Many of the biggest names in darts are heading to Auckland this month for the sixth staging of the New Zealand Darts Masters.
Eight PDC superstars and eight Oceania qualifiers will do battle over two days in the final qualifying event of the World Series of Darts, with the finals set to take place in Auckland.
Dates
The New Zealand Darts Masters will take place on the 29th and 30th August, 2026.
Times
Play is expected to get underway at around 19:00 local time, which is 08:00 (GMT), but the exact start time is yet to be confirmed.
Venue & Location
The New Zealand Darts Masters is being held at the Kapi Mana Club Rooms in Wellington, New Zealand.
Line-up & Qualifying
Sixteen players will take part in the New Zealand Darts Masters, which is the seventh and final counting event for the 2026 World Series of Darts finals to be held in Wellington in September 2026.
Eight household names from the PDC will be up against eight Oceania qualifiers in round one over a best-of-11 legs.
The 16 players have now been confirmed as follows:
PDC Representatives
- Gian van Veen
- Gerwyn Price
- Stephen Bunting
- James Wade
- Jonny Clayton
- Josh Rock
- Ross Smith
- Damon Heta
Oceania Representatives
- Adam Leek
- Simon Whitlock
- Ben Robb
- Jonny Tata
- Mark Cleaver
- Kayden Milne
- Haupai Puha
- Raymond Smith
Prize Money
Winner | £30,000 |
Runner-up | £16,000 |
Semi-finalists | £10,000 |
Quarter-finalists | £5,000 |
First Round Losers | £1,750 |
The overall prize pool for the New Zealand Darts Masters is set at £100,000, with the winner receiving £30,000.
Format & Rules
First Round: Best of 11 legs
Quarter-Finals: Best of 11 legs
Semi-Finals: Best of 13 legs
Final: Best of 15 legs
The New Zealand Darts Masters is a knockout tournament featuring 16 PDC representatives and 16 Oceania qualifiers.
As the tournament progresses, the number of legs required to win a match increases.
Previous Winners
Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score |
2019 | Michael Van Gerwen | Raymond van Barneveld | 8–1 |
2022 | Gerwyn Price | Jonny Clayton | 8-4 |
2023 | Rob Cross | Nathan Aspinall | 8-7 |
2024 | Luke Humphries | Damon Heta | 8-2 |
2025 | Luke Littler | Luke Humphries | 8-4 |
After Van Gerwen's success in 2019, the New Zealand Darts Masters returned to the calendar in 2022 when it produced an all-Welsh final, as Gerwyn Price beat Jonny Clayton 8-4.
In 2023 it was Rob Cross who prevailed in a dramatic last-leg shootout against Nathan Aspinall, claiming the £20,000 first prize with an 8-7 victory.
Most recently, Luke Humphries earned success in the 2024 New Zealand Darts Masters final, beating Damon Heta 8-2.
