SMITH AND VAN VEEN HANDED WORLD SERIES DEBUTS DOWN UNDER

ROSS SMITH and Gian van Veen are set to make their debuts Down Under on the World Series of Darts circuit in August.

The PDC’s annual visit to the Southern Hemisphere will begin with the New Zealand Masters in Auckland on August 14-15, before the Australian Masters takes place in Wollongong on August 21-22.

World No. 1 Luke Littler claimed both titles last year but will not defend his crowns after withdrawing from this year’s events alongside Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen.

Each tournament will feature a 16-player field, with eight PDC stars taking on eight representatives from the Oceanic region across two days of action.

Former European Champion Ross Smith will make his first appearance on the World Series after picking up a brace of ProTour titles and the International Darts Open this season.

Rising Dutch star Van Veen will also feature after continuing his rise on the PDC circuit by reaching a pair of televised finals in 2026.

The Giant has enjoyed a stellar season, making the World Championship final before helping fire the Netherlands to their first World Cup final since 2018 in Frankfurt last week.

Welsh duo Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price will join them, with Clayton set for his first appearance in New Zealand and Australia since 2022.

Premier League stars Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting have also been named in the field, while ten-time televised title winner James Wade and Australian No. 1 Damon Heta complete the eight-player PDC contingent.

The Oceanic line-up will be led by Australian legend Simon Whitlock, who claimed the inaugural ANZ Premier League title in Brisbane last year.

Fellow Australian Adam Leek is also set to make his World Series debut after earning a Tour Card earlier this year and stepping into Whitlock’s place at the World Cup of Darts.

The remaining six Oceanic representatives will be confirmed in the coming weeks through qualifying events on the ADA and DPNZ circuits.

2026 World Series of Darts
SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters
August 14-15, Spark Arena, Auckland
PDC Representatives
Gian van Veen (Netherlands)
Jonny Clayton (Wales)
James Wade (England)
Josh Rock (Northern Ireland)
Gerwyn Price (Wales)
Stephen Bunting (England)
Ross Smith (England)
Damon Heta (Australia)

Oceanic Representatives
Adam Leek (Australia)
Simon Whitlock (Australia)
DPNZ Qualifier 1
DPNZ Qualifier 2
DPNZ Qualifier 3
DPNZ Qualifier 4
DPNZ Qualifier 5
ADA Qualifier 1

KenoGO Australian Darts Masters
August 21-22, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
PDC Representatives
Gian van Veen (Netherlands)
Jonny Clayton (Wales)
James Wade (England)
Josh Rock (Northern Ireland)
Gerwyn Price (Wales)
Stephen Bunting (England)
Ross Smith (England)
Damon Heta (Australia)

Oceanic Representatives
Adam Leek (Australia)
Simon Whitlock (Australia)
ADA Qualifier 1
ADA Qualifier 2
ADA Qualifier 3
ADA Qualifier 4
ADA Qualifier 5
DPNZ Qualifier

Image by Taylor Lanning.