RTÉ has come under fire from women’s rights activists for its coverage of a Darts competition where Ireland’s Katie Sheldon reached the final of Event Two of the 2024 PDC Women’s Series, but was beaten by a transgender competitor.
In its report, the State broadcaster said that Katie Sheldon “produced a dramatic comeback to win three successive legs as she edged to a 5-4 win but fell short against Netherlands’ Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the Event Two decider.”
The scores were locked at one apiece following the first couple of legs, but Van Leuven, who is the first trans woman to compete in the PDC Pro Tour, then reeled off four of the next five legs en route to a 5-2 victory.”
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) described it as a “Victory for Van Leuven”, who they described as “clinching her maiden PDC Women’s Series title”. The PDC turned off comments on its video post which has garnered almost 15 million views on X.
VICTORY FOR VAN LEUVEN! 🇳🇱
Noa-Lynn van Leuven clinches her maiden PDC Women's Series title in Wigan! 🏆
Van Leuven overcomes some late double trouble to defeat Irish youngster Katie Sheldon in the Event Two final! pic.twitter.com/fEnlFzMQk3
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 23, 2024
However, the reports met with opposition online from those who say they are working to save women’s sport, and oppose the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s competitions, arguing they have an unfair advantage.
Danielle Loughrey, PRO of the women’s Tyrone Gaelic Football team, took issue with RTÉ Sport’s coverage, saying “Katie Sheldon was robbed of her prize because
@OfficialPDC allowed a man masquerading as a woman to compete against her.”
What @RTEsport won’t tell you is that Katie Sheldon was robbed of her prize because @OfficialPDC allowed a man masquerading as a woman to compete against her.#SaveWomensSports https://t.co/IxOwn4zPrV
— Danielle Loughrey (@DLoughrey83) March 24, 2024
Lecturer Colette Colfer, who has written about the imposition of gender ideology in universities, also took issue with RTÉ’s reporting, saying: “The winner was a man. He beat an Irish woman in the final of a women’s competition. This is unfair. Unfair that a male was allowed to compete, that a woman who has dedicated years in training has lost out on a major win, and unfair that you don’t report it properly.”
The PDC says that it is following guidance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which emphasise inclusion and direct sporting bodies not to act on “presumption of advantage”. This stance by the IOC was this week challenged by a group of 26 academics however, who wrote that “that the inclusion of transgender women in female sports categories cannot be reconciled with fairness”.
It is also at odds with moves by international sporting bodies such as World Rugby who have ruled that trans athletes born male may not play women’s – while the swim world governing body, Fina, voted to bar transgender women from elite female competitions if they have experienced any part of male puberty,
Noa-Lynn Van Leuven darts win this week prompted tennis star Martina Navratilova to say “no males bodies in women’s sports please – not even in darts”. She was responding to a post which complained that “this Irish woman [Katie Sheldon] has lost a women’s dart title to a man. Grossly unfair and unsporting.”
No males bodies in women’s sports please- not even in darts https://t.co/7843k2FeMj
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) March 23, 2024
The Telegraph reports that Deta Hedman, who has long been one of the leading women’s darts players, recently outlined her opposition: “I have thought this is wrong since day one. I have no problems with transgenders in life, I’m not close to Noa-Lynn in darts but in fairness seems a lovely person. For many months I’ve struggled with transgenders playing in the women’s world ranked events.”
Others, including activist group, The Countess, noted that women were facing an uneven field in darts because of the rules around transgender players and what that meant for women competing against them.
Congratulations to Irish woman @KatieSheldon180 on being the top woman in the PDC Women's Series title in Wigan! Another opportunity stolen by so-called 'inclusion' We won't stop fighting to #SaveWomensSports @SportIreland https://t.co/XyMHJGQIvB
— The Countess (@TheCountessIE) March 23, 2024
Yes, she was unable to repeat the feat of beating a man in the second of Saturday's double header. pic.twitter.com/alV0G8t0HW
— Colin Mangan (@ColinMangan_TGC) March 24, 2024
However, the PDC chief executive Matt Porter previously said that Van Leuven “more than complies” with the authorities policy on transgender competitors.
“Noa-Lynn has qualified by right. Good luck to her, she’s there, deserves to be there and she is there on a level footing with every competitor in this sport. The DRA is our governing body – they follow the guidelines laid down by the IOC,” he said.