The highlight of the day for the WDF is this first glimpse of the race for the 2026 WDF World Championship. Following the New Zealand Open, Mark Cleaver and Nicole Regnaud have officially joined the list of provisional qualifiers, whilst the federation still has 76 places to allocate between now and the end of the season.
To put it another way: the Lakeside line-up is starting to take shape, but it remains very much up for grabs. The WDF has published its official standings as at 12 July 2026, with the list set to change every week until 2 November. For players competing on the regional circuits, the upcoming tournaments are therefore not merely dates on a calendar. They carry direct weight in the race for the World Championship.
Cleaver and Regnaud make the cut for the 2026 WDF World Championship
The latest update comes from the New Zealand Open, a Gold-ranked event. In the men’s draw, Mark Cleaver has secured his place at the 2026 WDF World Championship. In the women’s draw, Nicole Regnaud has done the same. Their qualification places them alongside the players who have already secured their places, notably David Davies, Jason Brandon, Paul Krohne, Jack Drayton, Mitchell Lawrie, Jeff Smith, Ryusei Azemoto, Rhian O’Sullivan, Deta Hedman, Priscilla Steenbergen, Gemma Hayter and Mayumi Ouchi.
This is not yet a definitive list. That is precisely what makes this so interesting: the WDF provides a clear framework, but the qualification process remains very much alive. Regional rankings, the winners of Gold and Platinum tournaments, the World Masters and the final qualifying tournaments will further shift the balance.
A race that remains wide open across all four draws
The structure published by the WDF confirms a division into draws: open, women’s, juniors and girls’. The open draw remains the most competitive, with places allocated via the Race rankings, regional circuits, winners of major events and last-chance qualifiers. In the women’s draw, the same principle applies, with significant weight given to the winners of major tournaments and regional rankings.
| Official update | Provisional list as at 12 July 2026 |
| Places still to be allocated | 76 according to the WDF |
| Latest qualifiers | Mark Cleaver and Nicole Regnaud |
| Next key update | World Masters week, 14–19 July |
In the open draw, the provisional top seeds include Mitchell Lawrie, Jenson Walker, Paul Krohne, Corne Groeneveld, Neil Duff, Moreno Blom, James Beeton, Daniel Zapata, Jarno Bottenberg, Alex Spellman, Alex Williams, Leonard Gates, Andras Borbely, Jeff Smith, Jason Brandon and Raymond Smith, who have qualified via the top of the Race rankings or regional circuit events.
In the women’s draw, Deta Hedman remains a central figure on this initial list, with an already impressive track record: the 2025 World Championship title, the 2026 Las Vegas Open, the 2026 Denmark Open and the 2026 Toronto Area Open. Paula Jacklin, Rhian O’Sullivan, Aileen de Graaf, Irina Armstrong, Nicole Regnaud, Kirsi Viinikainen and Priscilla Steenbergen also feature in the top eight places in the women’s race.
Why the World Masters week matters already
The next round is coming up fast. The WDF has announced that the next ranking events will take place from 14 to 19 July, during World Masters week. The programme is set to include the Silver-ranked World Open, the first World Championship qualifiers, and the Platinum-ranked main event.
For us, this is the real one to watch. This run of events could see several names move into the qualified column, but it could also undermine players who are well-placed in the Race rankings. At this stage of the season, a good week can almost secure a place. A poor week, on the other hand, could reopen the door to the chasing pack.
A provisional list, but already a sign of things to come for Lakeside
The 2026 WDF World Championship does not yet have its final line-up. However, the race is now clear: the players who have already qualified have a solid foundation, the remaining places have been identified, and the calendar offers several immediate opportunities to shake up the list.
The WDF states that this document will be updated weekly until the end of the season, set for 2 November. It is therefore something to keep an eye on over the long term, not just a one-off announcement. The key takeaway today is simple: Lakeside 2026 is effectively underway, even though the majority of the field has yet to be finalised.
Main source: official WDF statement.
