Darts fans have claimed they were kicked out of the Winter Gardens at Blackpool after protesting against the inclusion of Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the Women’s World Matchplay tournament.
Eight of the top women’s players in the world took part in the one-day tournament on Sunday, playing quarter-finals, semi-finals and an eventual final.
Beau Greaves was the heavy favourite to win the competition, while Fallon Sherrock also took part, but it was Lisa Ashton who took home the trophy.
One incident away from the oche, though, attracted attention, with three women claiming they were escorted out the building for attempting to protest as van Leuven made her entrance.
Van Leuven, 28, who began her gender transition as a teenager, has stormed up the women’s rankings in recent months by winning multiple titles, and completed her hormone therapy in 2022.
She has been taking part in the women’s series recently, though three women protested on Sunday – with one holding a banner reading: ‘He’s a man’ an the other wearing a shirt which said: ‘Save women’s sport.’
WARNING : Strong language
Darts fans have claimed they were kicked out of the Women’s World Matchplay for protesting against Noa-Lynn van Leuven
One of the demonstrators was wearing a shirt that read: ‘Save women’s sport’
Transgender darts star Noa-Lynn van Leuven finished hormone therapy back in 2022
The incident took place when Van Leuven was set to make her entrance to take on Lorraine Winstanley – a game she won 4-0. The two protestors appeared to stand, with security leaping to them right away and appeared to take them out the premises.
The two demonstrators struggled as they were moved away, with writer Jean Hatchet claiming she was one of the women and sharing her version of events on social media on Sunday evening.
She shared a video of the incident, captioned: ‘This is the footage of the moment we were removed. For standing up at Women’s World Matchplay Darts who let Noa-Lynn Van Leuven play against women.’ She also explained how her partner had a banner that read: ‘Noa-Lynn a man.’
Hatchet also claimed that she, alongside her girlfriend, who was also removed, was at no point asked to leave and would have done so had she been asked.
When approached by Mail Sport for comment, Hatchet said: ‘We saw that PDC the organisers intended to allow Noa-Lynn Van Leuven to compete again in the UK despite the recent Supreme Court ruling clarifying the meaning of the word woman to mean, as it has always meant, “biological female”.
‘We wanted to make a simple statement that Van Leuven is a man, he should compete as he used to in the men’s competition. We sat quietly enjoying the darts. People held up many signs with different messages encouraged by the event. I don’t know how or why but when I held up one saying “he’s a man” within seconds I was grabbed hard by security and the sign ripped from my hands.
‘My girlfriend didn’t get a chance to hold hers up at all before we were attacked by more security. They grabbed us hard and pushed us and then more arrived. I shouted that I just wanted to get my bag and I’d leave. They refused and really grabbed me hard. I tried to struggle because they were really hurting me. I said “let me walk out, just give me my bag” but they all grabbed me harder. I have really serious bruises. At one point the man said “Why are you doing this homophobic s***?”
‘It was painful and humiliating and they pushed and shoved me when they finally dropped me. It was disgusting. They handed me over to Winter Gardens Staff who looked a bit shocked but didn’t intervene.’
She said ahead of last year’s World Championship that she had received death threats
Two of the protestors showed off their banners outside the Winter Gardens on Sunday
Van Leuven revealed before the World Championship last year that she had faced adversity in the build-up, receiving death threats, while team-mates Aileen de Graaf and Anca Zijlstra refused to play with her and English player Deta Hedman against her.
She became the first transgender player to compete at the Grand Slam of Darts in November last year, and she has qualified to play at the World Championship at Alexandra Palace for the first time last Christmas.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter insisted last year that the current policy on transgender players is ‘fair’, giving Van Leuven the green light to compete on the biggest stage.
Still, both men and women compete equally in the tournament. Focus has generally been on the star competing in women’s events, with Hedman arguing: ‘People can be whoever they want in life, but I don’t think biologically born men should compete in women’s sports.’
Van Leuven again opened up on the discrimination she has faced, suggesting she does not have an advantage over other women at the oche.
‘Sometimes I’m accused of having an advantage over others because of my height,’ she said. ‘But look at Beau [Greaves]. We’re the same height. Or look at Phil Taylor. He’s beaten everyone and he’s a small guy.’
‘Others see an alleged advantage in the movements of my hips. I would stand differently than CIS women. Then there are people who come up with a study from handball, according to which there are differences between men and women in the throw, specifically in the backswing, and also in the lunge movement.
‘So, the last time I played darts, I didn’t do a backswing or a lunge. It’s f***ing darts. What are we talking about?’
The PDC were contacted by Mail Sport for comment.
