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  "description": "The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) has imposed an immediate ban preventing transgender women from competing in women’s events regulated by Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) rules, following a major review of its Trans and Gender Diverse Policy. The decision, announced this week, affects all women’s competitions under the DRA’s jurisdiction and has already prompted strong reactions from affected players and advocacy groups.\n\nUnder the new eligibility framework, only biological females may en",
  "path": "/trans-darts-star-noa-lynn-van-leuven-retired-after-trans-women-banned-from-womens-pdc-darts/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-10T10:38:23.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.scenemag.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "View this post on Instagram",
    "A post shared by Noa-Lynn van Leuven (@noalynn180)"
  ],
  "textContent": "The **Darts Regulation Authority** (DRA) has imposed an immediate ban preventing transgender women from competing in women’s events regulated by **Professional Darts Corporation** (PDC) rules, following a major review of its _Trans and Gender Diverse Policy_. The decision, announced this week, affects all women’s competitions under the DRA’s jurisdiction and has already prompted strong reactions from affected players and advocacy groups.\n\nUnder the new eligibility framework, only biological females may enter women’s tournaments, while open events remain available to competitors of all gender identities.\n\nThe ruling follows a review launched in 2025, during which the DRA commissioned a report by developmental biologist Dr**Emma Hilton** and considered legal advice alongside recent UK court decisions.\n\nThe DRA stated it is “satisfied that to achieve fair competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in women’s tournaments regulated by DRA Rules”.\n\n>        View this post on Instagram            \n>\n> A post shared by Noa-Lynn van Leuven (@noalynn180)\n\nThe ruling has immediate consequences for Dutch darts player **Noa‑Lynn van Leuven** , who in 2024 became the first trans woman to compete at the PDC World Championship. Van Leuven, ranked ninth in the women’s series and a six‑time PDC women’s tournament winner, said she has “effectively been retired” by the decision, as she is now barred from the Women’s Series and any other women‑only events.\n\nSpeaking in a video posted to Instagram, she said: “I just got an email. Apparently I just got retired - not by choice, but because I am no longer allowed to compete. The DRA has just decided that trans women are no longer allowed in women’s events, which basically means I am out.”\n\nVan Leuven added that the decision represents “another huge hit for the trans community”, emphasising the years she dedicated to progressing through the sport.\n\nAlthough barred from the women’s category, she will remain eligible to compete in open tournaments, which the DRA stresses remain fully inclusive.\n\nThe DRA’s decision brings its rules into alignment with those of the **World Darts Federation** , which implemented its own ban on trans women in 2025.",
  "title": "Trans darts star Noa‑Lynn van Leuven \"retired\" after trans women banned from women's PDC darts",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-10T10:42:35.505Z"
}