The countdown is on. The ADC Global Championship is about to crash into our lives like a tungsten freight train, dangling a jaw-dropping £60,000 first prize and the small matter of worldwide bragging rights. Forget bragging down the pub – this is bragging that comes with a cheque the size of a small house deposit.
And where else could it all happen but the MODUS Live Lounge? A venue that’s become darts’ version of Vegas – only with more tungsten, fewer Elvis impersonators, and a bar tab that could bankrupt the average regional league team.
The ADC’s partnership with MODUS has turned what was once the stomping ground of amateurs into a stage that feels positively professional. In short: the working relationship is doing for grassroots darts what Red Bull does for teenagers – only with fewer shaky hands.
For those still trying to keep track of the format, here’s the short version:
- Group Stage One – Eight groups of seven. Four survivors climb out of each group.
- Knockout Groups – The last 32 split into eight groups of four, with only the winners advancing.
- Grand Final – Eight left standing, trading blows in the first week of January for the crown and the cash.
Each group stage is wrapped up in a single day. Group One launches on the same day kids first experience disappointment after opening their first advent calendar window. Then the rest of the groups are rattled off daily like clockwork until only the tungsten elite remain.
The line-up is a tasty mix: UK and Ireland’s finest, mainland European hopefuls, plus a few long-haul warriors from Oceania, South Africa and North America – proof that even amateur darts is truly global.
Who’s Booked Their Seat Already?
- UK Winmau Tour: Jack Tweddell, Carl Wilson, Christian Perez and Robbie Martin.
- Ireland Winmau Tour: John O’Shea and Niall Culleton.
- WADC Tour: Lisa Ashton and Gemma Hayter
- Regional Title Holders: Scotland’s Gary Stone, Northern Ireland’s Gary Copeland, and North East representative Jamie Owens to date
- MODUS Super Series Champs: Jenson Walker (Series 10) and Jeff Smith (Series 11). With the victor or edition 12 to follow.
- Europe: Danny Van Trijp (Benelux Trophy winner) – with more names to follow once the rest of the continent plays catch-up.
That’s the confirmed roll call so far, but the beauty of this setup is that plenty of places are still dangling in front of hungry amateurs. And make no mistake, every single one of them will be dreaming of standing under the bright lights at the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth, Pluto TV cameras pointed squarely at them, and the possibility of becoming £60k richer overnight.
This isn’t just another tournament. It’s the ADC laying down a marker: a £150,000 prize pot for an amateur event, streamed live to the world, in partnership with MODUS. It’s the clearest sign yet that the amateur game isn’t just alive – it’s thriving, caffeinated, and knocking loudly on the door of the professional scene.
So, who will be crowned? We’ll know come January. Until then, grab your popcorn, make sure you have Pluto TV set up, and get set to watch the best amateur talent on the planet fight like it’s payday – because for one of them, it really will be.
—–ENDS—–
Images: ADC
