'Quite strange': Darts star excited to reignite Kiwi Covid connections

When English darts star Ross Smith takes the stage against Kiwi players at next month’s New Zealand Masters, he’ll be reviving rivalries that began with online duels during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Before establishing himself as one of the Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) most consistent players and biggest 180 hitters, Smith improved his game by competing in online tournaments, regularly getting up in the early hours of the morning to take part in events based in Australia and New Zealand.

Players competed from dartboards set up in garages, living rooms and even kitchens, using cameras to stream their boards while a second device displayed their opponent’s throw and a scoring app.

The online format allowed darts to continue throughout the pandemic while almost every other sport was forced to shut up shop.

During that time, Smith regularly came up against New Zealand’s top players, including Ben Robb and Haupai Puha, but never had the chance to meet them in person.

That will change this coming week after Smith was named among the eight PDC stars competing at the New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland.

Nicknamed “Smudger”, Smith is one of two PDC players making their New Zealand debut, alongside Dutch world No 2 Gian van Veen.

The 37-year-old from Kent had originally booked a family holiday to Greece for August but managed to bring it forward once the invitation to New Zealand came through.

Speaking to the Herald from Greece, Smith said he was hoping to face either Robb or Puha.

“I remember playing Haupai quite a few times and Ben as well,” Smith said.

“It was quite strange playing these guys on the other side of the world live. It was all through Covid when darts sort of stopped. We were lucky to continue, have some fun and play online.

“They’re good lads and great players. It’ll be good to meet up with them and have a game when I come over.”

A trip to New Zealand has long been on Smith’s bucket list after hearing stories from his father, who visited the country in his younger days.

However, he almost missed the opportunity because of a communication breakdown after recently changing management companies.

“My manager didn’t actually pick the email up, so I didn’t realise I’d been picked,” Smith said.

“I was in my kitchen and the PDC rang me to asking me to respond. It was a bit of a shock and a no-brainer.”

One thing Smith will not be doing, however, is bungee jumping from the Sky Tower – an attraction several visiting darts stars have tackled over the years.

“I am not a fan of heights,” he said. “I’m absolutely terrified of heights.

“I’ve heard about the tower and I’ve seen clips of a few others doing it a year or two ago.

“It’s definitely not for me, although I could still be persuaded. It depends whether you all want to see me cry like a little baby.”

Ross Smith will play at the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters. Photo / PDC

Since winning the European Championship in 2022, Smith has established himself among the elite players on the PDC circuit, allowing him to leave his job as a truck driver and focus on darts fulltime.

The world No 16 has earned more than $3 million in career prizemoney and has already claimed three titles this year, including the International Darts Open in Germany.

While the demands of being an elite darts player are intense, Smith wouldn’t change anything.

“If you’re among the top players, you might only be at home once or twice a week,” he said.

“It’s something I’m never going to complain about. I’m very privileged to be in the position I am.

“I also don’t want to become too relaxed. I like to keep my feet on the ground, keep working hard and not take things for granted.

“It is very busy, but I love it and I don’t miss tournaments unless it’s for a very good reason.”

PDC representatives: Gian van Veen (Netherlands), Jonny Clayton (Wales), James Wade (England), Josh Rock (Northern Ireland), Gerwyn Price (Wales), Stephen Bunting (England), Ross Smith (England), Damon Heta (Australia).

Oceanic representatives: Ben Robb, Jonny Tata, Haupai Puha, Mark Cleaver, Kayden Milne (all New Zealand), Adam Leek, Simon Whitlock, Raymond Smith (all Australia).

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.