The field for the New Zealand Darts Masters is complete. On August 14 and 15, eight PDC stars and eight Oceanic players will battle for the title in Auckland at the annual World Series event.
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The lineup is headed by the likes of Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton in New Zealand due to the absence of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen.
Gian Van Veen is the highest ranked player in the event and will be making his debut Down Under, while James Wade also returns to New Zealand. Josh Rock, Stephen Bunting, Ross Smith, and Damon Heta are the other four PDC players in Auckland.
Ben Robb and Jonny Tata lead the list of Oceanic entrants for the New Zealand Darts Masters. Robb and Tata qualified as the two highest-ranked players on this season’s DPNZ ranking. Robb tops the standings after claiming his fifth title of 2026 during Event Nine.
For Robb, it will be his fifth appearance at the New Zealand Darts Masters, while Tata makes his fourth. He also has fond memories of the tournament, having defeated Peter Wright on the Spark Arena stage in 2023.
Mark Cleaver, Kayden Milne, and Haupai Puha have also qualified via the DPNZ ranking for the tournament in Auckland. They completed the top five of the table and thereby secured their spots. Cleaver sealed his participation thanks to a quarterfinal at Event Nine and a final at Event Ten. The 26-year-old Milne qualified by winning two of the first three events on the DPNZ ProTour.
Puha clinched the final ticket via the DPNZ ProTour. He denied Jack Sheppard a debut at the New Zealand Darts Masters by reaching the quarterfinals at Event Nine. The five qualifiers from the DPNZ ProTour will be joined in Auckland by Tour Card holder Adam Leek and ANZ Premier League winner Simon Whitlock. The eighth and final place has been awarded to Raymond Smith, the highest-ranked player of the Australian Darts Association.
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Lineup New Zealand Darts Masters 2026
PDC players
| Gian van Veen |
| Jonny Clayton |
| James Wade |
| Josh Rock |
| Gerwyn Price |
| Stephen Bunting |
| Ross Smith |
| Damon Heta |
Oceanic players
| Adam Leek |
| Simon Whitlock |
| Ben Robb |
| Jonny Tata |
| Mark Cleaver |
| Kayden Milne |
| Haupai Puha |
| Raymond Smith |
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Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026