“I really think we’re on the cusp of something great.”
That’s how Darts Australia president Kelvin James describes the sport’s rise.
Once known as a pub pastime, darts is beginning to make its mark on the Australian sporting landscape. The sport has already boomed in popularity worldwide, thanks to new stars like England’s Luke Littler, who became a dual World Champion at the age of 18, and now attracts record viewership. Meanwhile, new funding and international pathways are beginning to reshape the local game.
After last year’s World Darts Championship, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) announced a $5.6 million-plus investment in Global Affiliate Tours, including the Australian Darts Association (ADA) circuit, boosting prize money and the number of events. The 2026 ADA tour consists of six weekends across Australia, in which players compete for an overall prize pool of $138,000.
James believes the announcement has come just at the right time for the sport.
“It’s created public interest for the domestic product that we’ve been trying to create for a number of years, but we’ve been held back by budget and financial reasons,” he tells upstart.
He also sees this as a chance for Australian players to earn recognition, like many popular players overseas.
“It allows our players to become commercialised,” he says.
“Like in every sport, you’ve got heroes and villains.”
Additionally, the PDC announced new qualification routes for Australian players to compete at international tournaments, such as Q-School, which is a pathway to the professional circuit.
This provides an exciting path for the future, as Australian players have a clear way forward.
“The more opportunities there are, the more interest there is in the sport,” James says. “That will develop more numbers and more participants for us.”
One of those players is Victorian, Brody Klinge, who has made a sharp rise after humble beginnings. Klinge started in the DartPlayers Australia (DPA) circuit in 2017. From there he has represented his state and played world number nine Stephen Bunting at the 2025 Wollongong Darts Masters.
“I started playing in the pubs about 10-12 years ago and I was pretty ordinary for a long time,” Klinge tells upstart. “I progressively got better and then maintained it.”
After honing his technique over the years, Klinge has progressed in the Australian ranks to become an emerging star. He’s currently competing on the ADA circuit and sits on top of the rankings with $7,500 in his pocket after the first two weekends.
“It’s a massive boost, I didn’t think I was going to win one at the start,” he says.
With a head start on the chasing pack, Klinge aims to consolidate his position in the ranks with the next tour weekend coming in May.
“I really want to make it back there [high on the rankings] and try to make the ANZ Premier League again.”
The ANZ Premier League launched in 2025, bringing together the best players from Australia and New Zealand in a weekly televised tournament. The competition offers a pathway to the PDC World Championship, along with $30,000 in prize money. Klinge was one of the eight players selected in the inaugural year, travelling across Australia and New Zealand each week. It brought his career to the big stage, where thousands of fans watched on TV and inside packed-out stadiums.
“I remember all the games I played, the adrenaline rush you get from playing on stage,” Klinge says. “Us players say it’s different to anything else that you ever do.”
These inclusions are pivotal for Australian players, as they now have more options than ever.
“The biggest barriers for an Australian player are regular exposure and cost,” James says. “Plus there’s the distance that we are from the rest of the world.”
Australia is more than 14,000 kilometres from Europe, the global hub for darts, meaning players often face longer travel than their European counterparts. Even within Australia, travel presents its own challenges, with trips like Perth to Sydney comparable to crossing the United States. Exiting a tournament early can also mean returning home empty handed after significant time and cost.
Despite this, Darts Australia is working to alleviate financial troubles for talented Australian players.
“We provide pathways via qualification routes to a host of international and Australian representative tournaments,” James says. “Also we offer some small sponsorship for individual players. That’s where our financial resources are targeted.”
As he builds his elite career, Klinge sees greener pastures ahead for all Australian players and for the wider darting landscape.
“If the opportunities are there and there’s money involved, there’s always going to be players coming out and trying to prove themselves,” he says.
“In the darting world, anything is possible.”
Article: Thomas Stewart is a third-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Sports Media) student at La Trobe University. You can follow him on X at @ThomasStew26182.
Cover photo: Brody Klinge in action at Night One of the ANZ Premier League at John Cain Arena, Melbourne. This photo has been modified. Photo provided by Kody Lane.
