The Darts Players New Zealand (DPNZ) circuit resumed over the weekend as the Howick Club in Auckland hosted the latest double-header on an increasingly competitive domestic calendar.
With the campaign now beginning to gather substantial momentum, New Zealand’s leading competitors once again assembled in pursuit of crucial ranking success and further consolidation within the upper echelon of Kiwi darts.
Heading into the weekend, experienced campaigner Ben Robb had firmly established himself as the dominant force of the 2026 season, capturing three of the opening six events. Kayden Milne had secured two titles of his own, while Jonny Tata arrived following his breakthrough triumph at the most recent stop on the tour.
Following Event Seven, Robb further reinforced his status as the standout performer of the campaign by adding yet another title to his growing seasonal collection. The Rangiora thrower produced a series of composed and authoritative displays throughout the day before eventually overcoming the aforementioned Tata in the final.
The 37-year-old navigated the group stage with consummate assurance, progressing through his round-robin fixtures without encountering significant resistance. His momentum continued into the knockout stages, where he successfully negotiated a potentially troublesome quarter-final encounter against Jaymie Hilton-Jones, prevailing by a 5-3 margin in a contest requiring considerable composure at pivotal moments.
Robb elevated his performance level further in the semi-finals against former PDC Tour Card holder Haupai Puha. The experienced Kiwi struggled to contain the relentless scoring power and clinical finishing of his opponent, managing to secure only two legs as Robb advanced emphatically to the championship match.
The final itself saw Tata once again demonstrate why he is regarded as one of the nation’s emerging talents, though Robb ultimately proved too accomplished across the longer format, sealing the title courtesy of a controlled 7-4 victory.
Attention then shifted towards the second event of the weekend, where the tour witnessed the emergence of a new champion on the seasonal honours board. Nineteen-year-old Jack Sheppard produced an immensely impressive run to secure his maiden title of the year, edging a dramatic last-leg decider against Hilton-Jones to prevail 7-6 in a highly compelling final.
Much like Robb twenty-four hours earlier, Sheppard advanced through the group stages with notable authority before continuing his progress through a succession of tightly contested knockout encounters. Victories over Mark Cleaver and Jonny Tata in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively demonstrated both resilience and maturity beyond his years, qualities which ultimately culminated in triumph during a tense deciding leg in the final.
The DPNZ circuit will now move onwards to Christchurch at the beginning of July before the concluding two events of the campaign take place in Pukekohe in early September, where the battle for seasonal supremacy is expected to intensify further.
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Images: PDC
