LITTLER AND HUMPHRIES EURO TOUR SNUBS SPARK CONCERN
11/06/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT has warned darts faces a growing problem if Luke Littler and Luke Humphries keep skipping Euro Tour events.
The Lethal Lukes have played in just two of the opening eight tournaments this season as they prioritise a packed schedule of majors, exhibitions and commercial commitments.
Former pro Van der Voort fears fans will eventually lose interest if the sport’s biggest names remain regularly absent and believes PDC chief Matt Porter must address the issue.
He told the Darts Draait Door Podcast: “He tries to make it sound like a small issue and says they’re not worried about it.
“But it is something you should be concerned about.
“If the top players keep withdrawing from Euro Tours, that’s a problem.
“You can’t tell me spectators will keep turning up indefinitely if the biggest names are absent every time.”
Van der Voort pointed to the recent European Darts Open as an example.
Only four players from the world’s top ten featured at the tournament, with Luke Woodhouse eventually defeating Ryan Joyce 8-4 in the final.
The Dutchman insisted he has no issue with lesser-known names lifting titles but believes the competition suffers when the elite stay away.
He added: “If everyone enters and those players reach the final, then they’ve absolutely earned it. No problem at all.
“They’re fantastic players.
“The issue is when so many top players don’t show up.
“People buy tickets to see certain players.
“The Premier League stars are the biggest names in darts right now, and if none of them are there, that’s disappointing.”
Van der Voort believes the issue extends beyond player withdrawals and claims the leading stars are now too comfortable at the top of the rankings.
He continued: “The biggest problem is that the top 16 players are very secure now.
“We don’t really have much new talent breaking through.
“Look at the European Championship field. There are 32 players.
“How many of them came through qualifying events? Hardly any.”
The former UK Open finalist cited Cristo Reyes as one of the few players forcing his way into contention.
World No77 Reyes has impressed on the Euro Tour this season, reaching the Austrian Darts Open quarter-finals and the last 16 in both Poland and Belgium.
Van der Voort said: “Cristo Reyes, because he has done exceptionally well, people talk about him all the time.
“Last year there were maybe one or two similar examples.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
