No darts, just pizza: Raymond van Barneveld and Gian van Veen have lunch in meeting of Dutch darting generations

Raymond van Barneveld gave fans a look away from the oche this weekend after sharing a photo of himself having lunch with Gian van Veen. No darts, no practice session, just pizza.

The five-time world champion posted the image on social media, showing the pair sat down together in a restaurant. It was a simple moment, but one that stood out given who was involved, with two of the most recognisable Dutch names in the sport pictured together in a completely off-stage setting.

With Van Barneveld and Van Veen, you would usually expect a practice session, an exhibition, or at the very least something darts-related. Instead, it was just a relaxed meet-up, with the pair opting for pizza and a catch-up.

Van Barneveld kept things straightforward in his caption, noting he was enjoying lunch with Van Veen, and there was no suggestion of anything more formal behind the meeting.

The two know each other well from their time linked through the TOTO Dart Kings set-up. That group, which featured several Dutch players, was launched in 2022 before coming to an end in 2025 following tighter regulations around gambling sponsorship. Van Veen joined the set-up a year after its formation.

It also brought together two very different stages of Dutch darts. Van Barneveld, now 59, is a five-time world champion and one of the biggest names the sport has ever produced, still competing on the PDC circuit after coming out of retirement.

Van Veen, by contrast, is already established at the very top of the game, sitting at world number three, a European Championship winner and a recent World Darts Championship finalist, as well as a regular on the Premier League Darts stage.

While that project has since stopped, the connection between the players has clearly remained.

Nothing more, nothing less. Just two players taking a day off and swapping darts for pizza.