Overview
- The Darts Regulation Authority replaced its transgender policy with new eligibility rules that limit women’s tournaments to players assigned female at birth.
- The rules cover Professional Darts Corporation competitions after consultation with the PDC and the Professional Darts Players Association.
- Noa‑Lynn van Leuven, a six‑time PDC Women’s Series winner, said the decision has effectively retired her from the women’s tour, though she can still play in open events.
- The DRA based the change on a report by developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton, which classed darts as a gender‑affected sport where many small sex differences add up to an advantage for male‑typical bodies.
- The authority framed the shift as part of a broader trend as the World Darts Federation adopted similar rules and recent IOC decisions tightened female category eligibility, and it pledged to review the policy at least annually.