2026 World Series Down Under: Littler, Humphries, and Van Gerwen Out; Ross Smith and Gian van Veen Called Up

Summary:

The 2026 World Series Down Under tour will go ahead without three major headliners. Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Michael van Gerwen will not be traveling to Auckland and Wollongong in August for the events there. Conversely, Ross Smith and Gian van Veen have been selected and will experience this Oceania event for the first time, joining a PDC lineup that also includes Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, James Wade, and Damon Heta.

Van Veen and Smith benefit from a wide-open field

Today’s headline news revolves primarily around the absences. Littler, Humphries, and Van Gerwen were among the names that would naturally have headlined this August tour. Their absence immediately changes the sporting dynamic of this two-event series, as it opens up space at the top of the field and offers other players a rare opportunity to showcase their skills on a highly visible stage.

In this context, the presence of Gian van Veen and Ross Smith takes on real significance. Van Veen continues to establish himself as one of the fastest-rising stars on the PDC circuit. The Dutchman is coming off a solid first half of the season, marked in particular by a World Championship final in January and the Netherlands’ strong campaign in the World Cup of Darts. His style is well-suited to the short-format World Series, where scoring ability and the capacity to get off to a fast start often matter more than stamina over the long haul.

Smith, meanwhile, arrives with a different kind of momentum. The Englishman finally broke his duck on the European Tour with his title at the International Darts Open in May and has also racked up two wins on the Players Championship this season. For him, this first trip Down Under feels like a well-deserved reward, but also a useful test: to prove on the World Series stage that his current momentum can hold up against a more high-profile field.

Why the absences of the stars matter so much

The World Series is more than just an exhibition. It’s also a massive platform for invited players to gain visibility, because each stop combines media attention, a local audience, and matches that are easy for the general public to follow. When three powerhouses like Littler, Humphries, and Van Gerwen are sidelined, the balance of the draw shifts immediately.

From a competitive standpoint, this opens the door for alternative headliners like Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, or Jonny Clayton. But it also changes the narrative of the tournament. Instead of a simple showdown between established superstars, the 2026 tour could become a real testing ground for players looking to establish themselves at the top of the world rankings or solidify their TV profile.

This is particularly true for Van Veen, who has already reached several milestones this year, and Smith, whose consistency on the ProTour now deserves to be more clearly reflected during major televised weekends. Simply put, the absence of the three biggest names makes the tour less predictable and could make it more interesting to follow match by match.

The PDC lineup already confirmed for Auckland and Wollongong

Both events will retain the same core lineup on the PDC side. In addition to Van Veen and Smith, the tour will feature Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, James Wade, Josh Rock, Stephen Bunting, and Damon Heta. Heta will obviously hold a special status on the Australian leg, as he remains the PDC contingent’s top local headliner.

On the other side, the Oceania representatives will be led by Simon Whitlock and Adam Leek, while the rest of the field is yet to be filled by qualifiers from the ADA and DPNZ circuits. This paints a fairly clear picture: established PDC stars, a few rising stars, and a local contingent capable of capitalizing on their home-court advantage to pull off some upsets.