Noa-lynn Van Leuven blasts darts rule after women’s events ban
noa-lynn van leuven said Thursday that a new Darts Regulation Authority rule has effectively ended her run in women’s competition, after the governing body moved to block biological males from women’s tournaments. In a video posted to her Instagram account, the Dutch darts player said she had been “retired” without choosing to stop competing. The dispute now sits at the center of a wider fight over who can play in women’s sport, with noa-lynn van leuven framing the decision as a blow far beyond darts.
Van Leuven says the ruling ends her path for now
Noa-lynn van Leuven said, “Apparently, I just got retired, not by choice, but because I’m no longer allowed to compete. ” She added that she had “worked so damn hard for years just to get here, ” and said the ruling told her she “don’t belong anymore. ” In the same message, noa-lynn van leuven said the change was “another huge hit for the trans community, ” and insisted, “This isn’t the end. I’m just going back to the drawing board. I’m not done fighting. ”
The DRA’s decision follows a policy review that began in 2025. The organization said it commissioned a report from an academic developmental biologist who has published papers on sex and categories in sport, and said it also considered extensive legal advice. The authority said it was satisfied that “to achieve fair competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in women’s tournaments regulated by DRA Rules. ”
What the DRA says and what comes next
The DRA is a U. K. -based not-for-profit organization that says its role includes administering rules and regulations for darts. In its announcement on April 9, it said the review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy had led to the new eligibility rule for women’s events.
Noa-lynn van Leuven had competed in the Women’s Series of the Professional Darts Corporation and became the first transgender player to play at the PDC World Darts Championship women’s competition in 2024. The new policy now places her future in women’s sanctioned events in doubt, even as noa-lynn van leuven says she intends to keep pushing forward.
Reaction from van Leuven and the wider backdrop
Van Leuven’s comments land at a tense moment for sports bodies trying to define eligibility in women’s categories. The DRA pointed to legal and scientific findings in its review, while noa-lynn van leuven responded with a public challenge to the ruling and a promise to continue fighting. For now, the immediate question is whether her next steps will come through further challenge, a new competitive route, or a pause that she says she did not choose.
What happens next will likely turn on how the DRA applies the rule across women’s tournaments and whether noa-lynn van leuven chooses to pursue another path back into competition. For now, her message was clear: noa-lynn van leuven says she is not done fighting.
