‘Changed everything’ – Darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven blasts ‘cruel’ ban which has ‘shattered’ her career dreams

Noa-Lynn van Leuven has said her exclusion from women’s darts events has been “hurtful” and difficult to process.

Nicknamed The Duchess, Van Leuven is no longer eligible for the Women’s Series after the Darts Regulation Authority introduced new rules on eligibility for female competitions.

As part of its review, the governing body commissioned research from Emma Hilton, which concluded that small physical differences can add up to create advantages in darts.

Van Leuven said the decision “changed everything” for her, adding that she was informed by email just a day before it was made public.

Speaking to the Press Association, she said: “It brings back memories from when I was younger of not always feeling accepted.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but challenges like this have come up before, and I’ve always worked my way through them.

“This one is hard, and I still don’t fully understand it. I don’t see darts as a sport where these differences should have such an impact.”

Van Leuven also pointed to some of the sport’s top players while explaining her view.

She added: “I feel the decision is influenced by perspectives I don’t agree with.

“If physical advantages were that decisive, you might expect to see it clearly reflected. But players like Phil Taylor and Luke Littler have dominated without fitting that mould.

“So it’s difficult for me to fully understand. The way it was communicated also made it harder to take.”

Despite the setback, the 29-year-old says she remains focused on continuing her career and is aiming to earn a PDC Tour Card.

She said: “I want to keep enjoying the game and improving, with the goal of earning a Tour Card next year if possible.

“I’m hoping there will still be opportunities to push forward.

“I’m not stepping away from darts, even though this has been a difficult moment and it changes my plans for the season.”

Van Leuven made history in 2024 by becoming the first Dutch player in her category to compete at the World Championship. She also featured at Alexandra Palace last December, where she lost 3-0 to Peter Wright in the first round.