Darts misses bullseye with Irish people as survey on sport's appeal produces damning verdict

The Irish Sun

24-04-2025

MORE than half of Irish people don't consider darts to be a sport, shock research has revealed.
A poll of 1,000 adults from the Republic of Ireland found 53 per cent believe it doesn't qualify for this form of entertainment, with 22 per cent saying it's because it lacks physical exertion and 19 per cent associating it more with leisure than a competition.
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The exploits of teen phenom Luke Littler haven't won everyone over
Credit: Getty
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BBC TV presenter Bobby Seagull quizzed punters on the street over its sporting merits
Credit: @bobby_seagull
And 36 per cent see it as "just a game", with 21 per cent opposing it being included in the Olympic Games.
More than three in 10 or 31 per cent went as far as to say they believe it's "controversial" to consider it a sport – alongside 61 per cent who thought the same of poker (61 per cent) and 49 per cent agreeing regarding chess.
The study, commissioned by
But TV presenter and darts enthusiast Bobby Seagull has revealed why it should and does qualify as a sport.
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According to Bobby, it's a mistake for anyone to underestimate it as darts shares many of the same core elements that define high-level competition.
And while darts players may not look like your typical elite athlete - like a footballer or swimmer - they have unbelievable concentration, a fierce dedication to fine-tune their technique, and a command of mental maths that would blow away all but the sharpest minds.
Bobby, who has partnered with Lottoland the online betting company to celebrate the launch of its
'It made me realise something important: while darts may still carry the image of being a casual pub game, that perception overlooks the sheer level of commitment required to reach the top.'
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The research also found 83 per cent have dabbled in the sport, but only four per cent consider their ability to be "excellent".
While 46 per cent believe they are 'average' and 10 per cent aren't afraid of admitting they are 'terrible'.
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Of those who play regularly, 32 per cent want to work on their throwing technique, while 29 per cent know their accuracy needs to improve.
And encouragingly, to align with the expert's way of thinking, 66 per cent do believe it requires as much mental focus as physical sports, according to the OnePoll stats.
The spokesperson for
'It has been racking up some unexpected fans since
'Even though so many still don't consider darts a proper sport, it's interesting to see how the nation lacks the skills that professional players have.
'It's incredibly hard to be accurate and consistent on a darts board, so it's reassuring that even though many people don't think it's a sport, it still has the mental focus needed for more of a physical sport, like football.'