Record number of Dutch players set to compete at World Matchplay as 15 year best shattered

When the 2025 World Matchplay gets underway on Saturday, July 19, the Netherlands will boast a record-breaking presence on the Winter Gardens stage. With seven Dutch players in the 32-man field, nearly a quarter of this year’s lineup will represent the nation, a new milestone in the tournament’s history.

The previous record stood at five Dutch participants, first set in 2009 when Raymond van Barneveld, Michael van Gerwen, Vincent van der Voort, Jelle Klaasen, and Co Stompé flew the flag for the Netherlands. That number was equalled multiple times in the years that followed most recently in 2021 but never surpassed. Until now.

This summer, the Dutch contingent expands to seven, shattering the old record. Remarkably, both Van Gerwen and Van Barneveld, stalwarts of the 2009 lineup are still in the mix 16 years later. They’ll be joined by Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen, and Jermaine Wattimena in what promises to be the strongest Dutch showing ever at the World Matchplay.

In total, eight nationalities will be represented in the 2025 edition: seven Dutch, one Australian, one Belgian, 14 English, two Germans, two Northern Irish, three Scots, and two Welshmen.

One of the most notable trends in recent years has been the steady decline in English representation. In the early decades of the World Matchplay, English players routinely made up more than two-thirds of the field, often exceeding 20 entries. But since 2013, that dominance has gradually waned, culminating in a record low of just 13 English participants in 2023.

The most internationally diverse field came in 2022, when players from 12 different countries graced the stage, a sign of the sport’s growing global footprint. That year’s lineup featured one Australian, one Austrian, two Belgians, 14 English, two Germans, one Latvian, three Dutch, two Northern Irish, one Pole, one Portuguese, two Scots, and two Welsh players.

As the 2025 edition approaches, all eyes will be on the formidable Dutch contingent. With depth, experience, and rising talent, this could well be the year the Netherlands makes its biggest mark yet in Blackpool.