Josh Rock begins his hunt to prolong his reign at the PDC World Youth Championship on Sunday. By his own admission, this year's edition has the strongest field of participants ever.
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Rock is one of the biggest names at this year's PDC World Youth Championship, where 96 of the sport's greatest young talents will compete in Milton Keynes for 10,000 pounds in prize money.
Irish star Keane Barry and 2020 champion Bradley Brooks will also be in action, alongside rising Dutchman Gian van Veen and JDC world champion Luke Littler - the current top two on the Development Tour Order of Merit.
Games will be played Sunday until two players remain. The final traditionally takes place at the Players Championship Finals in November. Last year Rock took the title there by defeating Nathan Girvan 6-1 in the final.
''It meant a lot to win the title last year,'' Rock admitted in conversation with the PDC. Following Dimitri van den Bergh, the Northern Irishman could become only the second player to prolong his Youth World Championship reign.
"I dominated on the Development Tour last year alongside Nathan Rafferty, who was first on the Order of Merit, so it was good to get the title under my belt.
"I’m feeling confident going into this year. I’m looking to retain the title, but I don’t feel as much pressure because I’ve already won it ''
“It would be nice to join Dimitri [Van den Bergh], but I would say this will be the best ever field for the World Youth Championship. There is so much talent there. Luke Littler has been brilliant, you’ve got Gian van Veen. There is so much quality, so we are all going to have to bring our A-game.”
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.
🗣️ "There is so much quality, so we are all going to have to bring our A-game."
Reigning champion Josh Rock believes this year’s Winmau World Youth Championship field could be the strongest ever, as he prepares to begin his title defence on Sunday! 👇