"The World Series is massive for the growth of the game" - Cross believes global expansion improves things for all players

The World Series of Darts returns this weekend with the New Zealand Darts Masters. One of the players representing the PDC at the event will be the 2018 world champion, Rob Cross.

After a lengthy absence from the World Series tour, Cross is happy to have returned in 2023. "Obviously I haven't been here, haven't played in them for four years. It's just good to be back really, have another crack and get some wins under my belt," 'Voltage' tells Mark Webster in an interview for the PDC.

Coming into the event, Cross hasn't been in the greatest of form, most recently suffering a first-round defeat at the World Matchplay to Daryl Gurney. "Back at the Matchplay, I was too slow out of the gate really on the day. Didn't play bad in the middle part but in the end it just didn't fall my way," he recalls. "Left myself too much to do."

Cross takes on Kiwi legend, Warren Parry in his first-round tie and has plenty of praise for the rise in worldwide standard seen over the years. "The World Series is massive for the growth of the game. We look at it a few years ago, Corey Cadby coming over and he was a breath of fresh air."

"Inviting players, we need that kind of aspect to it to draw players in, get them on tour and the more the game grows the better it is for us. There'll be money to play for," Cross concludes. "I suppose what I like about the World Series the most is I like to be playing quite a bit. I've only got 12 days from when I go back until I'm playing again so it fills my calendar up a bit, keeps me playing and that's what I need."