Male Dart Throwers Banned from Female Tournaments by Sports’ Governing Body

The governing body, which oversees professional dart throwing, has banned males from competing in the female category at any of its competitions.

The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) announced on Thursday that it had completed a review of its policy after last year’s Supreme Court ruling.

The rule change’s most immediate impact will be the disqualification of the Dutch thrower Noa-Lynn van Leuven. This man caused international controversy by competing in the women’s category at the 2024 World Championships.

van Leuven has had quite the tour de force since competing in the women’s ranks. He has won six titles in the women’s division since 2022.

Unsurprisingly, van Leuven was critical of the DRA’s decision, characterizing it as “another huge hit for the trans community.” The Dutchman also said that the DRA’s decision had effectively forced his retirement.

In contrast, Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns for sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, hailed the decision.

“Darts is a male-dominated world, played in pubs and clubs, and the top darts players are all men.

“Men’s physical advantages in darts may be small, but they all add up. That’s why women need their own tournaments.”

Speaking for itself, the DRA cited its extensive medical review process led by academic developmental biologist Dr. Emma Hamilton, an expert in sex and its impact on sports performance.

“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 authority said in a statement.

‘The DRA seeks to be inclusive and all players – irrespective of their biological sex, legal sex, and/or gender identity – may compete in open tournaments and are encouraged to do so.”

The policy change now brings professional darts in line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which last week announced that males would be barred from female competition in the future.