Northern Ireland Claims Historic First World Cup of Darts Title
- Darts Central
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
The 2025 BetVictor World Cup of Darts delivered four thrilling days of action at the Eissporthalle, with a unique format that saw group-stage drama give way to high-stakes knockout ties.
As the tournament reached its decisive stages, Northern Ireland’s new-look duo of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney rose to the occasion. Combining explosive scoring with clinical finishing, they captured the nation’s first-ever World Cup title, sealing their names in darts history. Here’s a look back at how the final two days played out.
Day 3: Last 16 Battles
Seeds Czechia and the Republic of Ireland made light work of Malaysia and Switzerland, respectively, both securing 8-3 victories. The unseeded nations struggled to match the consistency and rhythm shown by the seeded pairings over the longer format.
Hong Kong impressed with a clinical 8-4 win over last year’s quarter-finalists Sweden, averaging 94.16. Man Lok Leung starred with a flawless 6/6 on doubles in a composed display.
Despite recording a higher average, South Africa were well beaten 8-2 by Northern Ireland in a fiery clash. Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney maintained relentless pressure throughout, forcing key missed opportunities from their opponents.
Two-time World Cup champions Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price reunited for Wales following Price’s absence in 2024, and quickly rekindled their chemistry. They brushed aside the highly-rated Philippines outfit 8-2 with a 96.43 average. Meanwhile, 2022 winners Australia eased to an 8-1 victory over debutants Argentina, who never settled into the format and were punished for every mistake.
Elsewhere, the Netherlands’ new-look duo of Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen delivered a statement 8-0 whitewash of third seeds Scotland. Averaging 100.20, the Dutch pairing outclassed a lacklustre Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, who failed to register a single dart at a double until the eighth leg.
But the biggest story of the Last 16 came from host nation Germany. Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko stunned tournament favourites England with a commanding 8-4 victory. The German pair were ice-cool under pressure, keeping Luke Humphries and Luke Littler at arm’s length throughout.
The result sent shockwaves through the darts world and ignited scrutiny over England’s pairing, particularly Littler, who had previously stated he didn’t enjoy playing in Germany and had no desire to return.
Day 4: Cup Collection Day
Quarter-Finals
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland 8–5 🇮🇪 Republic of Ireland
A tight contest that could have swung the other way, with the ROI missing key chances to go 6–4 in front. Josh Rock stepped up under pressure, supported by Daryl Gurney, as the Northern Irish duo reeled off four consecutive legs to snatch the win.
🇩🇪 Germany 8–7 🇦🇺 Australia
Australia held the upper hand for much of the match, but Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock faltered in the closing stages. Backed by a passionate home crowd, Schindler and Pietreczko capitalised on missed chances to steal a dramatic victory and reach the final four.
🏴 Wales 8–4 🇭🇰 Hong Kong
Hong Kong pushed hard early and had a chance to level at 5–5, but the Welsh pair found another gear. Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton averaged 99.66 and hit 50% on doubles, nearly producing a nine-darter after opening with seven perfect darts.
🇳🇱 Netherlands 8–2 🇨🇿 Czechia
The Dutch duo of Gian van Veen and Danny Noppert proved too strong, overpowering Czechia with relentless scoring. The Czechs were unable to keep up, rarely getting the chances needed to keep it competitive.
Semi-Finals
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland 8–1 🇩🇪 Germany
A dominant display from start to finish. Josh Rock once again led the charge with explosive scoring, while Gurney consistently landed the doubles. The hosts never found their rhythm as Northern Ireland silenced the Frankfurt crowd with a statement win.
🏴 Wales 8–5 🇳🇱 Netherlands
The Netherlands took early control in a scrappy affair, and the Welsh looked flat in the opening stages. But once again, Price and Clayton clicked into gear as the Dutch faltered. From 4–5 down, Wales surged with four straight legs. Price sealed the win with a brilliant 100 checkout via two double tops, unleashing a passionate celebration with Clayton as they booked their place in the final.
Pre-Final Build-Up
There was little to separate the two sides ahead of the final. Josh Rock had emerged as the standout player of the tournament with his explosive scoring, supported by Gurney’s clinical finishing. Wales’ duo of Price and Clayton were consistent throughout, edging the averages slightly and nearly exactly matching their opponents for checkout success.
Team Stats Before the Final
Finalist | Average | 180s | Checkout % |
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland | 92.96 | 12 | 41.38% (24/58) |
🏴 Wales | 94.43 | 12 | 40.68% (24/59) |
🏆 Final - Match Recap
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland 10-9 🏴 Wales
A thrilling final saw Northern Ireland edge out Wales in one of the most dramatic deciders in World Cup history.
Rock and Gurney flew out of the traps, storming into a 2–0 lead with a 12-dart leg capped by a 130 finish. Wales hit back with a 15-dart break, only for Rock to respond with a stunning 11-darter. Clayton’s clinical 100 checkout cut the deficit to 3–2 at the first break.
Wales found rhythm as Price set up 142 and Clayton finished it to level at 3–3. Despite Rock’s relentless scoring, Price held for an 11-darter to make it 4–4 before breaking for a 5–4 lead. Northern Ireland immediately replied to level at the interval.
Clayton’s 71 finish and a scrappy hold moved Wales into a 7–5 lead. But missed chances in leg 13 allowed Northern Ireland to scrape through in 23 darts, then fire in a 12-dart break to tie at 7–7. Gurney held his nerve with pressure checkouts of 16 and 85, both last dart in hand, to push the Northern Irish duo to the brink at 9–7.
Still, Wales weren’t done. Price hit back with a 12-dart break and, after Northern Ireland missed four match darts, Clayton produced a clutch 70 finish to force a decider.
The final leg was chaos and class in equal measure. Rock opened with 134, Gurney hit 180, Price matched it, and Rock then struck a sublime 171 to leave 16 after nine darts. Price high-fived Rock in a brilliant moment of sportsmanship, as both sides piled on the pressure.
With Clayton waiting on 121, it was Gurney who stepped up to land double 8 with his second dart, sealing Northern Ireland’s first World Cup title in an instant classic that will live long in the memory.
Final Match Stats
Finalist | Average | 180s | Checkout % |
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland | 95.96 | 11 | 33.33% (10/30) |
🏴 Wales | 92.95 | 5 | 56.25% (9/16) |
Final Thoughts
🏴 England's Shock Exit
World No.1 Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler saw their campaign end at the first knockout hurdle, losing 8–4 to host nation Germany. The result stunned the darts world and raised fresh questions around Littler’s commitment to England, particularly in light of past comments about not wanting to return to Germany due to his dislike of playing there.
🏴 Wales Reunited and Respected
Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton fell just short in the final, but once again proved themselves as one of the World Cup's most iconic pairings ever. In their last five appearances together, they've won two titles, reached two more finals, and made a semi-final, a staggering record. Beyond the stats, their mutual respect and sportsmanship, even in defeat, further highlighted their class on and off the oche.
🇬🇧 Northern Ireland’s Historic Triumph
Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney delivered Northern Ireland’s first-ever World Cup title in their very first outing as a team. Rock was the standout star across the weekend, piling in 20 180s and averaging 102 for the tournament, while Gurney’s finishing proved the perfect complement to Rock’s relentless scoring. It was a breakout weekend for Rock and a redemption moment for Gurney, as the pair lifted the trophy in what will be remembered as one of the greatest major finals in recent PDC history.
Post-Final Reaction
Josh Rock (Northern Ireland)
“We’ve made history for Northern Ireland, and we’re so proud as a team.
As a team, we were fantastic and we fought hard all the way through.”
Daryl Gurney (Northern Ireland)
“I’d like to congratulate Wales. It shows the class of their team to stay on stage and applaud us.
Jonny and Gezzy are legends of the game, and I think they’ll go on to win big titles this year.
Josh’s power scoring was amazing, and I was there to clean up the finishing. I was never going to miss that double eight to win the title.
I’m so proud of Josh and myself. I put this title above any individual trophies I’ve won.”
Jonny Clayton (Wales)
“We gave it our all, but congratulations to those two, Rock and Gurney.
To be fair, they flew out the blocks in that last leg.
Gezzy is a class act, and I’m a proud man to have a teammate like him.”
Gerwyn Price (Wales)
“We started off really slowly, and trying to get into the game was really difficult.
Credit to the Northern Irish team. Josh’s scoring was unbelievable, and we just couldn’t keep up.
At 9-9, we gave ourselves a chance, but they were a little better than us and fully deserved the win.”
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