Australian Mal Cuming secures PDC World Darts Championship return after winning a brand-new qualifier

Mal Cuming has secured a return to the PDC World Darts Championship. The 50-year-old Australian won the inaugural Trans-Tasman Championship last weekend, earning a ticket for the 2027 Worlds at Alexandra Palace.

The Trans-Tasman Championship was staged in Brisbane from 28.08.2026 to 30.08.2026. The new event invited the top sixteen players from both the Australian Darts Association (ADA) ranking and the DartPlayers New Zealand (DPNZ) order of merit. That created a 32-player field, with a coveted Worlds berth as the main prize.

Cuming arrived match-sharp after featuring at the World Series of Darts in Wollongong shortly beforehand. Back on home soil, the experienced Australian then proceeded to leave the entire field behind.

His tournament start was anything but simple, though. In round one, Cuming needed a deciding set to shake off Hunter Eyles. After that he found his rhythm. Against Michael Cassar and Tim Pusey, he posted two commanding wins without dropping a set.

Cuming especially impressed versus Pusey. Averaging just under 96, he won 3-0 in sets and strung together eight consecutive legs. It was a statement that booked him a convincing place in the semi-finals against Harley Kemp.

Kemp could not halt the veteran’s surge either. Cuming closed it out 3-1 to seal a spot in the final. There he faced Raymond Smith, runner-up in the ANZ Premier League in 2025 and a semi-finalist at the New Zealand Darts Masters in August.

The stakes in the final could hardly be higher: the winner would not only become the first Trans-Tasman Championship titleholder but also claim a World Championship berth.

Cuming and Smith split the opening two sets before the Australian pulled clear midway through. With a blistering run of six straight legs, Cuming took complete control. Smith could not repair the damage and saw his compatriot prevail 4-2. Cuming averaged 90.20 in the final.

With this victory, Cuming has claimed one of the four Oceanic spots for the 2027 PDC World Darts Championship. The remaining tickets go to the ANZ Premier League champion and the winners of the ADA and DPNZ rankings. If any of those players have already qualified via another route, the Worlds spot passes to the highest-ranked player not yet qualified.

For Cuming, the title means he will return to Alexandra Palace in December. After his previous Worlds appearance in 2023, the 50-year-old Australian now gets another chance to showcase himself on the sport’s biggest stage.