The countdown to the 2025 WDF World Championship is officially on which begins on the 28th November. After one last chaotic weekend in Hungary, the draw for Lakeside is complete. The stage is set, the arrows are packed, and the Frimley Green faithful are ready for another week of darting nostalgia, dodgy shirts, and delicious tension.
Reigning champ Shane McGuirk will kick off his title defence against Finland’s Petri Rasmus, which sounds like a calm Scandinavian name until he starts peppering treble 20s for fun.
Meanwhile, the newly crowned World Masters champion – and top seed – Jimmy van Schie gets the honour of facing one of 24 debutants in this year’s Open field. He’ll take on either Wales’ Alex Williams or Croatia’s Romeo Grbavac – the latter, a man whose name alone sounds like he should be headlining Eurovision, not the oche.
Neil Duff, the 2022 Lakeside winner, begins his quest for a second title against either New Zealand’s Ben Robb or Sweden’s Johan Engstrom – a match that could double as a Vikings vs. Kiwis sequel. Duffman has been in great form this year, hoovering up titles all over the place. But this is the one trophy he would love to get his hands back on.
Elsewhere, Scottish prodigy Mitchell Lawrie continues to make history as the youngest player ever to feature in a senior WDF World Championship. He opens his campaign against Japan’s Tomoya Maruyama, with second seed Jason Brandon waiting in round two. In the Youth Championship, Lawrie is top seed – and will face Hungary’s Adam Sepsi, who will be attempting proverbially to silence the bagpipes.
Speaking of size and presence, the field just got a little taller – literally. Croatian colossus Boris Krcmar sealed his spot through the Budapest “last chance saloon” on Sunday, increasing the average height of the Open draw by roughly a foot.
In the women’s championship, Dutch sensation Lerena Rietbergen leads the field as top seed and opens against either Aletta Wajer or American newcomer Aaja Jalbert. Expect fireworks – and probably a few nervous finishes.
Fresh from her World Masters triumph, Scotland’s Lorraine Hyde will meet either Paula Murphy or Emine Dursun as she looks to complete an astonishing back-to-back major double. Last year’s finalist Sophie McKinlay will start her run against Paige Pauling or Lisa Zollikofer, while two-time champion Mikuru Suzuki returns to Lakeside for a mouth-watering first-round clash with Finland’s Kirsi Viinikainen. The winner will face second seed Deta Hedman, which is basically like defeating Bowser only to find out you’ve still got to beat the final boss.
And yes, Paige Pauling will also defend her Girls’ World title, beginning against Turkey’s Zehra Gemi.
The Youth event looks just as spicy. Lawrie, as mentioned, faces Adam Sepsi, while England’s Archie Self and Mason Teese are both in the mix alongside Germany’s Florian Preis and Thees Kogelnik.
In the Girls’ Championship, Paige Pauling and Ruby Grey return as favourites – though Ireland’s Rebecca Allen, fresh from her Budapest heroics, could easily spoil that party.
So, it’s all roads leading to Frimley Green, where darting dreams are either realised or shattered under the Lakeside lights. If you fancy being part of the madness, tickets are available now on Eventbrite.
Expect drama. Expect emotion. Expect at least one 50-something man in a Hawaiian shirt declaring “I could beat that” after every missed double (not Mardle – just a decorated fan)
The 2025 WDF World Championship is ready – and with debutants, legends, prodigies, and one Croatian skyscraper all in the mix, it might just be the best one yet.
Open WDF Lakeside World Championship – First Round
- Alex Williams (WAL) v Romeo Grbavac (CRO)
- Marko Kantele (FIN) v Dalibor Smolik (CZE)
- Ryan Hogarth (SCO) v Jonas Masalin (FIN)
- Shane McGuirk (IRE) v Petri Rasmus (FIN)
- Dennis Nilsson (SWE) v Shane Sakchekapo (CAN)
- Caleb Hope (NZL) v Darren Johnson (ENG)
- Karl Schaefer (AUS) v Daniel Bauerdick (GER)
- Kevin Luke (USA) v Boris Krcmar (CRO)
- Mitchell Lawrie (SCO) v Tomoya Maruyama (JPN)
- Bradley Kirk (ENG) v Jeff Springer Jr (USA)
- Vince Tipple (ENG) v Haruki Muramatsu (JPN)
- Brian Raman (BEL) v Jeffrey Sparidaans (NED)
- Ben Robb (NZL) v Johan Engstrom (SWE)
- Jim McEwan (SCO) v Stephen Rosney (IRE)
- Jenson Walker (ENG) v Jiri Brejcha (CZE)
- Cliff Prior (ENG) v Clint Clarkson (CAN)
Open WDF Lakeside World Championship – Second Round
- 1. Jimmy van Schie (NED) v Williams/Grbavac
- 16. Paul Krohne (GER) v Kantele/Smolik
- 8. Corne Groeneveld (NED) v Hogarth/Masalin
- 9. Stefan Schroder (NED) v McGuirk/Rasmus
- 4. James Beeton (ENG) v Nilsson/Sakchekapo
- 13. Liam Maendl-Lawrance (GER) v Hope/Johnson
- 5. Benjamin Pratnemer (SVN) v Schaefer/Bauerdick
- 12. David Pallett (ENG) v Luke/Krcmar
- 2. Jason Brandon (USA) v Lawrie/Maruyama
- 15. Andy Davidson (SCO) v Kirk/Springer Jr
- 7. Matt Clark (ENG) v Tipple/Muramatsu
- 10. Francois Schweyen (BEL) v Raman/Sparidaans
- 3. Neil Duff (NI) v Robb/Engström
- 14. Thomas Junghans (SWI) v McEwan/Rosney
- 6. David Fatum (USA) v Walker/Brejcha
- 11. Raymond Smith (AUS) v Prior/Clarkson
Women’s World Championship – First Round
- Aletta Wajer (NED) v Aaja Jalbert (USA)
- Joanne Hadley (AUS) v Eve Watson (WAL)
- Irina Armstrong (GER) v Maria Carli (CAN)
- Jitka Cisarova (CZE) v Maud Jansson (SWE)
- Paula Murphy (USA) v Emine Dursun (TUR)
- Priscilla Steenbergen v Mayumi Ouchi (JPN) OR Nina Lech-Musialska (POL)
- Kirsi Viinikainen (FIN) v Mikuru Suzuki (JPN)
- Paige Pauling (ENG) v Lisa Zollikofer (GER)
Women’s World Championship – Second Round
- 1. Lerena Rietbergen (NED) v Wajer/Jalbert
- 8. Aileen de Graaf (NED) v Hadley/Watson
- 4. Nicole Regnaud (NZL) v Armstrong/Carli
- 5. Rhian O’Sullivan (WAL) v Cisarova/Jansson
- 2. Lorraine Hyde (SCO) v Murphy/Dursun
- 7. Tracy Feiertag (USA) v Steenbergen/Ouchi/Lech-Musialska
- 3. Deta Hedman (ENG) v Viinikainen/Suzuki
- 6. Sophie McKinlay (SCO) v Pauling/Zollikofer
Youth World Championship – Quarter-Finals
- 1. Mitchell Lawrie (SCO) v Adam Sepsi (HUN)
- 4. Kaya Baysal (ENG) v Thees Kogelnik (GER)
- 2. Florian Preis (GER) v Archie Self (ENG)
- 3. Mason Teese (ENG) v Benedek Szabo (HUN)
Girls World Championship – Semi-Finals
- 1. Paige Pauling (ENG) v Zehra Gemi (TUR)
- 2. Ruby Grey (ENG) v Rebecca Allen (IRE)
So buckle up, get the popcorn ready – the action will soon come around.
—–ENDS—–
Images: WDF / Chris Sargeant
