The impact of Fallon Sherrock and the increasing prominence of women within professional darts events: a call for future research

Rationale/Purpose: This positioning paper is a call to action for future research regarding the roles of women in the male-dominated sport of professional darts. Women have been present at darts events for over 80 years; however, the success of Englishwomen Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton at the male-dominated Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events placed the sport into the global spotlight in the early 2020s. Sherrock’s successes in particular have been a catalyst, bringing increased exposure to women players competing in mixed draw professional darts tournaments against their male counterparts. Following a historical exploration of women in darts, the article explores the contrasting roles of women at contemporary live darts events. Practical implications: Theoretically, the article draws on gender essentialism and Kane’s (1995) sports continuum to consider how the sport can challenge notions of men’s “natural” superiority. Research contribution: We propose a number of areas for future research, including: the rise of women players in professional darts; women’s fandom at live professional darts events; the changing roles of women in media and broadcasting; critiques of meritocracy in the game; men’s responses to the increased visibility of women in this male-dominated arena; and strategies to strive for gender equity.