Breaking news has emerged in the past hour, as the Darts Regulation Authority has issued a statement preventing female-born darts players from competing in women-only events.
With the Professional Darts Corporation maintaining its longstanding stance that it will adhere to DRA rulings on such matters, this judgement now means that, effective from 9th April 2026, entry for those deemed ineligible for the Women’s Series is prohibited.
This is a matter of much debate that has been rumbling on for a number of months and, following this announcement from the DRA, it has now reached a definitive conclusion. Following extensive legal consultation and regular dialogue with both the PDC and the Professional Darts Players Association, the DRA has formally issued a statement which will come into immediate effect.
Last year, the DRA commenced its comprehensive and methodical review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy, including commissioning an in-depth report from Dr Emma Hilton, a published academic specialising in sex-based categories in sport and a developmental biologist of considerable repute.
Dr Hilton’s pertinent key findings were: “that multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts,” which resulted in her expert scientific opinion that “darts is a “gender-affected sport” within Section 195 of the Equality Act (2010).”
As a direct consequence of the DRA statement, effective from April 5, 2026, the organisation has replaced its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy with an Eligibility Policy and Rules for open and women’s tournaments, which will now be implemented across all affiliated organisations, including the PDC.
The decision is likely to be met with contrasting and, in some quarters, polarised opinions. Whilst a general consensus, based on prior social media discourse, may appear to endorse the outcome, it is equally evident that a number of pro-transgender advocacy groups across the UK are poised to oppose the ruling.
One prominent player who will inevitably be at the forefront of many darts fans’ minds is Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who will no longer be permitted to compete on the PDC Women’s Series. The Dutch arrowsmith currently resides in ninth position on that particular Order of Merit and, over the past three consecutive years, has earned a coveted spot in the Women’s Matchplay in Blackpool, notably achieving a semi-final appearance last season.
After successfully passing stringent transitioning criteria in 2022 to compete in the Women’s Series, the 29-year-old has amassed a total of six titles – a tally which will now, unequivocally, remain static.
There is, of course, a modicum of consolation in what will undoubtedly feel like a profoundly disheartening development. As far as the PDC and other governing bodies are concerned, eligibility for all Open tournaments remains entirely accessible. Moreover, it is not as though Van Leuven lacks the requisite calibre on the oche – a Challenge Tour title last season serving as emphatic evidence of capability.
van Leuven has provided a tearful videoed statement on Instagram.
It was back in July of last year that the World Darts Federation implemented a similar ruling, restricting its women’s events to players assigned female at birth.
The PDC’s position was always to align itself with guidance issued by the DRA. Now, that moment has emphatically arrived.
Amongst the sport’s elite, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen are two figures who have previously offered support and expressed sympathy for Van Leuven’s situation. However, regardless of their personal viewpoints, both former PDC World Champions – along with others in that camp – are ultimately powerless to influence or alter the ruling.
Below are the key points from Dr Emma Hilton’s findings, with further information available via the links provided in Appendix 2.
APPENDIX ONE
▪ Various evidence streams indicate that females are unable to consistently compete with male players in darts. Whilst the performance gap is likely attributable to a constellation of social factors, there are also several physiological characteristics that confer an advantage upon male players.
▪ Male advantage includes greater height, longer limbs, broader shoulders, increased muscle mass, and stiffer tendons. These attributes enhance reach, stability, and throwing mechanics, thereby influencing consistency and precision.
▪ Stance and throw. A combination of a larger skeletal structure and advantageous biomechanics – maximising reach and facilitating more effective exploitation of forward lean – contributes to an advantage for males in throwing mechanics and accuracy.
▪ Grip and motor control. Greater hand and arm strength delays fatigue in key muscles involved in release timing, thereby supporting sustained scoring consistency in male players.
▪ Conclusion. This report has identified multiple physical differences that, in my opinion, contribute to superior scoring among male darts players. I do not consider that any individual sex difference is overwhelming in magnitude or singularly deterministic for performance. Rather, multiple, small-magnitude sex differences accumulate to generate male advantage over females in darts.
It is Dr Hilton’s expert opinion that darts is a “gender-affected sport” within Section 195 of the Equality Act (2010).
APPENDIX TWO
The UK Supreme Court Ruling can be found here:
https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2024_0042_judgment_aea6c48cee.pdf
Harriet Haynes and the English Blackball Pool Federation Ruling can be found here:
K01CT207-judgment-1-8-25-handed-down.pdf
Image: Taylor Lanning/PDC
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