Following the success of its first taster session at The Builders Arms pub on Tuesday, 9 June, The Teddington Women's Amateur Darts League (TWADL) is creating a second team in the hope of inspiring more women to get into the sport.

TWADL was formed in January 2026 when a group of six women - ranging from early 20's to mid 50's - neighbours but not yet friends - were in their local pub.

In an exclusive interview with Nub News, one of TWADL's founders, Hannah, said: "I'm an avid sports enthusiast and was there to watch the final of the World Darts Championship from Alexandra Palace. JoJo, Penny, Vicki, Lucy and Rosie were completely new to the game.

"We somehow struck up conversation, I explained the basic rules of darts over a pint or two, and by the time Luke Littler had lifted the trophy we'd agreed to start a women's darts team!"

The six women meet every Wednesday at The Builders Arms on Field Lane, where Barry, "the brilliantly supportive landlord", reserves the board for team practice.

Hannah added: "Our new found love of darts and dedication to improving means that we regularly get together on other evenings too, where we welcome others to join us for a sociable game, and drink, or two.

"What began as a fun idea quickly became about something much bigger: friendship, confidence, community and creating a welcoming space where women could try something new without pressure or judgement."

She continued: "In a world where so many people feel disconnected, we've unexpectedly realised how powerful something as simple as a weekly social darts night can be. There are no barriers to entry - just a willingness to turn up, have a laugh, and give something a go.

"Simultaneously, we aim to support local pubs and venues, many of which are facing huge economic pressures and possibility of closure, by bringing in a broader repeat customer base and increased footfall."

Speaking about her background in darts, Hannah said: "I've always been a huge sports lover, but I only started following professional darts three or four years ago as the sport has become so much more visible and mainstream.

"I hadn't even attempted to throw a dart myself until TWADL was born at the start of this year."

She added: "Darts really is booming, with younger professional players such as Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, and bright female talent Beau Greaves bringing new energy into the game. It's currently one of the UK's fastest growing and most commercially attractive sports.

"What appeals to me most about darts is that is incredibly accessible and a real leveller. You don't need expensive equipment, a certain fitness level or previous experience to get involved. It's social, inclusive and we've all found it surprisingly addictive once you start playing."

Hannah said that historically, both grassroots/pub darts and professional darts have been viewed as "heavily male-dominated spaces".

"But there is no reason why that can't, and shouldn't, change," she added.

The founder says that TWADL started with two thoughts: "why shouldn't women have a darts team in their local pub?" and "why can't women be as good at darts as men?"

She continued: "I've observed that whilst women's grassroots sport in general is advancing, women are hugely underrepresented across all levels of darts.

"At grassroots level there aren't many obvious entry points for women, particularly for beginners who just want to play socially rather than competitively. That's really the gap that TWADL fills.

"We've found the response to TWADL to be overwhelmingly supportive! Barry, the landlord of The Builders Arms, is our number one advocate. All the male regulars at the pub have really got behind us too. Some of them have even asked for TWADL t-shirts and hoodies.

"They enjoy being able to share the board with us – it's helped make the pub a positively warm and welcome place for all, where everyone feels comfortable and involved."

Hannah said that more women should start playing darts because "it's such an accessible, fun and social sport".

She added: "It's one of the few activities where age, fitness level and experience really don't matter. Anyone can have a go.

"It also feels dynamic and empowering to have a presence in a traditionally male dominated space (both pubs and the game of darts) – it's already happening with women's grassroots football, rugby and cricket, so let's make darts next.

"The local pub is now such a welcoming, comfortable place for us, rather than an intimidating, male controlled environment.

"At TWADL, being a part of a darts team is less about competition and far more about connection.

"It's given us a reason to get out of the house, meet new people, learn a new skill and truly feel part of a community. We've seen friendships form through nothing more complicated than turning up every week and having a laugh together.

"It combats social isolation and nurtures a sense of belonging, especially during a time when more women are living independently and loneliness has been proven to impact health as much as traditional physical measures such as diet, exercise and sleep."

Hannah said that TWADL wants, above all, women to feel welcome, relaxed and to have fun.

She added: "We'd love them to come away having met some like-minded people, tried something different, and realised that they don't need to be "good at darts" to enjoy it.

We've experienced first-hand how much regular, low-pressure social connection can positively impact wellbeing, confidence and community. If women leave feeling a little more connected, and excited to potentially start their own teams in other local pubs, then we'll feel that we've achieved something."

The original TWADL team is currently at full capacity, which Hannah says shows the team "just how much appetite there is for something like this".

She explained that TWADL's wider aim now is to encourage and support more women across South West London and Surrey to set up their own social women's darts teams, so they can experience the same benefits TWADL has.

Hannah said: "That's exactly why we ran the free taster session - to introduce women to the idea in a relaxed, informal way and hopefully inspire more local teams and communities to form."

Women over the age of 18 are welcome to attend taster sessions, regardless of experience level.

As well as meeting on Wdnesdays for structured practice sessions, TWADL also meets for social games and the occasional pub night, which Hannah says "ends up lasting much longer than planned".

The club also gets together outside of darts socially, which Hannah says "really shows how much genuine community has grown from it".

TWADL hosted its first women's darts taster session at The Builders Arms earlier this month, with the aim of introducing more women to the social, community-building side of darts and exploring opportunities to establish further women's social teams across the local area.

The event saw a full house of 12 women in attendance, with ages ranging from early 20's to mid 70's.

Although they arrived not knowing anyone else in the room, it did not take long for the conversation to start flowing, with everyone quickly relaxing, chatting and getting to know one another.

Over the course of the evening they took part in a series of simple, fun and non-competitive darts games. The TWADL team said it was "amazed not only by the standard of darts on display, but by how quickly everyone got behind one another".

From the very beginning there was constant encouragement, cheering and support, creating such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in the pub. After two hours of darts, most people stayed on for another drink and continued chatting long into the evening.

Speaking about the first taster session, one attendee said: "I've been crying out for a way to meet new people away from the school gates, to try something new, and to chat about things other than family life. I feel like I've found my people."

A second added: "I was really nervous to walk in by myself but it's been so easy to chat to people and I've had such a great time"

A third said: "I used to play with all my friends many years ago - I hadn't realised how much I'd missed it"

Another attendee said: "It was so much fun - it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, and I wasn't as bad at darts as I thought I would be."

And another added: "It's been brilliant to give women the opportunity to come somewhere (the pub) that they wouldn't ordinarily go to on their own. I feel like we belong here"

The success of the event has led to plans for TWADL to establish a second women's social darts team in Teddington with weekly sessions taking place in The Adelaide pub.

TWADL is now looking to organise further taster sessions in neighbouring areas, including Kingston and Twickenham, over the summer.

Anyone interested in attending a future session or joining a women's social darts team can email [email protected] or follow its Instagram page here for updates.