Watch: Josh Rock takes the plunge from Auckland’s Sky Tower before dominant opening win at New Zealand Darts Masters 2025

Josh Rock’s 2025 New Zealand Darts Masters campaign began with a leap of faith — quite literally — as the recently crowned World Cup of Darts champion took on the famous Sky Jump from Auckland’s Sky Tower before throwing a dart in competition.

The Sky Tower stands 192 metres tall and offers thrill-seekers the chance to step off its edge in a controlled free fall at speeds of up to 85 km/h. Rock’s jump was captured on video, with the 24 year old Northern Irishman plunging towards the ground against the backdrop of the Auckland skyline in full harness and safety gear — a very different kind of adrenaline rush from the one he’s used to up on the oche.

Once the action got underway on the World Series of Darts stage this Friday, Rock opened his tournament with a commanding 6–2 victory over local thrower John Hurring, averaging 99.87 in the process. He continued his strong form from recent months and raced into a 4–0 lead, even threatening to hit a nine-darter in the fourth leg with seven perfect darts before having to settle for finishing on double 10 for a 15-darter.

Hurring, who averaged 85.77 himself, managed to pull two legs back, but Rock’s scoring power proved too much. He fired in 8 scores of 100+, 9 of 140+, and 3 maximums, closing the match with a 61 checkout on tops.

The win sets Rock up strongly for the rest of the event — but the standout moment for the up and coming talent in Auckland this week, may well have come before the darts even began, with his Sky Tower jump sure to be a memory Rock takes home with him from his trip Down Under.

See the daring jump for yourself in the video down below!