For
Thibault Tricole, a long-held wish has finally come true. France will host a tournament on the
PDC European Tour for the first time in 2027. The French thrower reacted enthusiastically to the news and sees the arrival of the Darts Grand Prix de France as proof of the sport’s development in his country in recent years.
The PDC
European Tour lands in Liévin from 19.03.2027 to 21.03.2027. It will be the first official PDC tournament in France. For Tricole, it is a moment he and other French darts fans have been waiting for for years.
"For years, we said to ourselves: "Imagine, one day, a PDC competition here in France..." We've all dreamed of it... Well, that day has finally come," Tricole wrote on his
Facebook page.
The Frenchman spoke with pride about the historic announcement. "The first PDC Open in history in France."
Thibault Tricole became the first French participant at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace
“More than a decade ago this seemed unthinkable”
For Tricole, the European Tour’s arrival is even more special when he considers where French darts stood just over ten years ago. Back then, a major professional event on home soil still felt a long way off.
"When I think back on the path Darts has taken in our country over the past few years, it's amazing! A little over 10 years ago, all of this seemed so far away, even unthinkable."
Tricole admits he even had doubts about the sport’s future in France at the time. "I sometimes wondered if the federation would ever show up, given the decreasing number of licensed players..."
That situation contrasts sharply with the outlook for 2027. "And today, we are preparing to host an official PDC competition in France."
Tricole had already seen some big PDC names come to his homeland at the French Darts Festival. The arrival of an official European Tour event is, in his view, another major step. "With the French Darts Festival, I was already very proud to see some of the world's top PDC stars stepping onto French soil. This time, we are taking another step forward."
According to Tricole, the Liévin debut shows that darts is genuinely gaining ground in France. "This shows clearly that the enthusiasm for darts in France is real. Little by little, we are catching up on the gap we had with our European neighbors."