Noa-Lynn van Leuven has broken her silence after being barred from competing on the PDC Women’s Series, posting a lengthy message on Instagram to share her feelings and outline her next ambitions. The Dutch transgender darts player had stayed quiet since the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) drew up new guidelines, adopted by the PDC at the start of April 2026, which state that only biological women can play women’s tournaments. That decision prevents van Leuven from continuing on events like the Women’s Series, forcing her to play in the open category instead.
“Yep, it’s been a little quiet over here… life said ‘plot twist’ and I needed a minute to catch up. But I’m back. Did you miss me?” she began. “I’m still processing the decision made by the DRA and the PDC. It hasn’t been easy, and it still hurts. But deep down I know I’m not ready to walk away from this game.” Van Leuven made clear that retirement is not an option despite the painful ruling.
She also revealed that her schedule has “suddenly opened up” and that she has been using the time to explore WDF events and new opportunities within darts. “Let’s just say, there are some exciting things ahead,” she teased. In addition to the sporting changes, van Leuven announced she has split from equipment partner Cosmo Darts after three years together. “After 3 amazing years, it’s time to say goodbye to Cosmo Darts. They’ve supported me with some of the best gear out there, and I’ll always be grateful for that.” She recalled receiving her first set of darts just minutes before heading to Hildesheim for the Women’s Series, which led to a run all the way to the Women’s World Matchplay. “Moments like that stay with you forever,” she said.
Van Leuven finished her post by hinting at what lies ahead: “New chapter loading… and trust me, you’ll want to see what’s next.” The decision to exclude transgender players from women’s events has been met with a mixed audience, but van Leuven is determined to continue her darts career on a different path.
