Amongst the Welsh darting elite, David Davies might not be the household name of compatriots, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton – but he has something very special in common now with that World Cup winning pair. He is now also a Red Dragon Champion of Champions.
The setting? Cardiff – the capital of Wales , 256 darting hopefuls all chasing the same dream: a shiny trophy, bragging rights, and the chance to tell their grandchildren they once won something other than a meat raffle.
Davies survived the darting bloodbath and walked away with the title, later describing it as the best day of my life. That wasn’t his post-match adrenaline talking either – the format of this event takes no prisoners. Best of three, winner takes all. No safety nets, no settling-in period, and certainly no best of eleven luxuries. Miss once and you’re gone, just like the legendary News of the World days.
Now the dust has settled and Davies accepts it was reality and not a dream, he reflected back on a glorious day. Already a Challenge Tour winner this year, he admitted this was another level entirely:
“It’s probably was best day of my life and tops the Challenge Tour. It’s such a brutal format. I just kept ticking along, ticking along, but it was hot up there, a different atmosphere. But I got over the line, and got to hold the trophy I love.”
And just to prove nothing in darts is straightforward, the final came with enough drama to give his supporters mild palpitations. He fluffed a dart at 80, practically wrapped a bow on the match for his opponent, and had to endure a nervous wait. As he recalled:
“Don’t throw a one, don’t throw a one – that’s all I was thinking. A thousand thoughts go through your head – do you play safe or attack it? I thought, just attack it, you’re playing well. Then it went in the one and my opponent had 84 left. I was waiting for that thud of the dart and him running off, thinking I don’t want to hear this right now. But to be fair, double 10 has been my friend over the last few weeks. It went in – and that was that – I was champion.”
Cue trophy, cheers, and possibly the loosest knees Cardiff has seen since the Six Nations. The win also came with a tasty £10,000 cheque, which Davies was refreshingly honest about:
“It’s all the hard work I’ve put in. My family supporting me – that’s massive. They just let me go and play darts, throw freely. And let’s not forget the money – it’s massive. Yes, I’ve got a full-time job and I do this on the side, but £10,000 is absolutely huge. Who knows where this can take me from here?”
Well, a few hours after lifting the trophy, it took him to the Players Championship after the PDC shocked the Welshman with a late call up. But despite the confetti, Davies isn’t letting it all go to his head:
“For me, it just shows that players know who I am now. It doesn’t change my mentality, like, oh I’m going to win a Tour Card because I’ve won this. My mentality stays the same. But it does put a slight target on my back – it puts my name in people’s mouths. So, watch out.” A warning to rivals, delivered with a grin: he’s not done yet.
And make no mistake, he thinks there’s more to come:
“I know I’ve got more in the tank – and that’s what’s frightening. I’ve now that in the toughest format you can play. When you see the players already on this trophy and now my name is amongst them, I’m hoping I can follow.”
Sensibly, Davies stuck with tradition: party first, think later.
“We celebrated hard that night. Walking into the room, I wanted this, I’ve always wanted it. It was the first time I’d ever qualified, and I only got in by chance. So it really was a fairy tale. To hold that trophy, with the names already on it and mine going alongside them, was absolutely amazing.”
The catch? He’ll have to go through qualifying again to defend it next year. Nobody’s ever won this event back-to-back, but given the way Davies bulldozed through the field, you’d be brave to rule him out.
And that’s what makes this title so prestigious – it’s yet to be successfully defended. Look down the roll call: Ryan Searle, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price. All established stars, all previous winners but never retained. Now Davies’ name sits alongside theirs – something he’s still pinching himself about.
From anonymous hopeful to Champion of Champions, David Davies arrived. Not bad for a man who almost didn’t qualify in the first place.
—–ENDS—–
Images: Red Dragon
