"If there's any gay boy or gay girl out there who loves darts, I can offer is visibility" - Huw Ware proud of darts' inclusive attitude towards LGBT+ community

Huw Ware does not see himself as a campaigner or a spokesperson. He sees himself first and foremost as a darts referee. But as one of the most recognisable officials on the biggest stages in the sport, he knows that simply standing there, being himself, carries weight far beyond calling scores and controlling a match.

After years inside a game often labelled by outsiders as an alcohol fuelled, male-dominated environment, Ware believes darts today is something very different to the stereotypes that still cling to it.

And as the first openly gay man to referee a PDC World Darts Championship final, during the clash between Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen, he understands how visible that difference can be to people watching at home.

For Ware, that visibility is not about leadership or activism. It is about presence. About showing that someone who might feel unsure whether they belong in darts can look at the stage, at the referee, and see that they do.

“I want to go up there as a darts referee who is a very good referee, and that’s the most important thing in some respects,” he told PA.

“But then I can show the world that gay people belong in sport. If there is any gay boy or gay girl out there who may love darts but doesn’t want to get into it because they think it’s not going to be a sport that’s going to be welcoming and inclusive to them, then just me being up there shows to them that it is."

For Ware, the presence of an openly gay figure on TV screens regularly during darts is a massive thing in and of itself. “I don’t consider myself a leader when it comes to LGBT+ rights, but what I can offer is visibility. And just by getting up there and being myself and doing my job as an openly gay man, that’s probably the most important thing that I can offer," he explains. “So it does mean a lot, it’s something I’m very proud of. And I’m very proud and I’m very lucky to have the support of the hierarchy above me as I do."

In recent years, darts has taken major steps forward in terms of inclusivity. Alongside attention for LGBTQ+ athletes, there are also increasing opportunities for women and transgender players at the highest level. Still, changing a traditionally male-dominated culture remains a challenge.

“There were issues when I first started, I suppose. And it’s not 100 per cent perfect now, but it’s a lot better than what it used to be, and that’s largely thanks to the PDC and all the work that they’ve put in to the point now where I think the sport is probably one of the most inclusive out there and of all the sports," he says. “And that probably goes against some of the old stereotypes that people have about darts, actually.”

One example of the sport's biggest sources of debate over recent years however, has been the presence of trans darters in women's tournaments, with Noa-Lynn van Leuven the trailblazer in this regard. Although the Dutchwoman has come in for criticism from some circles, Ware himself has nothing but praise.

“What I would like to remind people is that Noa-Lynn is a human being,” Ware added. “She did not choose to be this way. She is who she is, just like every other transgender person that has ever existed through the history of man, through the history of time; this is not a brand new phenomenon.”

Ware’s example shows that change is possible, even in a sport long seen as lacking inclusivity. His presence at the highest level and his openness about his sexuality send a powerful message: darts belongs to everyone.