By Daire Lydon
There are few things more chaotic, festive, and gripping than the World Darts Championship which takes place over Christmas. What was once a pub game played by lads in their local has become one of the most-watched sporting events on British and Irish television, and undoubtedly the ultimate “surprise hit” of the festive season.
Every year, as families lounge around in post-Christmas dinner food comas, the darts becomes a national obsession. People who haven’t touched a dart since school are suddenly glued to their screens, roaring at 180s like it’s a World Cup final despite knowing effectively nothing about the sport. There’s something inexplicably electric about the whole event: the music, the costumes, the pageantry. It’s equal parts sport and pantomime.
And the 2025 Championship didn’t disappoint.
Darts Doing Good
This year, Paddy Power launched The Bigger 180 campaign during which they donated £1,000 for every 180 scored during the tournament to Prostate Cancer UK. A staggering 907 maximum scores were hit, raising £907,000. On top of that, every nine-dart finish (the darts equivalent of a perfect game) earned a £60,000 bonus.
The ambassador for the campaign was Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. His words struck a chord. He said “the huge sum being donated will make a big difference to the lives of thousands”.
In the end, over £1 million (€1.2 million) was raised for charity proof that darts isn’t just entertainment, it’s making a real-world impact.
From Ally Pally to the UCD Clubhouse
Closer to home, the darts hype has landed on the Belfield campus. UCD Darts Society, launched in 2025, is already the university’s fastest-growing society. Regular darts nights at the UCD Clubhouse bring the party atmosphere to campus. Having attended one of their events myself it was nothing short of incredible. The society brought the glitz and glamour of Ally Pally to the UCD student centre with incredible attention to detail including walkout songs for all players and a zoomed in camera on the board projecting onto a big screen.
What used to be a casual game in a smoky back room has turned into a full blown cultural event. And in UCD? It’s arguably becoming the new go-to party sport.
The Ultimate Party Game (That Your Dad Also Watches)
Darts manages to be both ironic and sincerely enjoyable. It’s competitive and it has somehow crossed generational lines. Whether you’re 19 or 59 the World Darts Championship has earned its place in the Christmas calendar.
From charity to cult status to clubhouse antics, darts has come a long way and it’s only getting bigger.