The World Darts Federation has implemented new eligibility rules that will prevent transgender players from competing in women’s tournaments, effectively barring Dutch star Noa-Lynn van Leuven from these events.
The policy change was finalized following a vote by WDF members on Monday. According to the announcement, it restricts participation in women’s tournaments to those assigned female at birth. The decision stems from a proposal made at a General Meeting last September, reflecting the ongoing global conversation about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Under the updated regulations, transgender women like the 28-year-old van Leuven can only participate in the newly designated “Open Category” which welcomes players of all genders. The WDF has restructured its tournament classifications into “Open,” “Women,” “Open Youth,” and “Girls” categories.
“Effective Monday 28 July 2025, entry and participation in WDF Women’s and Girls Ranking Tournaments and Cups will only be open to players that are WOMEN/FEMALE as defined under this policy,” a WDF spokesperson announced.
The organization acknowledged the difficulty of the transition, stating: “We understand these changes may be challenging for people who want to compete in darts in the gender which they are now registered as. The WDF has directly contacted its Member Countries so as they can discuss these changes with affected players directly.”
Importantly, this ruling does not affect van Leuven’s ability to compete in Professional Darts Corporation events, where she currently holds the fourth position in the PDC Women’s Order of Merit. The PDC operates independently from the WDF and has not announced similar policy changes.
Van Leuven made history in 2024 as the first Dutch woman to qualify for the World Darts Championship, though she was eliminated in the opening round by Kevin Doets. More recently, she reached the semi-finals at the Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool.
However, her participation in tournaments has not been without controversy. Prior to last year’s World Championship, van Leuven revealed she had received death threats which significantly impacted her mental health.
World champion Michael van Gerwen offered his support to his fellow Dutch player, expressing frustration with the situation. “It’s just heartbreaking. She does what she does and she can play terrific darts. Let her play nice,” van Gerwen said. “For me, there’s never been a discussion, but I don’t make the rules. The PDC has people who go over them.”
He continued: “They can never make the right choice anyway. If they go left, people say they should go right and vice versa. Everyone has an opinion about it, but there is no point at all in continuing to argue.”
The policy implementation coincides with recent incidents at tournaments, including reports that spectators were removed from the Winter Gardens in Blackpool during the Women’s World Matchplay for protesting van Leuven’s participation. Three women claimed they were escorted from the venue while attempting to demonstrate as van Leuven entered the competition.
The tournament itself saw Lisa Ashton claim victory, defeating favorites Beau Greaves and Fallon Sherrock in the eight-player field that featured the world’s top women’s darts competitors.
This development places darts alongside other sports grappling with similar policy decisions regarding transgender athlete participation. Noa-Lynn van Leuven’s career will now primarily focus on PDC competitions and the newly created Open Category events.
