One of our team wondered aloud who is the greatest darts nation yet to have produced an Ally Pally champion? His immediate thoughts turn to Northern Ireland and Belgium and here is where that thought led:
In terms of PDC majors, Belgium edge that particular head-to-head – which we will come onto shortly. Yet, in a global poll of darts fans, I suspect it would be fairly evenly split. And here is why.
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Despite both nations producing a number of exceptionally talented arrow-smiths over the years, if you were selecting the three biggest names from each, that aspect is not especially debatable. So that is where we begin:
NORTHERN IRELAND: Daryl Gurney, Josh Rock and Brendan Dolan (pre-naturalisation to Ireland)
BELGIUM: Dimitri Van den Bergh, Kim Huybrechts and Mike De Decker
As mentioned, purely in terms of PDC TV major titles (individual tournaments only), the Belgians lead that tally 3-2. Van den Bergh has claimed both the World Matchplay and UK Open, while compatriot De Decker secured the 2024 World Grand Prix. For Northern Ireland, Gurney remains the sole major winner to date, with both the World Grand Prix and 2018 Players Championship Finals on his résumé.
Where it becomes more intriguing is in the combined title counts between each nation’s trio:
EURO TOUR: Northern Ireland 1-2 Belgium
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Northern Ireland 11-6 Belgium
Beyond ranking and senior titles, both nations can boast a PDC World Youth Champion – Van den Bergh for Belgium and Rock for Northern Ireland, with the Belgian notably securing back-to-back titles.
Northern Ireland are, of course, reigning World Cup champions, while Belgium, despite a strong record in the event, are yet to claim the title.
The Flemish nation also leads in World Series titles between the two, with Antwerp-born Van den Bergh responsible for both – achieved in consecutive fashion in 2022.
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As for the Premier League, neither country has yet produced a champion, although both can point to two representatives in the competition: Gurney and Rock for Northern Ireland; Van den Bergh and De Decker for Belgium.
TV MAJOR RUNNER-UP: Northern Ireland 1-2 Belgium
TV MAJOR SEMI-FINALS: Northern Ireland 14-9 Belgium
As you can see, there is very little separating the two. Of course, if you were to incorporate every player from Northern Ireland and Belgium to have competed on the PDC circuit, compiling a complete statistical comparison would be an extensive task. However, it is unlikely to dramatically alter the overall picture. This discussion is centred purely on the most successful trio from each nation.
Other Contenders and Darts Developing Nations
Ultimately, like many debates in sport, there is no definitive right or wrong answer. Statistics can be interpreted in different ways, and while some may place greater emphasis on major titles, others may value depth and consistency. In the end, it remains entirely subjective – and, as ever, open to debate among darts fans, particularly those with no allegiance to either nation.
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Editor’s Note: There are several other nations who might contest the ‘Greatest’ not to have …. crown, either immediately or based on their contribution over the decades and there may soon be others surging. The USA based its contribution to the PDC in the early days, a rapidly developing modern scene – and the magnificent Larry Butler’s World Matchplay – could certainly stake a claim and surely the Germans will not be long until they produce tungsten champions and claim the biggest titles?
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
