Noa-Lynn van Leuven will compete in the PDC World Darts Championship for a second successive year when she faces Peter Wright in the first round on Monday afternoon
12:05, 15 Dec 2025
Noa-Lynn van Leuven returns to the World Darts Championship on Monday(Image: Getty)
Transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven was left devastated after being barred from women’s tournaments organised by the World Darts Federation.
The Dutch ace is set to make her second PDC World Darts Championship appearance on Monday. Van Leuven made history as the first openly transgender player to compete at the iconic Ally Pally venue when she took on Kevin Doets in London 12 months ago.
The 29-year-old fell short in that encounter, losing 3-1 in valiant fashion. On Monday, she faces a challenging first-round clash against two-time world champion Peter Wright. This appearance follows just months after she was barred from women’s events on the WDF circuit.
Van Leuven faces Wright in the opening round(Image: Getty)
The WDF operates its tournaments alongside the PDC. In July, the governing body updated its eligibility rules for women’s competitions after a membership vote, sparked by a proposal raised at a general meeting. Entry to such events is now restricted to those born female. From July onwards, Van Leuven was confined to competing in ‘open’ category tournaments within the WDF.
However, on the PDC circuit, she continues to be eligible for women’s events. The Dutch player turned to social media following the announcement of this policy change to express her disappointment, revealing she was heartbroken not only for herself but for others affected.
“This past Monday, the WDF released a new policy regarding gender eligibility. I want to take a moment to respond,” Van Leuven posted on Instagram. “This decision does affect me personally, though thankfully not too severely at this point in time.
The Dutch thrower was beaten by Doets 12 months ago(Image: Getty)
Littler Returns: World Darts Championship Preview 2026
Celebrate the festive season with this special edition previewing the World Darts Championship. Luke Littler became the youngest player to lift the title last year, and the teen is back to defend his crown at a sold-out Ally Pally – although he will be hunted down by rival Luke Humphries.
We hear from both players in a bumper preview which includes features on most of the leading contenders, interviews with Wayne Mardle, Emma Paton, John Part and Polly James, a look at the unknowns who will be in action plus an oche-full of other great content. Buy here
“But still, it hurts. Once again, it’s a loss for the trans community in sports. And that breaks my heart. As a trans person in the darts world, I know how vital inclusion is – not just on paper, but in practice.
“It’s disheartening to see yet another policy framed around ‘fairness’ that ultimately results in exclusion, without truly considering the people behind the labels. My heart goes out to all the athletes impacted by this. We remain visible. We keep going.”
Following this revision, the WDF issued a statement declaring: “Effective Monday 28 July 2025, entry and participation in WDF Women’s and Girls Ranking Tournaments and Cups will only be open to players that are WOMEN/FEMALE as defined under this policy.
“Accordingly, WDF Tournaments, Cups and Ranking Tables will be renamed and redefined as ‘Open’, ‘Women’, ‘Open Youth’ and ‘Girls’ tournaments and cups.
“We understand these changes may be challenging for people who want to compete in darts in the gender which they are now registered as.”
Van Leuven will seek to move past this setback when she takes on Snakebite on Monday. Wright sits 30th on the PDC Order of Merit and will present a formidable challenge, despite performing below his world championship-winning standards.
