Aileen de Graaf has welcomed the World Darts Federation’s (WDF) decision to restrict its women’s and girls’ tournaments to biological women, calling the ruling a long-overdue step towards fairness in the sport.
The policy change, agreed at September’s general meeting and formally added to the rulebook last month, ends the WDF’s previous approach of allowing transgender players to compete if their passport identified them as female.
That old rule had enabled Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven to participate in the women’s game, but it also triggered a heated debate — one that saw de Graaf and fellow Netherlands international Anca Zijlstra resign from the national team in early 2023 in protest.
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For de Graaf, a leading figure in women’s darts since 2008 and a former Lakeside finalist, the update finally resolves a long-running dispute.
Aileen de Graaf has welcomed the World Darts Federation’s (WDF) decision to restrict its women’s and girls’ tournaments to biological women, calling the ruling a long-overdue step towards fairness in the sport
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“I understand it’s not easy for the federation to put such a rule in writing,” she told AD.nl.
“Not many sports have managed to do it yet.
"But it’s good that it’s happened, because if we all think logically, there is a difference between men’s and women’s sport.”
While darts does not require the same physical output as some other sports, de Graaf insists the competitive gap is still obvious.
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“The difference in averages is often at least 15 points. Hand–eye coordination, focus, and the natural physical build work in men’s favour,” she said.
She also raised biological factors that are rarely discussed publicly.
“I get my period once a month, and when I do, my level drops a lot," she added.
"Trans women can’t experience that. There are clear differences. For me, it’s about fairness in girls’ darts. There’s a reason sport separates men and women.”
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Darts star Aileen de Graaf has revealed speaking out on transgender players comes at a personal cost
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Speaking out has come at a personal cost, however.
The Dutch player has revealed she's received threats online for her stance on the subject.
“If you stand up for women’s rights, you’re quickly labelled ‘transphobic’ and can lose sponsors," she explained.
"I’ve had threats, and that’s why I stayed quiet for a while. Many players still don’t speak up for the same reason.”
De Graaf also emphasised that her objection was never about Van Leuven personally.
“When I played for the Dutch national team, Noa competed in the boys’ category," she continued.
"When she switched to the women’s, we felt it was unfair.
"Don’t get me wrong - everyone should live freely and happily. Noa did nothing wrong; she followed the rules.
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Darts star Aileen de Graaf has insisted she's got no personal issue with transgender player Noa-Lynn van Leuven (pictured)
| PA"It’s just unfortunate she’s the only top-level example, so it always comes back to her. We’re fighting for our rights too. Fairness has to come first.”
Van Leuven, meanwhile, recently addressed the ban.
The 28-year-old released a statement saying: "This past Monday, the WDF (World Darts Federation) released a new policy regarding gender eligibility.
"I want to take a moment to respond. This decision does affect me personally though, thankfully, not too severely at this point in time. But still, it hurts.
"Once again, it’s a loss for the trans community in sports. And that breaks my heart.
"As a trans person in the darts world, I know how vital inclusion is not just on paper, but in practice. It’s disheartening to see yet another policy framed around 'fairness' that ultimately results in exclusion, without truly considering the people behind the labels.
"My heart goes out to all the athletes impacted by this. We remain visible. We keep going."