What a historic night for Northern Irish darts.
Josh Rock made history last Thursday by becoming the first Northern Irishman ever to hit a
nine-darter in the
Premier League Darts. In front of a raucous Belfast crowd, โRockyโ delivered perfection on the sportโs biggest stage.
22nd nine-darter in Premier League Darts history
Rock hit a nine-darter during his quarter-final against Gian van Veen on Night 4 of the
Premier League Darts 2026. With that feat, Rock registered the 22nd nine-darter in Premier League Darts history.
That puts him alongside an illustrious group of players who have checked out from 501 to zero in nine perfect darts on this prestigious stage. He is also only the 13th player ever to hit a nine-darter in the competition, underlining just how exclusive this milestone is.
Remarkably, it was already the fourth nine-darter in Belfast on a Premier League night. The Northern Irish capital clearly provides fertile ground for perfection. That does not make Rockโs achievement any less specialโquite the opposite. Producing a nine-darter in front of your home crowd as the first player from Northern Ireland to do so in this competition adds extra weight to the moment. Gerwyn Price (two in 2022) and Adrian Lewis (in 2016) previously hit nine-darters in the Northern Irish capital. Only London has seen as many nine-darters in the Premier League Darts.
Josh Rock is making his Premier League Darts debut this year
Huge release
The release inside the arena was therefore immense. A nine-darter remains the ultimate party piece in darts: the perfect leg, where precision, rhythm, and mental strength converge. That Rock delivered it in a competition where the worldโs elite face off week after week highlights his development and potential.
With this historic milestone, Josh Rock not only confirms his class, but also writes a new chapter in Northern Irish darts history.