PDC President Barry Hearn looking for more Women's Series entries to justify investment: "Favours won't last, it's a meritocracy"

PDC President, Barry Hearn was pleased with the inaugural PDC Women's World Matchplay which was won by Fallon Sherrock but has laid down a challenge as a result of the success of the tournament.

Hearn admitted that the demand needs to increase for the Women's Series to justify the investment and that like any other tournament, it will be looked at based off merit and a number of factors.

“We’ll be governed, as we always are, by the financials and the viewing figures, the ratings, the ticket sales,” Hearn told Online Darts TV.

“The Matchplay ticked some boxes, ticked it quite strongly in some cases. But now it’s up to the women, now show what you can do.

“How many are going to play in the Women’s Series next year? It needs to be significantly up to justify the investment, it’s as simple as that. It’s nothing to do with women, it’s nothing to do with men, it’s on a case by case, meritocracy basis.”

A lot of publicity has been directed mainly at Fallon Sherrock due to her history making exploits at the World Championship but Hearn said that the success of Sherrock as well as Lisa Ashton isn't enough to run a tour based on those players only and that others have to step up.

“You can’t run an industry on one person, or two people, or three people. I need to see the same demand for places in the Women’s Series as there is for Q School applicants, and things like that.

“I always think you don’t do favours, because favours won’t last, favours have to be repaid. It’s a meritocracy based on what everybody’s putting in, and that's how they’ll be governed.

“I don’t care if they’re black, white, fat, thin, Christian, Muslim – I wonder, can they play? That’s the only thing we ask for. We’re there for everybody but you’ve got to be able to play.”