Darts: Transgender women banned from women’s PDC events
The Darts Regulatory Authority has banned transgender women from competing in women’s events with immediate effect.
The DRA, which runs the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), said that “only biological women should be eligible to compete in women’s tournaments governed by the DRA Rules”.
This comes after the DRA completed a review of its Trans and Gender Diversity Policy, which begins in 2025.
Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who became the first trans woman to compete at the PDC World Championships in 2024, said the decision “effectively retires” her.
She continues to play in open tournaments for men and women.
“I just got an email and it looks like I just retired, not by choice but because I’m not allowed to race anymore,” Van Leuven said in a video posted on Instagram.
“The DRA decided that trans women are no longer allowed to attend women’s events, which basically means I’m out.
“It’s getting harder and harder for trans people to exist, to compete. If you think it’s going to end with me, it’s not. We just want to be like that.”
“Men’s physical advantage in darts may be small but it all adds up,” said sex-based rights charity Sex Matters.
“Darts is a male-dominated world, played in bars and clubs, and the best darts players are all men, so women need their own tournaments.
“Darts Regulatory Authority followed old, unfair IOC path [International Olympic Committee] “So it’s great to see this rapid return to justice for female gamers.”
The DRA said it “aims to be inclusive” and encouraged “all players, regardless of their biological sex, legal gender, and/or sexual identity” to continue competing in open tournaments.
His decision was based on legal advice and academic developmental biologist Dr. It was stated that it was based on the report prepared by Emma Hilton.
Dr Hilton’s report concluded that “numerous small magnitude sex differences accumulate to create a male advantage over females in darts”.
Last year, the World Darts Federation (WDF) banned transgender women from participating in women’s tournaments.
Last month, IOC president Kirsty Coventry announced there would be a blanket ban on transgender women, as well as athletes with difference of sex development (DSD), at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
