Dean Reyland and his wife run a kiwifruit orchard in Katikati. Photo / Supplied
As Dean Reyland placed his darts on the table and took a sip of water, he looked like a man coming to terms with the fact his quest of qualifying for the New Zealand Darts Masters would fall short at the final hurdle for a second straight year.
All he could do was stand there and watch his good friend Alan Skayman step up to the oche and attempt to hit double 20 in the final of the second qualifying tournament.
But Skayman couldn’t land the knockout blow with six match darts and Reyland pinned double 16 to force a last-leg decider. He then held throw, having three match darts himself before hitting double four to seal his big-stage debut.
The New Zealand Darts Masters features local qualifiers who compete against the best players in the world on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit.
Reyland is the lone new face out of the six Kiwis taking part in the event at Auckland’s Spark Arena on August 15-16, alongside Haupai Puha, Jonny Tata, Ben Robb, Mark Cleaver and John Hurring.
Reyland, who runs a kiwifruit orchard in Katikati, has never been to the Darts Masters as a spectator – he’s only ever watched it from the comfort of his couch in Katikati.
While there was a sense of relief about making the cut, the 56-year-old told the Herald he is feeling “a little apprehensive” about the opportunity to share the stage with one of the best dart players in the world.
“No one wants to get up on stage and make a bit of a muppet of themselves by not playing well,” said Reyland. “If I can just play my game and keep the nerves at bay, then it could be all right.
“I’m really looking forward to it, playing alongside some great players from New Zealand, and the Aussies. It should be a great event.”
They do say in sport, you need a little luck at times and that is exactly what Reyland had having survived eight match darts against Hunter Eyles in the round of 16.
Luck wasn’t on his side in the second qualifying final 12 months earlier when he lost to Daniel Snookes, having blown a 5-2 lead in a race to seven.
Reyland admits it was hard not to remember the agony of that moment while in the trenches against Skayman.
“You could say I choked or maybe got a bit nervy about being on stage,” said Reyland. “I had that moment of ‘do I really want this or not?’
“It was probably a mix of nerves and pressure, but you’ve got to learn to put that behind you.
“That’s what the top pros do. They can move on from missed doubles, bad legs, or off games. That’s the experience we don’t have yet, but you’ve got to find a way to push through.”
While playing on the stage in front of a big crowd and the world watching will be an occasion to relish, Reyland admits this will likely be his only endeavour to the Darts Masters.
That’s because after seven years of playing and travelling New Zealand with his tungsten arrows, Reyland said he was “planning on giving it away at the end of the year”.
“I’ve got other interests, like hunting,” said Reyland. “We’ve got dogs here and when I’m away, my wife’s looking after them, which makes me feel a bit guilty.
“My wife has always been supportive and I’m trying to be realistic. Things like my eyesight aren’t getting any better.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, there are great people in darts and I’ve made some good mates over the years.”
For now, Reyland plans to soak up the days and weeks leading up to the event, and rub shoulders with the best players in the world.
An eclectic mix of PDC pros will be making the trip down, including defending champion Luke Humphries, reigning world champion Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Damon Heta, while Chris Dobey, Josh Rock and Mike de Decker will make their maiden trip to New Zealand.
“I’ve watched these guys for years and to be facing them now, it’s like, ‘Oh heck’”, said Reyland.
“They’re quality players, and it’s going to be hard work. But I’m looking forward to meeting them - guys like Chris Dobey, both the Lukes, Damon Heta - just really talented players I look up to.
“Hopefully, I can keep improving over the next couple of weeks and give the crowd something to cheer about.
“Hopefully, I can do my bit and not embarrass the team.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.