Darts Authority Bans Trans Women from Women's Events

The Darts Regulation Authority announced on April 9 that transgender women will be banned from women's tournaments under its rules, effective April 2026, limiting eligibility to biological females only. The decision, which governs events including the Professional Darts Corporation's Women's Series, has prompted Dutch player NoaLynn van Leuven, 29, to announce her retirement from the women's category.

The policy stems from a review initiated last year, incorporating a report by developmental biologist Dr. Emma Hilton, legal advice, and recent court rulings. Hilton's analysis concluded that darts qualifies as a gender-affected sport, where multiple small physiological differences between biological males and females accumulate to provide a competitive advantage to males. "To achieve fair competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in women's tournaments regulated by DRA rules," the authority stated. It emphasized inclusivity, noting that all players, regardless of biological sex, legal sex, or gender identity, are welcome and encouraged to participate in open tournaments.

Van Leuven, who began her transition in 2016 and entered women's events in...