With the ongoing restrictions and other factors, the PDC Challenge and Development Tours have been unable to start so far this year with Q-School Order of Merit making up the reserve list for ProTours.
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But details have been confirmed as to how the Secondary Tours will be played in 2021 with 24 events on both tours which will be split geographically to minimise travel between countries.
The UK Challenge Tour will begin from August 6-8 and September 3-5 in Milton Keynes with the European Challenge Tour starting earlier on July 2-4 but then running a weekend in tandem in September.
The UK Development Tour will take place from August 20-22 in Milton Keynes while Barnsley will see a return of darting action at the Metrodome from October 29-31.
While the European Development Tour will once again base itself in Niedernhausen like the whole of the Challenge Tour with weekends between August 20-22 and November 5-7.
Both regions will have an Order of Merit with the winner of each tour claiming a PDC Tour Card and a place in the 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship.
Details are set to be released in due course on the 2021 PDC World Youth Championship which is of course affected due to these changes.
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This will also mean that those at the top of the respective Challenge Tour Order of Merits will take spots for the reserve list of ProTour events.
"We remain committed to providing opportunities for players throughout the PDC system and we are pleased to be able to confirm plans for the 2021 Unicorn Challenge and Development Tours," said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.
"Given the ongoing restrictions, particularly in relation to travel, we have taken a practical and realistic step to split the Challenge Tour and Development Tour into events in the UK and Europe for 2021, whilst committing to at least 12 events in each region."
2021 PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour July 2-4 - European Challenge Tour Events 1-6, Niedernhausen, Germany August 6-8 - UK Challenge Tour Events 1-6, Milton Keynes, England September 3-5 - European Challenge Tour Events 7-12, Niedernhausen, Germany September 3-5 - UK Challenge Tour Events 7-12, Milton Keynes, England
2021 PDC Unicorn Development Tour August 20-22 - European Development Tour Events 1-6, Niedernhausen, Germany August 20-22 - UK Development Tour Events 1-6, Milton Keynes, England October 29-31 - UK Development Tour Events 7-12, Barnsley, England November 5-7 - European Development Tour Events 7-12, Niedernhausen, Germany
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
• Split into UK and Europe
• 24 events on each tour
• Tour Cards & World Championship spots up for grabs
✅ Details have been confirmed for the 2021 PDC Unicorn Challenge and Development Tour seasons.
Full info➡️ bit.ly/CTDT2021