Recently, sports fans could once again enjoy the Ryder Cup in golf, the biennial battle between Europe and the USA. This year's win went somewhat surprisingly to Europe, who went on to win 13-15 in the USA. Once again, the event guaranteed a spectacle and a crowd of spectators in front of the TV. It made us wonder if such a tournament could also be held in darts and what exactly it would look like?
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The Ryder Cup was first played in 1927 between the United States and the United Kingdom. Traditionally, the most successful golfers came from these two countries. Only in 1979 did this change, from then on the United States took on Europe every two years.
The tournament has only gained prestige and popularity over the years. Golf is an individual sport and it is the team aspect that provides the extra motivation. That Americans are proud to play for their country is logical, being from there, but is it special for Europeans to play for their continent? For their country, ok, but for a continent instead of their respective nations?
The answer is a resounding yes! And especially because of the team dynamic in such an event. Twelve players who, while otherwise playing individually all year round, give the best of themselves as a team. A missed turn or a missed putt not only disappoints you, but it also affects the whole team. But the reverse is also true: a successful tee or putt gives you the appreciation of your entire team. For many golfers, it is the highlight of the year to experience that team atmosphere and sense of camaraderie - familiar from sports like football, basketball, volleyball, etc. - something they otherwise miss. It is not about representing your continent, but having a team that counts on you and supports you through thick and thin.
The fans also enjoys this tournament. Tickets are sold out months in advance and the stands are packed. The atmosphere is great - although this year there were some Americans who got a little too rowdy - and the players enjoy interacting with the public. This tournament is also one of the highlights of the calendar.
Ryder Cup 2025
Calls for Ryder Cup of Darts sound louder and louder
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A dream that could come true? More and more the call for an international team tournament in the style of the RyderCup is being heard in the dart world. An event where not individuals, but teams face each other. The idea has been around for years among players and fans, but is now taking more and more shape. What would happen if the PDC had the guts to organize a real "Ryder Cup of Darts"?
Where in golf the USA was a dominant force from the beginning, in darts it is of course quite different. Traditionally the sport was especially popular in England where it was practiced busily in many local pubs. Not until 1994 did we get a first non-British world champion with the Canadian John Part.
A year later Raymond van Barneveld made history by becoming the first Dutchman to reach the final of a World Championship. 'Barney' lost that final, but four years later he became world champion. His first of a total of five world titles. It was the beginning of the enormous popularity that darts gained in the Netherlands and that later spread to other European countries. We can safely say that Van Barneveld played a pioneering role in this.
Raymond van Barneveld was the first world champion from continental Europe
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For the time being, however, England remains the leading nation in darts and has the most players at the top of the PDC Order of Merit. Therefore, we think it would be a good idea to make one team with players from England at such a Ryder Cup of Darts. And then a team with players from other countries, called 'Rest of the World', to compete against them.
Why the darts world needs this
The current tournaments - Premier League Darts, World Series of Darts, World Cup of Darts - are all successful,but all individually or country-oriented. What is missing is a continental rivalry with prestige, honor and emotion.
Players such as Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith have already expressed a desire to experience more "team spirit" outside of the World Cup of Darts. Price for instance has a great connection with Jonny Clayton as they are friends off the oche as well as teammates and England were the centre of attention for in his mind being anything but this year and it is something they crave. "I think you need to have a connection. You need to have that camaraderie off the stage and connection because when we all turned on the first day - and I'm not just saying this because they lost - but the only two players that didn't turn up together, didn't sit together, didn't play as a team," he said at the time.
Moreover, it would be a great promotion for the sport outside of Europe. The Rest of the World players would get a platform that feels equal, something that is currently too rare.
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The trophy
Obviously, this tournament needs a specific name. The Ryder Cup of Darts is a good summary of what the tournament should represent, but obviously the darts world deserves a unique name for such an event. Some big names from the past have already been adorned with a trophy, e.g. the winner of the World Darts Championship gets the Sid Waddell Trophy, the winner of the World Matchplay gets the Phil Taylor Trophy. For the winner of the Grand Slam of Darts, the Eric Bristow Trophy awaits.
As we wrote above, Raymond van Barneveld was a pioneer for darts in Europe. Van Barneveld also became world champion five times, something that besides him only Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow managed to do. So wouldn't it be entirely appropriate to name this tournament after the iconic Dutchman? So the "Barney Cup" would be an appropriate name.
There are, of course, other candidates to name the cup after. Think international darts legends like John Part and Paul Lim, or perhaps popular British darters of yesteryear like Dennis Priestley and Jocky Wilson. And maybe Barry Hearn will be vain enough to put his own name on the cup.
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The concept
Let's take a look at a possible concept for the so called Barney Cup.
- Two teams
- Team England
- Team Rest of the World
- Team captains: legendary (inactive) players who serve as coaches. Think Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley, Steve Beaton or Wayne Mardle for England, and John Part or Simon Whitlock for the Rest of the World.
- Playing time: three days (Friday to Sunday) Each day has its own format and scoring, similar to golf.
Living legend Phil Taylor: possible team captain in the future?
Selection criteria and composition
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One of the challenges, of course, is: who gets to participate? As in golf, twelve players are selected. Nine players through the rankings and three "captain'spicks," i.e., players the captains get to choose themselves. According to the current world rankings, this would give the following.
| Nr. | Team England | Team Rest of the World |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Humphries | Michael van Gerwen |
| 2 | Luke Littler | Jonny Clayton |
| 3 | Stephen Bunting | Josh Rock |
| 4 | James Wade | Damon Heta |
| 5 | Rob Cross | Gerwyn Price |
| 6 | Chris Dobey | Danny Noppert |
| 7 | Ross Smith | Gary Anderson |
| 8 | Dave Chisnall | Gian van Veen |
| 9 | Ryan Searle | Martin Schindler |
| 10 | Captain’s pick | Captain’s pick |
| 11 | Captain’s pick | Captain’s pick |
| 12 | Captain’s pick | Captain’s pick |
Format
During this three-day darts tournament, two teams compete against each other in a series of tense sessions spread over three days. A total of 29 points can be earned,and the team that achieves at least 15 points crowns itself the winner of the Barney Cup.
Day 1 - Quick Fire Friday
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*Noon session:
The tournament kicks off with team matches(4 against 4).Three matches are played, with two teams competing against each other each time on two dartboards standing side by side.
The rules are simple:
- Each match is played from 501.
- The team that completes its leg the fastest wins that leg. In the event of an even number of throws,the points are shared
- There will be played to best-of-21 legs
- In case of a win in a match to best-of-21 legs, that team gets 1 point, in case of a draw a 0.5 point
- Total points to be earned in the afternoon session: 3
*Evening session:
In the evening, the focus shifts to pairs(2 vs. 2). Four matches are played, again on two boards. Only eight players per team compete - the coach decides who.
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The games will be played in a best-of-21 format, with the same scoring as in the afternoon: the fastest team takes the win.
Total points to be earned in the evening session: 4
Day 2 - Pairs Saturday
*Noon session:
- Six pairs compete against each other. Each player plays a singles match first. The duo that wins two matches first gets a point. In case of a tie, a decisive pairing match follows.
- Format: best-of-9 legs per match
- A match won as a pair (2-0 or 2-1) earns 1 point.
Example:
Luke Littler - Mike De Decker 5-4
Gerwyn Price -Michael van Gerwen 3-5
Suppose the score is 1-1, then a deciding pairing match must provide the point
Total points to be earned in the afternoon session: 6
*Evening session:
- 4 pair matches
- Starts from 1001 and therefore not from 501
- Best-of 9 legs
- Each match is worth 1 point
Total points to be earned in the evening session: 4
Day 3 - Singles Sunday
Defining day is pure excitement
- 12 singles matches (501)
- Best-of-13 legs
- Each duel is worth 1 point
- Total points to be gained in the tournament: 7 (Friday) + 10 (Saturday) + 12 (Sunday) = 29 points
The team that achieves 15 points or more is the winner of the Barney Cup. The defending champion suffices with 14.5 points the following edition to retain the Barney Cup.
Similar events
We have already made the comparison with the Ryder Cup in golf. In pool, there has been the Mosconi Cup (Europe vs USA) for many years and recently the Reyes Cup (Europe vs Asia). In tennis, under the influence of Roger Federer, the Laver Cup was created. In recent years, these events, just like the Ryder Cup, have guaranteed an exciting spectacle where the passion of the players drips off the tongue. It is also a very popular event with the fans.
Television and commercial potential
The commercial value is enormous. A three-day tournament with a unique team format would be ideal for television. Sky Sports, DAZN, Viaplay and VTM would feast on the stories, interviews and team dynamics.
Sponsors would also line up. In addition, the tournament can be perfectly combined with a fan festival: demonstrations, youth games and possibly meet& greets with the captains and players.
What makes the Ryder Cup in golf so special is the rivalry between them, respectful, but intense. Darts has the personalities for that. Just think of the riveting duels between Van Gerwen versus Littler.
In such a team format, unexpected duos can also emerge. How about Luke Littler and James Wade as a pair? Or Van Gerwen and De Decker stirring up the stories? Such combinations create stories that fans talk about for weeks.
Luke 'The Nuke' Littler would be a regular in the England squad anyway
Who would be favorites?
A brief look at this potential field of participants tells us that England would currently be favorites given the world rankings. However, due to the increasing popularity of darts around the world and the change in the darts landscape, we think this difference will disappear in the future.
Moreover, this event involves more than ranking. It's about who can perform best as a team and who can possibly rise above themselves. In the last Ryder Cup, the USA was a huge favorite in terms of rankings, but things turned out differently. That is what makes these events so special and fascinating.
Location: symbolic and spectacular
An event of this caliber deserves an iconic venue.
The opening edition would ideally take place in London, the birthplace of modern darts. Think of the O2 Arena or Alexandra Palace. Subsequent editions could then possibly move to the Netherlands. Subsequent years could see countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia. But also it will be a commercial decision and like the World Series would depend on where the money is best.
That would also underscore the globalization of darts. The PDC has been expanding tournaments to Asia and North America for years. A "Barney Cup" would accelerate that process.
Conclusion: the time is now
The PDC has already proven with the World Cup of Darts that team tournaments catch on. But a Ryder Cup format would take the sport to the next level: emotion, honor, rivalry and worldwide involvement.
Whether it ever really gets off the ground depends on guts, vision and timing. But one thing is certain: the darting world is ready for a tournament in which players not only throw for themselves, but as a team.
As Raymond van Barneveld would put it, "Darts has always been a game of heart and soul. Imagine what happens if you can share that feeling with teammates behind you. That would be the ultimate dream." Luke Humphries has also sounded a resounding alarm for this to be created. He spoke recently about this to talkSPORT about wanting an event of this ilk.
To further highlight the passion and excitement involved in such a team event, we have posted another video below with highlights from the past Ryder Cup!
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
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- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026