The World Seniors Darts Championship was an important tournament organised especially for seasoned darts players. This tournament provided retired world champions, former professionals, and seasoned players with yet another chance to participate in a televised event when their careers were changing or ending.
The World Seniors Darts Championship took place for the first time in 2022 in the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, England. Robert Thornton won the first edition of the tournament and won once again in 2023. John Henderson won in 2024, whereas Ross Montgomery won in 2025 defeating Graham Usher 5-1 in the final. The year 2025 was the last time that the World Seniors Darts Championship was organized, as it was cancelled in 2026 due to major problems with World Seniors Darts.
What Is World Seniors Darts?
World Seniors Darts is an organisation as well as a series of tournaments which catered to older people and famous names from earlier eras of professional darts.
The main tournament conducted was the World Seniors Darts Championship, which was formerly called the World Seniors Darts Tour Championship. From 2022 to 2024, the age eligibility criteria was 50 years and above. However, in 2025, the age criteria were reduced to 45 years.
The World Seniors Darts Championship featured some of the best players in the history of professional darts like Robert Thornton, John Henderson, Martin Adams, Steve Beaton, Mervyn King, Kevin Painter, John Part, Simon Whitlock, Tony O’Shea, and Leonard Gates.
World Seniors Darts Championship History
The World Seniors Darts Championship began in 2022 and the first championship was played between 3rd-6th February, where Robert Thornton won against Martin Adams 5-1 to emerge as the first champion.
In 2023, Robert Thornton again defended his title by winning against Richie Howson 5-2 in the finals. In 2024, John Henderson emerged as the winner by defeating Colin McGarry 5-0.
The fourth World Seniors Darts Championship was played in February 2025 and in this championship Ross Montgomery defeated Graham Usher 5-1 to emerge as the champion. The tournament is no more organised due to the cancellation of the 2026 tournament.
World Seniors Darts Championship Timeline
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Robert Thornton | Martin Adams | 5–1 |
| 2023 | Robert Thornton | Richie Howson | 5–2 |
| 2024 | John Henderson | Colin McGarry | 5–0 |
| 2025 | Ross Montgomery | Graham Usher | 5–1 |
Robert Thornton remains the only two-time World Seniors Darts Championship winner.
World Seniors Darts Age Eligibility
However, the age criterion has been altered in the relatively short history of the competition.
Between 2022 and 2024, the World Seniors Darts had a requirement that all players participating in the senior events would have to be 50 years old or more. In preparation for the 2025 season, the organization lowered the age criterion to 45 from the previous 50. The aim was to bring even more experienced players into seniors games.
Thus, in the 2025 World Seniors Championship, all participants were typically 45 years old or above and did not have a 2025 PDC Tour Card.
The age alteration was quite controversial among certain players, and even some veterans like Paul Hogan and Tony O’Shea asked if 45 can be considered a seniors age.
World Seniors Darts Championship Format
World Seniors Darts Championship was played using the 501, straight-in, double-out scoring system. A player was required to bring down his total score from 501 points to 0 with the last throw being on the double or the bull. The game was played in sets and not just legs.
The 2025 tournament used the following format:
| Round | Format |
|---|---|
| First Round | Best of 5 sets |
| Second Round | Best of 5 sets |
| Quarter-finals | Best of 5 sets |
| Semi-finals | Best of 5 sets |
| Final | Best of 9 sets |
This is because each set had legs, implying that three sets had to be won in order to win the game, which was best of five.
The 2025 championship had 28 players in total. Four seeded players participated in the second round, while the other 24 players participated in the first round.
World Seniors Darts Schedule
The final World Seniors Darts Championship was played from 19 to 22 February 2025 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet.
The basic schedule was:
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| February 19, 2025 | First Round |
| February 20, 2025 | First Round and Second Round |
| February 21, 2025 | Second Round |
| February 22, 2025 | Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final |
The early rounds typically started in the late afternoon or evening, while the later rounds occurred on Saturday, February 22.
There is no 2026 World Seniors Darts Championship calendar, as this tournament was not held. The tournament was set to take place at the Circus Tavern in February 2026, however, ticket sales ceased due to the cancellation of this event.
World Seniors Darts Players to Watch
In the course of its life, World Seniors Darts had a combination of ex-champions, ex-PDC players, BDO/WDF legends and experienced players. Among some of the most outstanding players were:
- Robert Thornton – double World Seniors champion.
- John Henderson – World Seniors champion in 2024.
- Ross Montgomery – World Seniors champion in 2025.
- Martin Adams – former BDO World Champion and a finalist in 2022.
- Phil Taylor – probably the most renowned name ever appeared on the World Seniors stage.
- Steve Beaton – former professional and long-time PDC player.
- Mervyn King – former major PDC finalist.
- Kevin Painter – former PDC World Championship finalist.
- John Part – three-time world champion.
- Simon Whitlock – former PDC World Championship finalist.
- Leonard Gates – probably the most prominent American player on the seniors circuit.
- Tony O’Shea – extremely experienced former BDO player.
The championship of 2025 was especially memorable due to the fact that it involved players from different generations after lowering the age limit to 45 years.
World Seniors Darts Championship Winners
The championship had four editions, producing three different champions.
| Year | Winner | Country | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Robert Thornton | Scotland | Martin Adams |
| 2023 | Robert Thornton | Scotland | Richie Howson |
| 2024 | John Henderson | Scotland | Colin McGarry |
| 2025 | Ross Montgomery | Scotland | Graham Usher |
Scotland has been leading the championship since its inception. The first two editions of the championship were won by Robert Thornton and in 2024, John Henderson was victorious, while Ross Montgomery maintained the Scottish streak in 2025.
Most World Seniors Championship Titles
| Player | Titles |
|---|---|
| Robert Thornton | 2 |
| John Henderson | 1 |
| Ross Montgomery | 1 |
World Seniors Darts Results
The most recent and final World Seniors Darts Championship ended with Ross Montgomery defeating Graham Usher 5–1 in the final.
The main 2025 knockout results included:
| Round | Result |
|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Derek Coulson 3–1 John Henderson |
| Quarter-final | Graham Usher 3–1 Leonard Gates |
| Quarter-final | Steve Beaton 3–0 Richie Burnett |
| Quarter-final | Ross Montgomery 3–1 Robert Thornton |
| Semi-final | Graham Usher 3–0 Derek Coulson |
| Semi-final | Ross Montgomery 3–1 Steve Beaton |
| Final | Ross Montgomery 5–1 Graham Usher |
Montgomery made it to the final by beating Trina Gulliver, John Part, Robert Thornton, and Steve Beaton. The route taken by Usher involved wins over Richard-Eirig Rowlands, Neil Duff, Leonard Gates, and Derek Coulson.
One significant match took place in the quarterfinals where Derek Coulson beat defending champion John Henderson 3-1.
World Seniors Darts Prize Money
Prize money kept changing from one event to another, but the winner always received a constant amount of £30,000 in World Seniors Championship events.
The 2025 event had a total prize pool of about £74,500, with £30,000 allocated to the champion.
The reported breakdown was:
| Stage | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £30,000 |
| Runner-up | £12,500 |
| Semi-finalists | £4,000 each |
| Quarter-finalists | £2,000 each |
| Second Round | £1,000 each |
| First Round | £750 each |
The actual total differs from what some current sources state due to promotional material and subsequent tournament record publication containing different amounts. In an article written in today’s time, the total 2025 prize fund amount would be £74,500.
Where Is the World Seniors Darts Championship Played?
The World Seniors Darts Championship was held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex, England for all four years of its existence.
The Circus Tavern is especially important in the sport of darts since it used to hold the PDC World Darts Championship until the event was shifted to Alexandra Palace. The venue is therefore strongly associated with darts history.
The 2025 World Seniors Championship took place at the Circus Tavern from February 19 to February 22.
But it should be noted that the venue does not have any 2026 World Seniors Championship, which was cancelled.
How to Watch World Seniors Darts
There were various methods for watching the tournament in the UK during the 2025 championships.
They included:
- BBC iPlayer
- BBC Sport website and app
- BBC Red Button
- TNT Sports
- Discovery+
It varied depending on the sessions for the BBC and TNT Sports, while Discovery+ aired the tournament via subscription.
Since the World Seniors Darts association stopped organizing the tournament in 2025, there is no schedule of the broadcast of the 2026 World Seniors Championship.
For any upcoming seniors darts tournaments organized by other associations, it would be best for viewers to refer to the broadcaster’s present schedule and not that of the World Seniors Darts.
World Seniors Darts vs PDC World Championship
The World Seniors Darts Championship and PDC World Darts Championship were separate competitions.
| Feature | World Seniors Darts Championship | PDC World Championship |
|---|---|---|
| Organisation | World Seniors Darts | Professional Darts Corporation |
| Target players | Veteran/older players | Top professional players |
| Age requirement | 45+ in 2025 | No seniors age restriction |
| PDC Tour Card | Generally excluded current Tour Card holders | Main professional circuit |
| First edition | 2022 | 1994 |
| 2025 venue | Circus Tavern | Alexandra Palace |
| Format | Sets | Sets |
| 2025 champion | Ross Montgomery | Luke Littler |
The major distinction lies in the eligibility of players. World Seniors Championship was established for experienced players, whereas the PDC World Championship is the leading championship of the world for PDC professional players.
Most Famous World Seniors Darts Players
The World Seniors tour was made popular in part because fans could once again watch their favourite darts players battle each other.
- Phil Taylor can perhaps be considered the most famous name that has been linked to the seniors movement. The sixteen times world champion supported the creation of the World Seniors Championship and helped develop it from the early stages, although he never won a World Seniors Championship himself.
- Robert Thornton is the most accomplished World Seniors Championship player having won the first two championships in 2022 and 2023.
- John Henderson won the championship in 2024, having defeated Colin McGarry 5 – 0.
- Ross Montgomery became the last champion in 2025 by beating Graham Usher 5 – 1 and maintaining Scotland’s total domination of the championship.
Other popular players included Martin Adams, Steve Beaton, Kevin Painter, John Part, Mervyn King, Simon Whitlock, Tony O’Shea and Leonard Gates.
Why Is World Seniors Darts So Popular?
World Seniors Darts gained its popularity due to the blend of nostalgic value, competitive value and star players.
Most fans knew these players as participants in large tournaments decades ago. In seniors championship, they got a chance to see their favourite players competing in large tournament again.
This format was also important for creating competitiveness because these players were still required to play under pressure, hit doubles and keep up with the scores despite being much older than regular professional tour players.
The participation of former world champions and recognizable former PDC stars also added to the attractiveness of this tournament for casual darts viewers. Another nostalgic value came from the Circus Tavern as it used to be the venue for PDC World Championship.
How to Get Tickets for World Seniors Darts
With the championship taking place, tickets were offered for the sessions held at the Circus Tavern, with availability depending on the tournament and session dates.
In relation to the 2026 World Seniors Darts Championship, tickets cannot be bought due to the cancellation of the championship. Ticket sales for the scheduled 2026 championship were withdrawn and it was reported that refunds would be issued by the same route through which they had been purchased.
Thus, ticket sites offering tickets for the 2026 World Seniors Darts Championship need to be approached with caution unless an officially scheduled championship is announced.
Tickets for the future re-organized championship should be obtained from the organizer’s official site only.
Final Thoughts
The World Seniors Darts Championship took place for only four years, from 2022 to 2025, but it was the arena where experienced dart players shined. Robert Thornton won the first two championships, John Henderson was the winner in 2024, while Ross Montgomery secured the victory in 2025 by winning against Graham Usher with the score of 5-1.
With the combination of great players, exciting games and historical venue, such as the Circus Tavern, the championship gained popularity among the community of darts. Even though there is no World Seniors Darts Championship taking place in 2026, the tournament has a fascinating history in modern darts, which can be a reason for future tournaments in the seniors’ league of some other organization.
FAQ’s
Is the World Seniors Darts Championship still running?
No, the 2026 World Seniors Darts Championship was cancelled, while the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship was the last one organized under the World Seniors Darts banner.
Who won the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship?
Ross Montgomery won the 2025 World Seniors Darts Championship, beating Graham Usher in the final 5–1.
Who has won the most World Seniors Darts Championships?
Robert Thornton won the most world Seniors Darts Championship, two in total (in 2022 and 2023).
Who was the first World Seniors Darts champion?
Robert Thornton was the first champion, winning the inaugural 2022 tournament by beating Martin Adams 5–1.
What age do you have to be to play World Seniors Darts?
The age requirement was 50 or older from 2022 through 2024. It was lowered to 45 for the 2025 season.
Also read about: European Darts Open 2026: Schedule, Results, Prize Money, Format, Winner and Where to Watch