New Zealand and NSW Darts Masters Qualifiers Round-up
Plus: Big Rig in Aussie, WDF Junior/Youths Championships & Para Darts NZ Representative, Paul Steventon's Darts Journey.
🎯 Darts Masters Qualifiers
Big Rig Makes the Big Stage Once Again
NZ Darts Masters Qualifier 1 – Summary
Ben Robb dominated the field to claim victory in the first NZ Darts Masters Qualifier, overcoming a 99-player field. ‘Big Rig’ capped off his run with a clinical 7-1 win over Jaymie Hilton-Jones in the final, averaging 81.95.
Ben was a man on a mission all day, determined to return to the stage he's become a regular on in recent years. His path to the title included an impressive 6-4 semi-final win (Averaging 89.54) over an in-form Brian Corbett and a 5-0 quarter-final whitewash of Birkenhead Club’s Jamie Roberts.
Other Standouts
Jaymie Hilton-Jones impressed with wins over Jamie Roberts, Josh Roberts & Sam Brown, before falling to Robb in the final.
Brian Corbett knocked out Chad Beazley and Dean Reyland with consistent averages in the 80s.
Josh Roberts and Chad Beazley both reached the quarter-finals with strong performances.
It was a quality field, but Robb, playing on home turf at Howick Club, proved a level above and booked his place at the NZ Darts Masters for the 5th time.
🎯 Jonny Is Heading to ‘Straya’ Maaaaaaate 🐊
Jonny Tata confirmed his debut at the NSW Darts Masters with a dominant run on Saturday night, finishing with a commanding 7-3 win over Ben Robb in the final. Fresh off his NZ Open victory, Tata looked sharp all evening, averaging 88.63 in the final, including a 14 and 13-dart legs in the final and reminding everyone why he’s one of the country’s most in-form players.
The final shaped up as a cracker on paper, with Tata and Robb continuing their string of finals battles. But it was the man from Wainuiomata who set the tone early and never looked back. Perhaps benefiting from sitting out the earlier qualifier, Tata looked relaxed and focused, dropping just six legs all night and averaging just under 87 across the event.
Tata’s route to the title included a 6-1 semi-final win over Kelemete Silao and a convincing 5-0 quarter-final whitewash of Scott ‘The Ghost Pepper’ Menzies, who had jet-setted in early from a family holiday in Fiji but was barely given a chance as ‘JT’ ran through him. Tata also averaged 90 in his 4-1 win over promising youngster Hunter Eyles in the Last 16.
Robb put together another solid run, backing up his earlier qualifier with another deep run and by the final having played around 12 hours of darts! He saw off Mark ‘The Maestro’ Cleaver 6-1 in the semis and came through a tough quarter-final against last year’s NSW qualifier John Hurring, before falling to Tata.
Relive the action here
Other Highlights
Scott Menzies threw a statement 95.43 average in his Last 32 match.
John Hurring posted an 84.06 average to eliminate veteran Craig Caldwell.
Kelemete Silao deserves credit for grinding out some quality wins to reach the semis.
Team Ghost Pepper Out In Force
🎯 Reyland Claims Final NZ Darts Masters Spot
With Ben Robb already qualified, the final ticket to the NZ Darts Masters for the kiwi’s was on the line, setting up a tense Sunday qualifier at Howick Club.
In the end, it was Dean Reyland who delivered under pressure, edging out Alan Skayman 7-6 in a tight final. Skayman had his chances, missing six darts for the match in the penultimate leg. But Reyland, last year’s runner-up at this stage, kept his nerve and found D4 in the decider to claim his place.
Reyland’s road to the final included a 5-2 quarter-final win over Josh Roberts and a 6-1 semi-final performance over Caleb ‘The Wag’ Hope.
Skayman’s run was equally strong, beating Josh Walters and Emilio Hovell-Grace before narrowly falling short.
Other Notable Performances
Emilio Hovell-Grace hit the knockout stage’s highest average of 93.94 in his Top 16 win over Craig Caldwell.
Caleb Hope made another deep run to the semis.
Marc Cossey eliminated 2022 NZ Masters quarter-finalist Kayden Milne before losing to Hovell-Grace.
Josh Walters and Josh Roberts had solid quarter-final finishes.
For Reyland, it’s a dream opportunity, representing New Zealand on the big stage, in front of thousands live and millions watching worldwide. Good luck, Deano!
Our Oceanic NZ Darts Masters 2025 Representatives Are Almost Confirmed:
Haupai Puha
Jonny Tata
John Hurring
Mark Cleaver
Ben Robb
Dean Reyland
Simon Whitlock (Aus)
DPA OOM Leader (TBC)
👏 Shoutout to Howick Club and the team for hosting an exceptional weekend, Mike, Bob, Geoff, Rachel and the crew. They may have set a new benchmark for how darts events could and should look around the country. We’ll be back there for Pro Tour 9 & 10 next month.
🎯 Robb in the Mix at Inaugural ADA Tour 🦘
Ben Robb is off to a strong start in the inaugural Australian Darts Association Tour, a high-stakes, three-weekend series with 12 events and over $20,000 in prize money per weekend on the line, along with a coveted PDC World Championship spot.
‘The Big Rig’ made a final and a quarter-final, currently placing third on the ADA Order of Merit heading into Weekend Two. With four events per weekend over three weekends, the race is far from over.
So far, Aussie hero Raymond Smith has been untouchable, winning all four opening events and earning maximum prize money.
It’s great to see Ben hungry for competition, challenging himself against the best Aussies, and representing New Zealand. Good luck for the rest of the tour.
ADA Tour Details
3 weekends
12 total events
$20,000+ prize pool per weekend ($5000 per event)
Winner earns a spot at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship
Perhaps some spots in the ANZ Premier League up for grabs, too… 🤔
Robb will be back in action for Weekend Two at the beginning of August.
🎯 WDF Junior Youth Championships – The Future 🤖
600kms south, in Masterton, the future stars of darts battled (are still battling at the time of writing) it out over four days at the WDF Junior and Youth Championships.
Boys Singles
Zacarno King was the standout, defending his NZ Open title with a 5-3 win over Apanui Kaiwai in the final. The result puts Zac into the provisional spot for the WDF Boys World Championship at the iconic Lakeside venue.
He’s been mixing it with the seniors on the DPNZ Tour too, and continues to impress with his fight and focus. Good luck in the UK, Zac.
Girls Singles
Grace Padget claimed her 7th WDF Youth title, powering through a 71-player field and beating Sophie Beaumont 4-0 in the final. An incredible result from one of NZ’s brightest young darting stars.
For the rest of the results, check out the NZDC Facebook Page
Also, big well done to all the parents, coaches and support crew, in Masterton, facilitating the future of darts in Aotearoa!
🎯 Paul Steventon’s Road to the World Para Darts Stage
When Paul Steventon heard about the launch of NZ Para Darts, he made a bold promise: if it happened, he’d become a national champion. Less than two years later, he’s on track to represent New Zealand at the Para Darts World Championship this October in Budapest.
How It Started
Para Darts in NZ was born thanks to Dunedin’s Rob Gillan, who travelled to Melbourne in 2019 to learn about the sport. He later competed in Europe, including a third-equal at the Dutch Open. During COVID, World ParaDarts was established, and Rob got to work building the NZ pathway.
A Facebook post brought Paul Steventon on board. In 2023, NZ Para Darts officially launched, and Paul won the standing division at the inaugural event. Since then, he’s won both NZ qualifiers and sits 26th equal in the global rankings.
What Events Look Like
There are two divisions: Standing and Wheelchair. Players compete in round robins (best of 5 legs), followed by semi-finals and a best-of-7 final.
New Zealand has been granted four qualifying events for the World Masters. Of the 29 qualifiers held worldwide so far, Paul has won both of NZ’s - earning maximum ranking points.
Fundraising for Budapest
Seven Kiwi players - four standing and three wheelchair - are preparing to represent NZ in Budapest. Each player faces around $8,000 in travel and competition costs.
Paul has launched a Givealittle campaign and is organising raffles. He’s also seeking business sponsors, with shirt logos and media opportunities available to backers.
The Journey
Paul has over 35 years of darting experience across NZ, the USA, and beyond. After losing his leg 10 years ago, he drifted into social play. But when Para Darts launched, he reignited his passion and set a goal—become the best.
“I told myself if this ever happened, I’d be NZ champ. Then I went out and did it.”
Last year, Paul finished 9th equal at the Worlds. This year, he's training hard, aiming higher, and believes a world title is within reach.
What’s Next
NZ Para Darts events continue on 2nd and 3rd August at Club Wairarapa in Masterton. Both are World Masters qualifiers.
“Winning a world title would be the greatest achievement of my darting life,” says Paul. “That’s the goal.”
Here’s how you can support Paul in his journey to the Para Darts World’s.
Support Paul’s journey:
🔗 Givealittle – Help Paul Get to the World Champs
📺 Click here and subscribe to DP Darts YouTube Channel to ensure you don’t miss the action!
What’s Next?
Aug 15 - Aug 16 2025 SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters, Auckland
23rd & 24th August DPNZ Pro Tour 9 & 10: Howick Club, Auckland
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Let’s sell this one out, show the Aussies up, and make sure the event returns for years to come, and across more venues in the country!
Also, a small % of revenue also goes towards SplashSave and growing the game of darts in NZ.
🎟️ Scan the QR code, click here or contact us on FB if you’d like VIP and we’ll sort you out. Grab your tickets now!
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