“It felt like I was done with darts” – Noa-Lynn van Leuven doubted after a major decision on her darts future
PDCMonday, 28 September 2026 at 18:00
Noa-Lynn van Leuven has spoken about the impact her exclusion from women’s tournaments has had on her darts career. The Dutch player says she was completely blindsided by the new regulations and even felt in the first weeks that her time in the sport might be over.
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The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) introduced new rules that prevent transgender women from competing in women’s competitions. In the run-up to that decision, the darts authority commissioned research by developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton. The report concluded that “multiple small sex differences add up and, in darts, create an advantage for men over women.”
For the 30-year-old Van Leuven, the decision came out of the blue. The Dutch player had already made history as the first openly transgender participant at the PDC World Darts Championship and became the first transgender player to win a title on the Challenge Tour. The new regulations, however, instantly turned her season on its head.
"Well, to be fair, it actually got me by surprise. I didn't know something like this was going on. I wasn't expecting it and also not really in the middle of a season," said Van Leuven to Weekly Dartscast. "And like I've said before, the reasons why I just don't get them. But yeah, it is what it is, I guess.”
"It actually felt like I was done in darts"
Van Leuven had already claimed six titles on the PDC Women's Series and reached the semi-finals of the Women’s World Matchplay. Due to the rule changes, however, ‘The Duchess’ is no longer allowed to compete on the Women’s Series.
That forced her to completely rethink her plans for the rest of the season. Van Leuven is now focusing on WDF events and the Challenge Tour, but admits the initial blow hit particularly hard.
“Well, to be fair, in the first few weeks, it actually felt like I was done in darts. But like I also said, I'm not ready to step away from the game. I just want to keep playing the game and I enjoy it way too much."
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At the same time, Van Leuven notes it has become significantly harder to keep her career on the same track. “But it's being made a whole lot more difficult to play darts for me right now."
Her participation in WDF tournaments also has a different complexion at the moment. Where qualifying for the Lakeside World Championship would normally be a clear target, Van Leuven considers that option unrealistic given the late point in the season.
“If I'm playing WDF events right now, I'm not playing them because I want to reach Lakeside because I don't think I can, because I only have like two months left and there's not that many tournaments.
Van Leuven made her World Darts Championship debut in 2025 against Kevin Doets.
Season turned upside down
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The Challenge Tour was already on Van Leuven’s schedule. She mainly wanted match practice to keep developing her game. The new regulations, however, suddenly made that tour a much bigger part of her season.
"I wanted to play them to improve my game. Then the news came out and I was like, yeah, I can play them and I can try to improve my game."
Even so, the uncertainty over how to structure her darts year did not disappear. “But my whole season just got kind of blown up. So, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to have fun in darts. And I was like, yeah, am I gonna spend the money to take the trip over to the UK?"
The financial side also plays a role. For international tournaments, Van Leuven often has to travel to the United Kingdom, while entry fees are mounting.
"The entries are quite high. So, I was like, yeah, am I gonna do that to try and find fun in darts again? Or am I going to stick to things I know?"
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Van Leuven ultimately opted for a different approach. Instead of focusing solely on the usual tournaments, she decided to use her new situation to explore other countries and events. "Or am I going to try to see a little bit more of the world? And so I did. I went to Sweden.
The contrast with twelve months ago is stark, Van Leuven says. Where her season then had a clear structure, she is now trying to find her path again within the sport. “I went to Switzerland. I'm hoping to catch one or two more WDF events this year. Yeah, it's a bit different than a year ago.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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