"I don’t care if I never hit a nine-darter in my life again!” - Josh Rock blows the roof off Belfast with iconic Premier League Darts moment
PDCFriday, 27 February 2026 at 10:00
It was a night he will never forget. In front of a home crowd in Belfast, Josh Rock hit a sensational nine-darter on Night 4 of the 2026 Premier League Darts.
Although the Northern Irishman ultimately lost his quarterfinal 6-2 to Gian van Veen, nobody talked about the result afterward. The perfect leg overshadowed everything.
The SSE Arena in Belfast was packed to the rafters for the fourth league night of the Premier League Darts, marking Rock’s debut in his hometown. From the moment he stepped on stage, the crowd carried him. Expectations were high, but what happened in the penultimate leg surpassed even his own dreams.
With two maximums of 180, Rock left himself on 141. The first dart flew cleanly into treble 20, the second into treble 19. The crowd was already on its feet as he stepped up to double 12. The dart landed dead center and the arena erupted.
“My body is in complete overdrive”
“My body is in overdrive. I’m standing here now shaking like a leaf,” reflected Rock, speaking post-match. “This is a dream come true. I said if I ever play in the Premier League, I would love to hit a nine-darter in Belfast."
The fact that he lost the match 6-2 to Van Veen mattered little to him at that moment. “I’m consistent in losing 6-2, but to hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd is a massive, massive achievement in my eyes."
Rock also admitted he hesitated for a moment when he had the shot at double 12. “Double 12 hasn’t been good to me the last six months, so when the treble 20 and treble 19 went in, I thought, please go in! When it went in, I couldn’t hold the celebrations back in front of my home crowd… wow! Gian was buzzing too! I honestly don’t care if I never hit a nine-darter in my life again!”
Josh Rock lost 6-2 to Gian van Veen in Belfast but hit a nine-darter
Golden set of darts
Title sponsor BetMGM is once again offering a special prize this season for any player who produces a nine-darter: a bespoke set of solid gold darts worth £30,000. Immediately after the match, Rock was presented with his golden arrows, adding extra shine to the night. “Those golden darts will be in my cabinet forever, knowing that I’ve hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd,” he said.
The moment carried extra emotion for Rock. Years ago, he sat in the same arena as a spectator when a nine-darter was thrown. “The first time I was ever here I watched Adrian Lewis hit a nine-darter against James Wade, and now the first time I’ve ever played in Belfast I’ve hit a nine-darter!"
He continued: “I can’t even explain the way I feel at the moment, honestly. It’s obviously nice to be one of the players to hit a nine-darter in the Premier League, but it’s even more special now it’s in Belfast.”
Still pointless
From a sporting perspective, Rock is still waiting for his first points of this Premier League season. The defeat to Van Veen meant he once again left the stage without a win. Yet this night will be remembered above all for that one perfect leg.
Next week, Rock gets another chance to claim his first points. In Cardiff, he faces none other than reigning world champion Luke Littler at the Utilita Arena. A daunting task, but with the confidence of a historic nine-darter in his pocket, the Northern Irishman will undoubtedly travel to Wales in good spirits.
Whatever happens in the rest of the season, one thing is certain: Josh Rock has made himself immortal in Belfast.
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- Hi, can someone explain why the Players Championship takes place behind closed doors? I've been watching the big championships on and off for decades, but only just started taking a keener interest in the game, and this strange looking competition is a bit of a head scratcher to me at the moment.MrMarkWatsonnonotthatone25-02-2026
- Not Noppy. Get Beau in.medinabello25-02-2026
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- what a load of crocmedinabello19-02-2026
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- Sorry,I've never been a professional darts player,but obviously from your comment,you have. So, going to your reply, you're blaming the management,not the player? So in that respect,he should get a different manager? That's basically all your comment is saying. Don't let him do money makers,which Barney said is easy money, instead of tournaments? Shake hands instead of trophies? Well I guess the manager knows best,as he has a big cut!rick6716-02-2026
- Sorry Mr rick67, erm what punditry credentials do you have to comment on a pundit? There's a reason why many top professionals have management teams. They know how to manage schedules etc so the players can just play. And how is Edgar wrong? Last year MVG failed to qualify by missing too many tournaments and underperforming. He's repeating the error this year so Edgar is right In calling this out.BandB15-02-2026
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