The 29-year-old Dutch player, who claimed six PDC Women's Series titles across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, shared her reaction in a video on Instagram after receiving notification of the ruling by email.

Van Leuven said: "I just got an email. Apparently, I just got retired. Not by choice, but because I'm no longer allowed to compete."

She described the decision as "another huge hit for the trans community", particularly in light of recent IOC rulings.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

She added: "Every day it's getting harder and harder for trans people just to exist, to compete. If you think this stops with me, it doesn't. We just want to be."

The DRA announced on Thursday that its new eligibility policy takes effect immediately, restricting women's tournaments to biological females only.

This ruling, which has been praised for helping protect women's sports, applies across all affiliated organisations, including the PDC, and covers events such as the Women's Series where Van Leuven had previously competed.

The governing body launched a review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy in 2025, which involved commissioning research from Dr Emma Hilton, a developmental biologist specialising in sex and sport categories.

The DRA also sought extensive legal guidance and considered the April 2025 UK Supreme Court judgment in the For Women Scotland case, as well as the subsequent Harriet Haynes and English Blackball Pool Federation ruling from August 2025.

Transgender players remain eligible to participate in open tournaments, which the DRA says it encourages regardless of biological sex, legal sex or gender identity.

Dr Hilton's report determined that darts qualifies as a "gender-affected sport" under Section 195 of the Equality Act 2010.

Her research identified several physical characteristics that give male players an edge over their female counterparts, including superior height, longer limbs, broader shoulders, greater muscle mass and stiffer tendons.

LATEST SPORT NEWS:

Darts bans transgender players in Women's only events in latest victory for female sports

Cristiano Ronaldo dragged into Saudi league cheating claims as England star launches scathing attack

Championship club's new stadium sparks council row as legal action launched over 'ancient' woodland

These attributes enhance reach, stability and throwing mechanics, ultimately affecting consistency and precision, according to the findings.

The report also noted that larger skeletal frames and advantageous biomechanics allow for more effective forward lean, contributing to improved throwing accuracy.

Additionally, greater hand and arm strength helps delay muscle fatigue during release timing, supporting more consistent scoring.

"Multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts," Dr Hilton concluded, noting that no single factor was deterministic for performance.

Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at the sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, praised the DRA's announcement.

She told the Times: "Darts is a male-dominated world, played in pubs and clubs, and the top darts players are all men. Men's physical advantages in darts may be small, but they all add up. That's why women need their own tournaments."

McAnena highlighted that Van Leuven had secured six women's titles and prize money during 2024 and 2025, while also taking one of two reserved places for women at the world championships.

She noted that Van Leuven had represented the Dutch women's national team for three years, with female players leaving the squad rather than compete alongside her.

McAnena added: "It's great to see this rapid return to fairness for women players."