Overview
- The Darts Regulation Authority, which announced the policy Thursday, now limits women’s tournaments to players assigned female at birth.
- The rules apply across Professional Darts Corporation events such as the Women’s Series and take effect immediately, while all players can still enter open tournaments.
- Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven said an email told her she was "retired" from women’s events; she has six Women’s Series titles and was the first openly transgender woman to compete at the 2024 PDC World Championship.
- The DRA based its decision on legal advice and a report by developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton, who wrote that many small sex differences can add up to a male advantage in darts, defining it as a “gender-affected sport” under the UK Equality Act.
- The move follows similar steps by the World Darts Federation in 2025 and recent IOC eligibility shifts, and the DRA says it will monitor developments and review the policy at least annually.