A Dublin-based model and âwalk-onâ girl in major darts competitions around the UK and Ireland, has hit out at the decision made, by the PDC to axe the position as part of a revamp to the competitions. Following feedback from the television companies who screen the events, the PDC took the decision last week. Rebecca Bowers has been a regular âwalk-onâ girl at darts events in Ireland, both north and south, as well as gracing the PDC championships and has blasted the decision as âridiculousâ.
Established in the Nineties by the PDC as a way to add a touch of glamour to darts, walk-on girls have alleviated what was previously seen as a pub sport reserved for smoky menâs clubs filled with the stench of stale beer. Once revamped and âglamourisedâ the sport has grown exponentially, with the PDC and BDO championships frequently pulling in mammoth viewing figures, the girls seen as a small, glamorous cog in the PDC machine.
With their pristine hair and make-up and figure-hugging dresses, some might see the practice as seedy, with âsleazyâ men at the heart who just want to see women wearing as little as possible, but Rebecca insists that nothing could be further from the truth.
âItâs not seedy or sleazy at all, I think thatâs a really unfair view and completely false. We are never told how we have to dress or do our hair or make up at any time. We have the freedom to look how we want.â In addition, Rebecca rejects the criticism that the girls are âscantily-cladâ. âPeople may think that weâre told to show off as much skin but in truth, the organisers would rather we didnât. Once we arrive at an event, weâre shown a selection of different outfits available to choose from, and we choose on the basis of what weâre comfortable wearing. No-one tells us what to wear and if they tried, it wouldnât be tolerated by any of the girls. The kind of dresses we wear are the same kind that you would see many a woman wear on a night out clubbing. If Iâm honest.â
One of the main criticisms of the practice is that it âobjectifiesâ the women involved, critics of the practice say that it allows the women to be seen as âsexual objectsâ to be leered at by men which is something Rebecca dismisses out of hand. âIn all my time as a walk-on girl, I have never felt objectified by anyone; not the organisers, the staff, the players or the crowds and neither have my fellow walk-on girls. Itâs fair to say that when youâre walking out, the music and crowds are so loud itâs impossible to hear if anything lewd or crass is being shouted, but the darts crowds are usually a well-behaved bunch. Plus the events are crawling with security, who escort us us as we make our way to and from the oche, theyâre on hand to deal with any bad behaviour should any arise.â We donât interact with the crowds at all, and areenât required by organisers to mingle with them during matches. Our âdown timeâ is spent in the dressing room chatting, fixing makeup or grabbing a bite to eat. Sometimes weâre asked to do in interview or something in a social media capacity, which can bring us front-and-centre and a larger part of the overall event, but other than that our time is our own.â
Speaking about the ban, now in force for all PDC events, Rebecca is scathing in her assessment. âI personally think the ban is patently ridiculous. A rumour was circulating in December that it was coming but once it was confirmed all the girls were told by the bosses immediately. The criticism of what we do is mostly from feminists, the very people who should be protecting and supporting our rights as women to do whatever job we choose. Instead they are tearing us down for doing a job that we love doing. If we didnât want to do this job we wouldnât do it.â
âI have a full-time job outside of modelling but there are a lot of walk-on girls for whom this is a full-time job and theyâll be losing out because of this decision,â Charlotte Wood has said that she will be losing out on 60% of her income as her modelling career is full-time, Rebecca insists that isnât an exaggeration.
Rebecca has backed and signed a petition to reinstate the walk-on girls, thankful for the support itâs getting, which currently top over 41,000 signatures. âIâm delighted that the petition was started and itâs clear that weâre receiving huge backing from the darts-loving public and beyond, which is lovely. Â Weâre also getting backing from players, including Raymond Van Barneveld who has been vocal in his support. I hope it makes a difference.â
Following on from the darts furore, F1 grid girls have been given the axe also and Rebecca believes that we may be seeing the end of glamour in sport and has a message for the television companies who were responsible for bringing the ban. âItâs massively disappointing that this decision has taken the jobs from so many women like myself, all of whom were doing something that we loved to do and enjoyed. Thousands of fans come to enjoy every aspect of a darts tournament and this decision will take away a bit of glamour and glitz which has been synonymous with the events throughout the years. I donât think darts will be the same.â