The sensation is complete: Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney have claimed Northern Ireland’s first-ever World Cup of Darts title. With a thrilling 10-9 victory in the final against the favored Welsh team, the Northern Irish duo rewarded themselves for an outstanding tournament performance in Frankfurt.
Northern Ireland had emerged as a title contender early on. A dominant 8–2 win over South Africa in their opening match and a confident run through the knockout stage saw them enter the semifinals full of momentum. There, they faced Germany, who had edged out Australia 8–7 in a quarterfinal decider. But against Rock and Gurney, there was no way through for Schindler and Pietreczko: the Northern Irish secured a clear 8–2 win to advance to the final.
“It was a fiery match,” said Gurney after the South Africa game — and as the tournament progressed, Rock and Gurney left no doubt about their title ambitions. Germany had previously caused a stir with an 8–4 victory over top-seeded England (featuring world number one Luke Humphries and number two Luke Littler). Martin Schindler commented, “We believed in ourselves, and that was the key.” Ricardo Pietreczko impressed with two ton-plus finishes and sealed the match with a 62-checkout.
In the final against Wales, Rock and Gurney continued their superb form. In a phenomenal final that could not have been more dramatic, Northern Ireland emerged victorious with a 10–9 scoreline. Rock’s aggressive scoring and Gurney’s clinical finishing under pressure ultimately made the difference.
“We really wanted to play this World Cup together. To win it on our first attempt is just unbelievable,” said an overwhelmed Josh Rock after the win. His teammate Daryl Gurney added, “I also want to pay tribute to our opponents in the final, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price. They played incredibly well and delivered a fantastic final. They are true legends of our sport.”
With the title and £80,000 in prize money, Northern Ireland enters the elite circle of the darts world for the first time. For the German team and the sport of darts in Germany, reaching a third semifinal in tournament history is a strong statement. “This is a huge success for us — German darts is in great shape, and we’ll keep giving it our all,” said Martin Schindler.
