DRAW New Zealand Darts Masters 2025: Defending champion Luke Humphries opens with tough Haupai Puha test

The draw has been completed for the New Zealand Darts Masters which is due to take place between Friday 15 August - Saturday 16 August at the Spark Arena in Auckland and sees Luke Humphries as defending champion.

It is the second leg of the PDC's Oceanic tour with the Australian Darts Masters seeing Luke Littler crowned as champion last week. Humphries opens up with a tough test as he faces off against the only Tour Card holder in the Oceanic field in Haupai Puha who will return home. 'Hopes' pushed Luke Littler to the limits last week and nearly sealed a win which was the scare for 'The Nuke' in this past tournament.

Littler faces off against Puha's World Cup of Darts partner Mark Cleaver in another stand-out tie as he aims to win back-to-back titles Down Under. Top seed is Stephen Bunting as he aims to regain another World Series crown after a successful year in these tournaments heading towards Amsterdam. He has been pitted against Ben Robb who is a five-time World Championship qualifier.

'Big Rig' has always shown promise but never quite fully delivered so he will hope to do so this time around when he faces off against 'The Bullet'. The St Helens ace has won in Bahrain and at the Nordic Darts Masters this year. Chris Dobey also returns with the World Number Seven set to take on Simon Whitlock who will return all month during the Australian Premier League in October. Darting action will hit arenas all over the country with the winner taking a World Championship spot and he will hope to show something for the fans in Auckland against 'Hollywood'.

As will second seed Gerwyn Price albeit he will also face a tough test as he returns after losing his Australian Darts Masters crown. He faces off against former NZ Darts Masters Quarter-Finalist Jonny Tata who came close to seeing off Luke Humphries last week. Mike de Decker had a successful debut Down Under. He also got a Maori tattoo done to mark his stint and will aim to end it in style. He faces off against former Tour Card holder, 'GG' Gordon Mathers who qualified for this tournament and is one of a few who did not play in Wollongong.

Josh Rock will also aim to end it in some style when he takes on DPNZ Qualifier John Hurring, while Damon Heta who rocked the green and gold of Australia averaged 109 early on last week so is in form before losing in the Quarter-Finals. He faces off against a big stage debutant in Dean Reyland. Heta made his mark by winning the Brisbane Darts Masters as one of the Oceanic representatives but can any find their way to a similar win?

First round takes place on Friday from around 7am BST. The Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals take place on Saturday. The opening games follow a best of eleven legs format. While the semi-finals go up to best of thirteen legs. The final is best of fifteen legs. The winner will receive £30,000. It is also the final event before the World Series of Darts Finals which are due to take place in Amsterdam later this year with the line-up confirmed based off the Order of Merit as well as further qualifiers.

Michael van Gerwen won the first staging of the New Zealand Darts Masters in 2019 defeating Raymond van Barneveld 8-1. Gerwyn Price won the next airing in 2022 defeating Jonny Clayton 8-4, while Rob Cross saw off Nathan Aspinall 8-7 in 2023. Luke Humphries triumphed over Damon Heta last year scooping the title in an 8-2 win over the Aussie ace.

Draw NZ Darts Masters

2025 SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters

August 15–16, Spark Arena, Auckland

Draw Bracket