The Darts Regulation Authority introduced a new regulation banning transgender athletes from competing in women-only events. This decision forced transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven into retirement against her will. Noa-Lynn van Leuven is a transgender darts player who made history as the first transgender player to feature at the World Championships.
She has competed on the PDC Women's Series tour since 2022 and has six event wins. Most recently, she represented the Netherlands at the Four Nations Cup. The regulation has prompted reactions from other players, with Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf pulling out of the Dutch national team because they did not want to play alongside 'a biological' man.
I just got an email. Apparently, I just got retired. Not by choice, but because I'm no longer allowed to compete. The DRA just decided that trans women are no longer allowed in women's events. Which basically means I'm out.
Additionally, Deta Hedman withdrew from the PDC Women's Series after being drawn against Noa-Lynn van Leuven at the quarter-finals stage. Van Leuven found the statement by Anca Zijlstra and Aileen de Graaf 'incredibly painful'. She has been outspoken about the challenges she has faced competing on the tour, describing feeling at times like she was 'running into a massive concrete wall'.
Unanswered questions remain about the specific new regulations the DRA introduced. It is unclear whether there are any legal challenges or appeals planned against the DRA's decision. The impact of this decision on other transgender athletes in darts or other sports has not been confirmed.
I've worked so damn hard for years just to get here - I showed up, I competed, I respected the sport, every game, every single day. And now, with just one decision, I am being told I don't belong any more.
Van Leuven emphasized the broader implications, stating this isn't just about her but another huge hit for the trans community, especially after recent decisions made by the IOC.
This isn't just about me. This is another huge hit for the trans community, especially after recent decisions made by the IOC. Every day it's getting harder and harder for trans people to just exist, to compete. If you think this stops with me, it doesn't. We just want to be.
On the inside I'm crying. The fluoxetine (a prescription SSRI) just hides it. Not my choice. Not just my story. This isn't the end. I'm just going back to the drawing board. I'm not done fighting.
I'm not playing against a man in a woman's body.
I haven't experienced reactions as intense as back then. Everything I'd been through before suddenly resurfaced. At a certain point I was convinced that all people were scary and s***ty. I just had nothing le