Robb and Milne open DPNZ Pro Tour season with tournament success in Wellington

Ben Robb and Kayden Milne have claimed the first ProTour titles of the 2026 DartPlayers New Zealand season. The new year kicked off in Wellington with two tournaments, in which both players made an immediate impact.

Robb, who finished second on the DPNZ Order of Merit last season, took the title at the second event of the opening weekend. In the final, the 37-year-old was too strong for last year’s winner Jonny Tata, sealing a 7-2 victory. The road to the title was convincing, although Robb did have to go to a deciding leg twice in the group stage against Lance Odgers and Darren Herewini. In the knockout phase he barely dropped any more legs.

In the semi-final he beat Herewini again, this time 6-4, before dispatching Tata convincingly in the decider. For Robb, it was his 21st title on the DPNZ circuit.

The first tournament of the season was won by Kayden Milne. The 25-year-old defeated former Tour Card holder Haupai Puha 7-2 in the final to secure his first ProTour title since February 2024.

Milne won three of his four group matches, including a dominant display against Ian Makuch in which he averaged over a ton. In the knockout phase he continued to dominate with several wide-margin wins, though he narrowly escaped elimination when he survived match darts against Tony Lee. He then brushed aside Terry Jowett 5-1.

In the semi-final, Milne then beat World Championship participant Jonny Tata 6-4, before overcoming Puha in the final to secure the third ProTour title of his career.

Despite missing out on a tournament win, Jonny Tata tops the DPNZ Order of Merit after the opening weekend. The player, who competed in the ANZ Premier League in 2025, reached the semi-finals of the first tournament and the final of the second event.

Tata won a total of seventeen matches over the weekend and dropped just three legs across his first seven victories. His consistent performances earn him the provisional lead, ahead of Robb and Milne.

The DPNZ ProTour continues in Christchurch, where the third and fourth tournaments of the season will be played on 21/3/2026 and 22/3/2026. The player who tops the rankings at the end of the year earns a ticket to the World Darts Championship.