Darts: Going from 20 spectators to a full house

Phil Taylor is coming to New Zealand. Photo / Getty

The Super League Darts will become the first ever domestic darts tournament to be broadcast live on television in New Zealand tomorrow night.

Eight Kiwi darts players will be competing for a pool of $20,000 and tickets have already sold out for finals night on August 1.

The Auckland based event - New Zealand's biggest darts tournament - has formed a new partnership with Sky City, where four nights of arrows will take place in the coming weeks.

There will be two pools of four with each player playing one game per night on July 10, July 17 and July 18.

Two players will qualify from each pool before the finals night and players will earn a bonus point every time they hit three 180s.

The event is the perfect warm up for fans before the best darts players in the world visit New Zealand for the PDC World Series on August 28-30.

The Auckland Darts Masters will feature 16 time world champion Phil "The Power" Taylor, world number one Michael Van Gerwen and current world champion Gary Anderson.

Mick "The Lone Wolf" Lacey is one of the eight competing in the Super League Darts for the very first time and he said excitement levels were crazy right now.

"It's something that hasn't been done before and for New Zealand darts to be showcased on TV is fantastic.

"We're used to playing in clubs with maybe 20 or 30 spectators but to be playing on a stage at Sky City with a few hundred is going to be fantastic.

"It's exciting at this stage, with where it's heading, and with guys like Mark Hudson behind it, it's just going to go through the roof."

Hudson, Super League Darts tournament director, has said he's confident that darts can be one of New Zealand's biggest sports by the end of 2016.

Darts has taken off in the UK in the last decade through marketing campaigns led by promoter Barry Hearn and Sky Sports.

The PDC tour is worth millions and venues sell out across the country for every major event. Darts even had its own Sky Sports channel for the duration of the PDC World Championships at the start of the year.

The atmosphere is themed for fun and excitement with the crowd turning up in an array of whacky fancy dress.

"I think it will be similar to England because of Sky TV and televising every game live," Lacey said. "The majority of the people that are going will have seen it on TV. It will be a party atmosphere.

"We've had some good performances overseas with the likes of Warren Parry, Craig Caldwell and Rob Szabo. They've had some really good performances on TV over the past couple of years and to get them back here is great.

"The numbers have picked up and every person you talk to plays darts somewhere - whether it's in their shed or in a pub or a club."

Meet the players

Peter Hunt
Nickname: "Stumpy"
Walk on music: "You Can't Touch this" by MC Hammer
One of the more experienced Kiwi players who's won multiple NZ titles since 1993

Rob Szabo
Nickname: "The Hurricane"
Walk on music: "Thunderstruck" by ACDC
He took a set off Phil Taylor in the 2013 World Championships

Craig Caldwell
Nickname: "CC"
Walk on music: "Sandstorm" by Darude
Represented NZ at the 2013 World Cup

Jonathan Silcock
Nickname: "Jono"
Walk on music: "TNT" by ACDC
Narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2014 World Championships

Warren Parry
Nickname: "Waza"
Walk on music: ""Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors"
He beat world number one Michael Van Gerwen last on TV in Sydney

Mark McGrath
Nickname: "Cowboy"
Walk on music: "The Game" by MotorHead"
He was New Zealand's only representative at the 2015 World Championships

Cody Harris
Nickname: "Codesta"
Walk on music: "Good feeling" by Flo Rida
NZ Open singles winner in 2014

Mick Lacey
Nickname: "The Lone Wolf"
Walk on music: "Hungry like the wolf" by Duran Duran
His first appearance in the Super League after returning to the game a year and a half ago.