“When you’re standing up there, you’re sweating buckets” – Josh Rock propses radical changes to PDC dress code

Josh Rock has spoken out about a striking wish within professional darts. The Northern Irishman would prefer to step on stage in shorts, pointing to the tough conditions at major tournaments.

The current world number seven said the traditional dress code can sometimes make playing unnecessarily difficult, especially when temperatures rise under the bright stage lights.

“I wish I could play in shorts,” Rock told the Talking Bollox Podcast. “I wish I could play in shorts, because when you’re standing up there and there’s times, like in Frankfurt, World Cup, you’re sweating buckets.”

According to “Rocky,” he’s certainly not alone. “I’d be shorts all day long. And quite a few other boys in that room would be shorts as well.”

Beyond his comments on stage conditions, Rock also discussed his physical development. The Antrim thrower has undergone a major transformation recently and has lost a significant amount of weight. “Well, I remember in the Matchplay last year, now I was 18 and a half stone, now I’m 15, I’ve lost three and a half stone in a year.”

He clearly notices the change during play. “I can see the difference in myself, like I don’t sweat as much as I was back then. It was just because you’re fat. So, I’m still fat now, but I’m not as fat as I was back then."

Still, Rock isn’t done with his journey. “I’m still in the middle of losing weight now. It’s just, you want to be able to live a bit longer instead of being fat and doing everything else. So, just watch what you eat now and watch what you drink. Physique, obviously, throughout darts throughout the years, it’s obviously, beer bellies and all that stuff. But it’s not as much anymore now, so you just kind of need to look after yourself.”

According to Rock, the image of darts players has changed in recent years. Where the ‘beer belly’ stereotype used to dominate, there is now far more focus on health and fitness.

“Physically, if you look at darts over the years, it was always about beer bellies and that sort of thing. But you see that less now, so you’ve just got to take better care of yourself.”

The 24-year-old has already built an impressive résumé, including multiple semi-finals at major tournaments and winning the World Cup of Darts with Northern Ireland. Yet his biggest goal remains clear.

“I’ve never really thought about it, to be honest. If you’re talking about a career goal, then of course you want to become world champion in darts.” At the same time, he keeps his ambitions in perspective. “But as long as my two kids and my wife have a roof over their heads, I don’t mind.”