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Champions

Known as “Alexander the Great”, Dutch player Alexander Merkx has built his reputation across both the WDF and PDC circuits. After winning three WDF titles, Merkx enjoyed a breakthrough run on the PDC Challenge Tour in 2024, claiming two titles and earning qualification for his first PDC World Darts Championship.

Merkx made his Alexandra Palace debut at the 2025 World Championship before securing his PDC Tour Card at Q-School in 2026, taking the next step in his professional career. His Shot Pro Series dart has been developed to his own specifications, centred around a deep scallop and clearly defined grip zones throughout the barrel.

New Zealand’s Jonny Tata has established himself as one of the country’s leading darts talents. After returning to the game following several years away, Tata announced himself on the international stage at the 2023 New Zealand Darts Masters, defeating former World Champion Peter Wright on his World Series debut.

In 2025, Tata topped the DPNZ Pro Tour standings and made history by throwing the first nine-dart finish in DPNZ Pro Tour history. That run secured his place at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, where he made his Alexandra Palace debut. His Shot Pro Series dart has been developed around his own rear grip and controlled release.

American talent Stowe Buntz has rapidly become one of North America’s most exciting players, with his breakthrough 2023 season launching him onto the global stage. After a dominant run on the Championship Darts Corporation circuit, winning three events, reaching two more finals, and finishing second overall, Buntz earned qualification for the PDC World Darts Championship, where he impressed on debut and captured worldwide attention. His Continental Cup victory also punched his ticket to the Grand Slam of Darts, marking another major milestone. Now firmly established as a rising force, the Virginia native continues to build on that momentum as he pushes deeper into the PDC ranks.

Haupai Puha has been competing on the New Zealand darts circuit since 2017, swapping golf clubs for tungsten arrows. He is currently ranked WDF No. 1 in New Zealand and WDF No. 3 Internationally.  Haupai won the Men's Pairs title at the 2023 WDF World Championships with teammate Ben Robb.

Hailing from Lithuania, Mindaugas Barauskas has played in Professional Darts Corporation events in 2019, after making great strides by qualifying for the European Darts Grand Prix on the PDC European Tour. He has predominantly featured at the World Cup of Darts with Lithuania alongside Darius Labanauskas - their best run coming in 2020 when they reached the last 16.

Mindaugas is also a regular on the PDC's affiliate Nordic and Baltic Tour and in February 2023, he won his first title when he beat Tom Veje 6-5 in the final. While not playing darts, Mindaugas works as a bricklayer in the South Lithuania in Prienai.

Born in Austria, with Filipino heritage from a family of darts fanatics, Rowby-John's been playing alongside big brothers Rusty and Roxy since he was tall enough to reach the dartboard. Thrilling audiences on the world stage since 2010, he’s competed in the biggest tournaments against the biggest dart names worldwide.

The consummate hype man, Rowby-John plays to the crowd as much as the dartboard – blending playful mischief with laser focus and an unshakeable commitment to win.

Isle of Wight player Joe Hunt has emerged as one of the standout performers on the PDC Challenge Tour in 2026. Hunt started the season in red-hot form, winning three Challenge Tour titles and moving to the top of the standings.

He has carried that form onto the PDC ProTour, reaching three quarter-finals and showing he can compete against established Tour Card holders. Hunt joined Shot Darts in June 2026 as he continues his push towards a full PDC Tour Card and qualification for the game’s televised majors.

Queenslander Raymond Smith is one of the best players to hail from Australia which has seen him play around the World. He started off playing in the British Darts Organisation where in 2016 he reached the last 16 of the World Masters before taking part in the 2017 BDO World Championship. He has also played in three Professional Darts Corporation World Championships, his best run coming in 2022 when he reached the last 16. Ray contributes hugely to youth darts and coaching the sport in Australia, and is the author of several Darts Coach articles on this website.

In 2023, Smith took part in the Modus Super Series, winning an event, before capturing the title in the Champions week.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Chaney is looking to make big strides in the game and propel himself up the rankings to challenge the best in the business.

Chaney is not inexperienced when it comes to winning trophies and he has several in the cabinet. The Portland City Open, Cleveland Darts Extravaganza, Las Vegas Open and Chicago Open are just some of the big domestic events Chaney has won during his career. While Joe continues to dominate the United States darts scene, he has also been making inroads on the international circuit.

You are sure to be hearing ‘The Chainsaw’ blasting out at WDF events in the future as Chaney continues to climb the world rankings.

Gavin Nicoll is one of the most promising prospects in American darts and has a bright future ahead of him in the sport. Nicoll has been plying his trade in the North American Championship Darts Corporation circuit on both the main and Evolution Tour, which serves as a pathway onto the main tour for anyone under 23. The Evolution Tour has been Nicoll’s main focus, where he finished second overall, but he’s been building towards the step up to the main tour. In 2023, he claimed 14 wins against the biggest names in North American darts.

His form also led him to compete playing on the Development Tour and competed at the JDC World Darts Championship. Nicoll has also tasted success across multiple youth tournaments around America, including back-to-back titles at the Cleveland Extravaganza titles in 2018-19, and is a previous winner of the Virginia Beach Classic youth Cricket title.

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Craig Galliano is developing a solid presence on the oche while flying the Gibraltar flag proudly. His journey in the sport started at just two years old when he first held a dart, and he’s been hooked ever since. He’s a regular competitor on the PDC Development Tour and has reached the semi-finals on one occasion and the quarter-finals twice.

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Craig’s big career moment came in 2022 when he won his opening round match on the PDC’s European Tour in the Gibraltar Darts Trophy. He has also represented his country on three occasions at the PDC World Cup of Darts alongside his teammate and fellow Shot Darts Tribe member Justin Hewitt, becoming the youngest pair to win a match at the tournament after winning against the Guyanan team. In 2023, Craig also won the Gibraltar Darts Association National Championship.

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A true Aussie Battler "GG" Mathers got his start in darts back in 1998. Hailing from Bisbane, Gordon was a permanent fixture in the BDO from 2011 to 2020 and in 2021 he moved to the PDC. n 2020 he was a part of the PDC Tour Card UK Qualifying School, and he also attended the PDC Challenge Tour England where he was in the last 16 for the first challenge, last 256 for the second one, in the semi final for the 3rd one and the last 128 for the 4tth one. He won his tour card and played the tour in 2021-2023.

Gordon Mathers is a resilient player, his commitment & focus on growth and success has allowed him to constantly push himself to new heights and never give up.

Justin Hewitt has plenty of experience on the oche, despite having started playing darts at age 14, and his talents have seen him already represent his country, Gibraltar, in multiple events. Hewitt is a regular competitor on the PDC’s development tour, where he has regularly reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals. His best finish was 43rd overall.

In 2023, Hewitt qualified to represent Gibraltar at the World Cup of Darts for the fourth consecutive year. Alongside his teammate and fellow Shot Darts Tribe member Craig Galliano, they became the youngest pair to win a match at the tournament when they beat Guyana.

Jack Male’s journey in darts started at home as he used to watch his dad throw the arrows. By the time Jack turned nine, he was playing the game with his dad regularly. When Jack turned 16, his grandad encouraged him to compete in local competitions, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Jack has been a regular competitor on the PDC’s Development Tour for players under 23 and has reached multiple finals. In 2023 he finished 33rd overall. He has also competed in the PDC World Youth Championship, with his best placing coming in 2021 when he reached the last 16.

In 2023, Jack narrowly missed out on playing in the UK Open after losing in the final of a qualifying event, but his year ended in style after he won a Modus Super Series qualifying event, which will see him make his TV debut in 2024.

Robbie's been a sponsored player with Shot Darts for several years, hailing back to Puma Darts days and counts as part of the family, the tribe. Robbie's parents played darts when he was a child and he earned a spot on their league team when he was 13, joining an adult league in 1996 and he hasn't looked back! Robbie says “I feel a great deal of pride to have an outstanding company believe in me. It makes me want to become an even better player to represent myself and Shot Darts”.

Nicknamed The Robot, the North Carolina based player spends a lot of time giving back to the game and sponsoring youth players in his area and around the USA.

Ky "The Prodigy" Smith first held a dart in his hand at 18 months old and has been playing in earnest since he was 12 years old. Darts runs in the family with his Dad being Australian dart legend and Shot sponsored pro Raymond Smith. He made his William Hill World Darts Championship debut in December 2021 after winning the DPA Oceanic Masters. Ky and his father Ray made history that year for the first father and son duo to compete at the Championship.

Ky's been a Shot Young Gun right through his teenage years and we're stoked to have him on board! We can't wait to see how the younger Smith progresses.

Hailing from the Czech Republic, Barbora Hospodářská is a former European soft tip champion with huge aspirations in the Women's darts game. Growing up in the city of Ceske Budejovice, Barbora used to watch her mum and older sister play soft tip darts, and it wasn't until her sibling won a trophy that she wanted to take the sport more seriously.

I got started playing darts because of my parents! For as long as I can remember, there has been a dartboard set up in our house. I would watch them play until one day I asked, “Can I try?” they said, “absolutely!” and started to teach me. A few months after I first started, I let my mom and dad know that I’d like to try to play in a youth event. I was 10/11 at the time, and I just wanted to play and have fun. I placed 2nd in my age group and thought, “oh, I like this”, and started to play more each day. 5 months later; I won my first NC State Youth (under 13) Championship.

I already had the darting bug but then this playing competitively thing got ahold of me and has not let go since. I love the game of darts, the competition, learning to “play the board”, improving my game each day and seeing how far I can take it.