World Matchplay: Last News

While most eagle-eyed viewers who spotted Nathan Aspinall's gesture to Jonny Clayton before their World Matchplay final probably thought the Stockport-born darts player was just messing about, there was plenty more to it than that.

Darts fans can look forward to watching a new tournament starring Phil Taylor on terrestrial TV next year.The burgeoning World Seniors Tour has added a new event to its 2023 schedule, joining the World Championship, World Masters and World Matchplay. The new event, staged at Blackpool’s Viva entertainment venue on March 25 and 26, will be called the Champions of Champions.

Darts ace Dimitri van den Bergh has reportedly been ordered to rest after suffering a second health scare in 48 hours. The former World Matchplay champion felt unwell during the German Darts Open in Jena at the weekend and was checked over by medical personnel following his quarter-final victory over Krzysztof Ratajski. The DreamMaker was able to continue in the tournament but looked uncomfortable at times during his semi-final win over José De Sousa.

Michael van Gerwen issued a scathing assessment of his own performance after beginning his Queensland Darts Masters campaign with a tense win over Bailey Marsh.This year’s Premier League and World Matchplay victor was taken all the way to a final-leg decider by the young Australian but held his nerve to go through 6-5. Van Gerwen wasn’t the only seed to have a tricky day, with Jonny Clayton and James Wade both crashing out at the first hurdle while Gerwyn Price also had to win a deciding leg to go through to round two.“I was 90 per cent at my best. Sorry, I was nine per cent at my best,” Van Gerwen joked to Online Darts TV after the win over Marsh.

Darts legends Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld have reunited in their retirement, 15 years on from the epic world championship final in 2007. In their prime Taylor and van Barneveld played out one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen.This battle peaked in 2007, as the heroic pair played out one of the best world finals in living memory at the Circus Tavern in Essex.

Elvis, one Elton, one Britney – and now there's only one Fallon.Ever since she became Queen of the Palace, first lady of darts Fallon Sherrock has been one of a kind.She's the woman who keeps taking on the big beasts of the oche – and beating them.After her Alexandra Palace debut two years ago, when she knocked Ted Evetts and No.11 seed Mensur Suljovic out of the William Hill PDC World Championship, Sherrock received VIP messages from Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker and tennis legend Billie Jean King.She has since reached the Nordic Darts Masters final, scaring the life out of former world No.1 Michael van Gerwen before going down 11-7, shocked former World Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh and reached the Grand Slam

Daily Star's biggest headlines straight to your inbox!Scottish pair Peter Wright and John Henderson struggled to contain their emotions as they won the World Cup of Darts after fending off the challenge of surprise finalists Austria.Current World Matchplay champion Wright could not hold back the tears as he lifted the trophy alongside Henderson, who was celebrating his first ever title in a tournament broadcast on TV.The latter was a last-minute replacement for Gary Anderson, but it didn't disrupt Scotland's chances as they became just the second nation to win the World Cup with different pairings.Meanwhile, it was Wright's second time celebrating victory in this competition, after winning alongside Anderson in 2019.The pair enjoyed a