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.
| Note | Details |
|---|---|
| Competition | World Series of Darts |
| Event 1 | SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters, Spark Arena, Auckland, August 14–15, 2026 |
| Event 2 | KenoGO Australian Darts Masters, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, August 21–22, 2026 |
| Format | 16 players per stage: 8 PDC representatives and 8 Oceania representatives |
| New faces | Gian van Veen and Ross Smith |
August 3 update: Auckland is now the next key marker
The next concrete stop is now the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters. The tournament will be played on August 14 and 15 at Spark Arena in Auckland, before the tour moves on to Wollongong one week later. From our point of view, this is the right moment to sharpen the page: the PDC line-up was already known, but the immediate focus now moves to the New Zealand field, the draw and the order of play.
On the PDC side, the hierarchy remains the same: Gian van Veen is one of the most exposed names on the trip, alongside Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, James Wade, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Ross Smith and Damon Heta. The absence of Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen does not make the event minor. It mainly changes the shape of the field: several players now have a real chance to make a statement before the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
The Oceania block also gives Auckland a more local edge. The PDC had already highlighted Ben Robb and Jonny Tata in its official announcement on the New Zealand field, while DartsNews notes that Simon Whitlock and Adam Leek are among the names to watch across the Down Under swing. The draw has not been officially confirmed at the time of this update, but it is expected in the days before the opening night, likely around August 12 based on the usual timing for this type of World Series event.
| Point to watch | Status on August 3 |
|---|---|
| Next tournament | New Zealand Darts Masters, August 14-15, 2026 in Auckland |
| PDC headliners | Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, James Wade, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Ross Smith, Damon Heta |
| Major absentees | Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen |
| Draw | Not officially confirmed yet, to be watched during the week of August 10 |
Sources: the PDC announcement on the Auckland Oceania field and DartsNews' August 3 New Zealand Darts Masters update.
July 20 update: Cuming replaces Penhall in Wollongong
The PDC confirmed on Monday that Mal Cuming has been added to the 2026 KenoGO Australian Darts Masters. He replaces Darren Penhall, who has withdrawn with a shoulder injury and is due to undergo surgery in the coming weeks. Cuming takes the spot as the next highest-ranked available player from the Australian Darts Association circuit.
It is not a complete reshaping of the field, but it is a useful correction before Wollongong: the local line-up is now complete and Australia keeps seven representatives alongside New Zealand's Ben Robb. The PDC confirmed the full field in its official Australian Darts Masters announcement.
| Group | Players confirmed for Wollongong |
|---|---|
| PDC representatives | Gian van Veen, Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Josh Rock, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Ross Smith, Damon Heta |
| Oceanic representatives | Adam Leek, Simon Whitlock, Raymond Smith, Brody Klinge, Tim Pusey, Joe Comito, Mal Cuming, Ben Robb |
Put simply: the Australian stop has not changed status, but it is now clearer. With Cuming in and Penhall forced out, Wollongong can be read as a genuine test for the local players against a PDC group missing Littler, Humphries and Van Gerwen, but still carrying plenty of weight.
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 Wollongong Oceania contingent is now confirmed: Simon Whitlock, Adam Leek, Raymond Smith, Brody Klinge, Tim Pusey, Joe Comito, Mal Cuming and Ben Robb. This paints a fairly clear picture: established PDC stars, a few rising stars, and a local contingent capable of capitalising on home conditions to pull off some upsets.
