World Darts Championship rule change introduced by PDC throughout match
The PDC have announced a new rule change for the World Darts Championship, with the sport set to expand even further in the coming years after a brilliant start to the 2026 tournament
The PDC has revealed a massive investment exceeding £3million aimed at worldwide sport expansion, featuring alterations to qualification regulations. This announcement comes as darts experiences unprecedented growth, with 34 distinct nationalities already featured in this year’s enlarged World Darts Championship structure.
This development has not only delivered exceptional matches but also introduced captivating personalities for Alexandra Palace audiences to rally behind. Subsequently, demands have emerged to create additional qualifying positions from regions like Africa, particularly following David Munyua’s remarkable showing.
The Kenyan achieved one of the most stunning upsets on the Ally Pally stage by mounting a comeback from a 2-0 set deficit to defeat Mike De Decker 3-2. Munyua had only taken up darts three years before his World Championship debut and was eager to highlight the abundance of skill present across Africa.
The PDC has responded to these calls by confirming an extra African qualifying position for the 2027 World Darts Championship as part of rule modifications.
An official statement read: “Darts across Africa will be boosted by a new agreement with the African Darts Group, which will see the African Continental Tour feature six R50,000 events each across the Northern and Southern regions respectively – and will increase to featuring two World Championship qualifiers from the 2026/27 event.”
This creates fresh chances for African talent to demonstrate their abilities on the sport’s grandest platform, whilst positioning themselves to compete for the £1million prize pot. Munyua’s display certainly showcased to audiences just how much untapped talent exists across the continent, given proper investment to nurture players.
Though his fairy-tale debut concluded in round two with a loss to Kevin Doets, the Kenyan has looked back fondly on an incredible journey. “I tried my best, but Kevin [Doets] was much better than me today. I wish him the best,” he remarked following his elimination.
“It is amazing, the exposure that I have got, and playing quality players like Kevin and Mike [De Decker] makes it all worthwhile.
“Winning the first round was phenomenal for me, and with this being my first time at Ally Pally, I have done my best, and I am happy with that.”
The 30-year-old, who works as a full-time vet when not throwing arrows, also shared his aspirations for darts to keep growing throughout Africa.
He said: “If we could have different countries from Africa (at the tournament), that would be impressive. If Munyua is doing it why not them? From Cameroon, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania. There is nothing that could unite Africa more than sport, sport is the only activity that can join us.”
The PDC has certainly capitalised on this opportunity, making one of the most accessible sports globally even more available. The surge in darts’ popularity seems to be just beginning, with an increasing number of people captivated by the action at Ally Pally and beyond.
All attention will now turn to the remainder of the tournament, as it takes a three-day hiatus for Christmas before resuming. From 27 December onwards, the later rounds commence, starting with round three.
Luke Littler remains the favourite to clinch this year’s competition, despite numerous upsets already. Luke Humphries is also tipped to reach the final, while other stars have demonstrated their ability to produce high averages and precise finishes when required.
