Noa-Lynn van Leuven, a transgender darts player from the Netherlands, has said that a recent ban from women's events has triggered painful childhood memories. The ban follows rule changes by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) last month, which prohibit transgender women from competing in women's events.
Van Leuven, 29, learned of the decision via email a day before it was made public. She described it as having 'changed everything' and said it brought back memories of not being accepted in middle school and kindergarten. 'It's just something that keeps coming back,' she said.
The DRA's decision was based on a report from developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton, which concluded that 'multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts'. Van Leuven challenged this, arguing that top players like Phil Taylor and Luke Littler are not tall, and that darts is not a 'gender-affected sport'.
Van Leuven, who made history as the first trans player to qualify for the World Championship and Grand Slam of Darts, now faces limited competitive options. She can only enter second-tier Challenge Tour events or World Darts Federation competitions. The PDC has offered her counselling.
Despite the setback, Van Leuven remains determined. 'I'm not done with this game,' she said, though she admitted that her goals for the year are gone. She also expressed concern about broader trans issues, saying trans people are often dehumanised in public discourse.
The DRA said its decision was made after extensive legal advice and was not taken lightly.
