World championship referee feels ‘fantastic’ after coming out as gay
World Championship referee Lee Rodger tells Outsports about the encouraging response he's received since coming out as gay.
Mark
A darts referee who has officiated at his federation’s world championship has spoken about the welcoming reception from colleagues in the sport after coming out as gay.
Lee Rodger, from Caerphilly in Wales, is one of the newer members of the refereeing team in the World Darts Federation.
The 29-year-old recently spoke publicly for the first time about his sexuality, in an interview with fellow Welshman and leading pro referee, Huw Ware.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Our weekly playbook is packed with everything from locker room chatter to pressing LGBTQ sports issues.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Ware, 32, has been taking charge of matches in the Professional Darts Corporation for over a decade, and has been out as gay since he was 19. In 2024, he set up an LGBTQ group in darts called “Out on the Oche.”
Related
Pro darts is showing LGBTQ Pride support, even without Rainbow Laces
In a standout gesture, the Professional Darts Corporation is supporting its official LGBTQ group with rainbows at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Rodger says his friend is “a massive inspiration” and that being part of the group has helped him, having felt “a bit lonely” at times within the world of competitive darts.
The sport continues to go through a boom period. The PDC’s World Darts Championship now has a total prize pot of $6.8 million and attracts millions of viewers.
The WDF’s major tournament, which is held at the Lakeside Country Club in Surrey, England, and is shown annually on TV, is the leading event for amateur players.
Rodger took charge of a semifinal in the main Open draw, as well as the final of the Youth competition. He hopes to follow in Ware’s footsteps and one day move up to the PDC ranks and even officiate in the final, which Ware did for the first time in 2025.
Outsports caught up with Lee Rodger for a Q&A
Outsports: Hi Lee! It was great to learn about your story. You mentioned in your chat with Huw that you’ve had moments of loneliness in darts, and that coming out publicly would be a relief for you and also a way to help others. How are you feeling now, after the PDC video went out?
Lee: I honestly feel fantastic. The response I’ve received from friends, family and the team at the WDF has been overwhelmingly supportive. I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many fantastic people, and the response has been even better than I could have wished for.
Outsports: Last year, you made your TV debut as an official in the Lakeside WDF World Championship. How big is that as a step up, and what are your ambitions in darts?
Stepping onto the stage in front of the TV cameras for the first time was such a thrilling experience.
Whilst it was nerve-racking leading up to it, you tend to very quickly forget about the occasion once the first dart is thrown, because you become so locked in on the match.
I’ve always said that my ambition was to referee on the Lakeside stage, and even though I’ve now done that, it still feels very surreal.
I’m very grateful to have been given these opportunities and don’t take any of them for granted. Whatever comes next on my darts journey will be another fantastic milestone.
Outsports: You’re also a strong player, and your nickname is ‘The Pianoman’ — how did that come about it?
The conversation about what my nickname should be first came up at the World Masters in Budapest.
For a couple of days, “Last-Leg Lee” was starting to win the vote due to the sheer number of matches I refereed that went to a nail-biting final leg!
It wasn’t until we were at Lakeside that I hopped on the piano in the hotel bar one night, and that was it. I’m not sure very many of the team knew I could play at the time!
Outsports: Your chat with Huw is the first time that darts fans and LGBTQ people will have learned about you being part of the community. What else can you share from your coming out journey?
It wasn’t until I was 21 or so that I really faced my sexuality head-on.
I very slowly told a few friends who were so supportive at a time when I was really struggling to know who I was in myself.
It would take another couple of years before I had the courage to tell my family, who were very supportive and just wanted me to be happy.
Of course, I knew deep down that they wouldn’t be bothered by it, but as I’m sure a lot of people in the same situation can relate to, you always fear the worst.
Outsports: For a small country, Wales has produced several well-known LGBTQ sportspeople, including Huw! Is there anyone else in sports whose courage you admire?
Yes, Huw has been a massive inspiration for me. I’ve followed a similar path to his, refereeing at the same county [Glamorgan] where he started, and then worked my way up to the Lakeside stage.
Another sportsperson that instantly comes to mind is rugby’s Nigel Owens, a referee (albeit in a very different sport) with a great wit and no-nonsense attitude. I’ve always found him to be an inspiring figure in sport.
Interested in finding out more about “Out on the Oche,” the official LGBTQ group for darts? Visit the Facebook group and check out the video on huwware.com.
Subscribe to the Outsports newsletter to keep up with your favorite out athletes, inspiring LGBTQ sports stories, and more.
