The World Darts Federation (WDF) has barred transgender women from competing in its women’s tournaments, effective immediately. This decision, finalized on Monday following a vote by WDF members, forces Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven out of the women’s category.

The new eligibility rule, proposed initially in September 2024, restricts participation in women’s events to individuals assigned female at birth. Transgender women are now limited to competing in the open category, which includes male players.

The WDF acknowledged the challenges these changes may pose for affected players and stated they have contacted member countries to discuss the changes with them directly.

Van Leuven, one of the few openly transgender players on the international circuit, is no longer eligible for WDF women’s competitions, despite meeting the gender criteria of the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA), which oversees the sport more broadly.

Van Leuven remains eligible to compete in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where she has already achieved milestones. In the previous year, she became the first Dutch woman to qualify for the PDC World Championship and recently participated in the Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool.

The participation of trans women in elite sports has resulted in rule changes across various disciplines. World Athletics and World Aquatics, for instance, have excluded transgender athletes who underwent male puberty from women’s international competitions.