Darts Champ Noa-Lynn van Leuven Says She “Got Retired” Due to Sport’s Trans Ban

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

John Walton - PA Images/Getty Images
Professional darts champion Noa-Lynn van Leuven says she has functionally been “retired” after the U.K.-based Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) implemented a new policy banning trans women from competing in women’s tournaments.

On April 9, the regulatory body officially announced that the policy was in effect, saying that its review included commissioning a single academic report and considering “extensive legal advice.” Notably, the DRA’s statement acknowledges that the governing body “took into consideration the judgment of the U.K. Supreme Court on April 16, 2025.” That ruling determined that the U.K.’s legal definitions of gender are based on “biological sex,” and has since had far-ranging impacts on trans rights in the state.

“As a result of its review, the DRA 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,” the statement concludes.

In response, the 29-year-old Dutch athlete posted an emotional video message to Instagram.


“Apparently, I just got retired, not by choice, but because I’m no longer allowed to compete,” she said in the video, per the Associated Press, adding, “I’ve worked so damn hard for years just to get here. I showed up, I competed. I respected the sport every game, every single day. And now, with just one decision, I’m being told I don’t belong anymore. This isn’t just about me. This is another huge hit for the trans community.”

You must be registered for see images attach

A Lot of Queer Women Will Be Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame This Year
At least five LGBTQ\+ women will be honored come August.

Van Leuven has endured an onslaught of transphobic harassment during her time competing in the sport. Despite holding three titles from the Worlds Dart Federation (WDF) and making history as the first trans woman in the Grand Slam of Darts in 2024, she has encountered frequent anti-trans criticism and faced multiple opponents who have withdrawn from matches against her, as Them previously reported.

In July of last year, the WDF, which acts as a global governing body for the sport, implemented a similar policy banning trans women from women’s competitions.

“At a certain point, I was convinced that all people were scary and crappy. I just had nothing left to fall back on,” van Leuven said last September in an interview about the mental health impact of transphobia in the sport.

In her latest video message, however, Van Leuven strikes a resilient note, promising to push back against the DRA policy. “This isn’t the end,” she wrote in the Instagram caption. “I’m just going back to the drawing board. I’m not done fighting.”

Get the best of what’s queer.Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.

Originally Appeared on them.

Continue reading...