Retired autoworker (Gentleman) Jim Long loving life on the professional darts tour
(Gentleman) Jim Long has been a man in motion since winning his Professional Darts Corporation tour card in January.
The retired autoworker from London, Ont., headed to Europe with wife Rhonda on Feb. 6 to compete. The initial plan was to come home March 3 but he had to delay their return after qualifying for a European tour event scheduled for March 7 in Belgium.
They didn't get home until March 28.
'I couldn't tell you how many trains I took,' Long said of the trip that took them to England, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Long, 57, returned to Europe seven days after coming home. This time he went solo since Rhonda, his partner since 1989 and mother of their three kids, couldn't face another transatlantic trip so soon. He spent three weeks on tour by himself.
There was one more five-day trip to Europe before Long, Rhonda and son Zach left for Germany on Monday for the 2025 BetVictor World Cup of Darts, which runs through Sunday in Frankfurt.
Long and Hamilton's Matt (Ginjaninja) Campbell, who earned his tour card in 2022, lost their opening match 4-1 to Malaysia's Tengku Shah and Tan Jenn Ming on Thursday.
Tenth-seeded Canada continues Group F play Friday against Denmark at the Eissporthalle Frankfurt, home of the Löwen Frankfurt hockey team.
Forty countries are competing with the top four seeds — defending champion England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — given a bye to the second round where they will be joined by the 12 group winners.
The tournament offers 450,000 pounds ($832,900) in prize money, ranging from 4,000 pounds ($7,405) for the team that finishes last in its opening-round group to 80,000 pounds ($148,075) for the winning duo.
It's Long's second trip to the World Cup of Darts. He competed with Dawson Murschell in 2019, making the quarterfinals in Hamburg after upsetting fifth-seeded Australia.
Long and Campbell are good friends. Before Campbell, a former welder, turned pro, he and Long would meet up twice a month 'to sharpen each other up and play.'
Long is loving life on tour, although the travel, jet lag and logistics have proved challenging.
'I'm having the best time. Fun doesn't quite cover it even,' he said in an interview. 'The travel is exhausting … But the excitement of playing and walking into the venue with 127 other professional darts players, the guys that I watched on TV and I continue to watch on TV now, it's still exhilarating for me.
'The guys are friendly. You'd be surprised, the top guys, they're just friendly and they'll talk to you just like you're one of the group.'
World No. 14 Peter (Snakebite) Wright, a two-time world champion known for his colourful Mohawk, had him stay over during one of his trips.
'When I get home I'm usually thinking when do I get to go back?' said Long.
He calls it the 'perfect retirement plan.'
Long's goal is to enjoy the experience — and hopefully break even on his travels.
'I found that so far I'm not playing as good as I'd like but I'm winning matches … I've done OK money-wise,' he said. 'The first trip over I lost money, of course, but the next two I've actually made some money which has been kind of nice.'
His best result so far was reaching the final 16 at an event in Germany before losing to No. 34 Brendan (The History-Maker) Dolan.
Long, who has won his first-matches about half the time, acknowledges he has been putting pressure on himself to do well.
'I just want to show I belong,' he said.
Long demonstrated that at Q-School where more 870 entries competed for 29 tour cards. He became the seventh Canadian to earn one, following Campbell, Murschell, John Part, Jeff Smith, John Norman Jr., and Ken MacNeil.
The tour card lasts for two years and earns him admission to 50-plus events in a year.
Long said the first thing he did when he got the competition schedule was to take down his fridge calendar to start planning his itinerary.
'It's a little overwhelming to be honest,' said Long, who does his own travel arrangements.
Competitors who finish in the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit get to retain their tour card after the initial two-year period. Long is currently ranked 108th while Campbell is No. 53.
Long worked for General Motors from 1990 to 2020, working on the Chevrolet Equinox. He was a team leader on the assembly line for 18 years before finishing his career there in the paint shop.
He got into darts after high school. He used to play pool at a local tavern in Wardsville after work and was invited to play darts one day when they were a man short.
Long has twice competed at the PDC World Darts Championship.
In 2018, he upset Northern Ireland's Mickey (The Clonoe Cyclone) Mansell in the first round before falling to Dutch pro Benito van de Pas, the 30th seed.
Long, listed as a 2,500/1 longshot in the 96-player field at London's Alexandra Palace, earned 25,000 pounds ($46,285) as a second-round loser, more than enough to cover his expenses. He lost to England's James (Hillbilly) Hurrell in the first round in December 2024.
After he competed at Alexandra Palace the first time, he got a Facebook friend request from a 12-year-old Luke Littler. Now 18, Littler is ranked second on the PFC Order of Merit and won the PDC World Championship in January.
Long didn't have to wait long to face Littler, whose nickname is The Nuke. The two were paired up in the first outing of Long's first competition after winning his tour card.
Long was up 3-0 and 4-2 but eventually lost 6-4 to the teenage sensation who recorded three straight 100-plus checkouts en route to the win.
—-
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Retired autoworker (Gentleman) Jim Long loving life on the professional darts tour
(Gentleman) Jim Long has been a man in motion since winning his Professional Darts Corporation tour card in January. The retired autoworker from London, Ont., headed to Europe with wife Rhonda on Feb. 6 to compete. The initial plan was to come home March 3 but he had to delay their return after qualifying for a European tour event scheduled for March 7 in Belgium. They didn't get home until March 28. 'I couldn't tell you how many trains I took,' Long said of the trip that took them to England, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Long, 57, returned to Europe seven days after coming home. This time he went solo since Rhonda, his partner since 1989 and mother of their three kids, couldn't face another transatlantic trip so soon. He spent three weeks on tour by himself. There was one more five-day trip to Europe before Long, Rhonda and son Zach left for Germany on Monday for the 2025 BetVictor World Cup of Darts, which runs through Sunday in Frankfurt. Long and Hamilton's Matt (Ginjaninja) Campbell, who earned his tour card in 2022, lost their opening match 4-1 to Malaysia's Tengku Shah and Tan Jenn Ming on Thursday. Tenth-seeded Canada continues Group F play Friday against Denmark at the Eissporthalle Frankfurt, home of the Löwen Frankfurt hockey team. Forty countries are competing with the top four seeds — defending champion England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — given a bye to the second round where they will be joined by the 12 group winners. The tournament offers 450,000 pounds ($832,900) in prize money, ranging from 4,000 pounds ($7,405) for the team that finishes last in its opening-round group to 80,000 pounds ($148,075) for the winning duo. It's Long's second trip to the World Cup of Darts. He competed with Dawson Murschell in 2019, making the quarterfinals in Hamburg after upsetting fifth-seeded Australia. Long and Campbell are good friends. Before Campbell, a former welder, turned pro, he and Long would meet up twice a month 'to sharpen each other up and play.' Long is loving life on tour, although the travel, jet lag and logistics have proved challenging. 'I'm having the best time. Fun doesn't quite cover it even,' he said in an interview. 'The travel is exhausting … But the excitement of playing and walking into the venue with 127 other professional darts players, the guys that I watched on TV and I continue to watch on TV now, it's still exhilarating for me. 'The guys are friendly. You'd be surprised, the top guys, they're just friendly and they'll talk to you just like you're one of the group.' World No. 14 Peter (Snakebite) Wright, a two-time world champion known for his colourful Mohawk, had him stay over during one of his trips. 'When I get home I'm usually thinking when do I get to go back?' said Long. He calls it the 'perfect retirement plan.' Long's goal is to enjoy the experience — and hopefully break even on his travels. 'I found that so far I'm not playing as good as I'd like but I'm winning matches … I've done OK money-wise,' he said. 'The first trip over I lost money, of course, but the next two I've actually made some money which has been kind of nice.' His best result so far was reaching the final 16 at an event in Germany before losing to No. 34 Brendan (The History-Maker) Dolan. Long, who has won his first-matches about half the time, acknowledges he has been putting pressure on himself to do well. 'I just want to show I belong,' he said. Long demonstrated that at Q-School where more 870 entries competed for 29 tour cards. He became the seventh Canadian to earn one, following Campbell, Murschell, John Part, Jeff Smith, John Norman Jr., and Ken MacNeil. The tour card lasts for two years and earns him admission to 50-plus events in a year. Long said the first thing he did when he got the competition schedule was to take down his fridge calendar to start planning his itinerary. 'It's a little overwhelming to be honest,' said Long, who does his own travel arrangements. Competitors who finish in the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit get to retain their tour card after the initial two-year period. Long is currently ranked 108th while Campbell is No. 53. Long worked for General Motors from 1990 to 2020, working on the Chevrolet Equinox. He was a team leader on the assembly line for 18 years before finishing his career there in the paint shop. He got into darts after high school. He used to play pool at a local tavern in Wardsville after work and was invited to play darts one day when they were a man short. Long has twice competed at the PDC World Darts Championship. In 2018, he upset Northern Ireland's Mickey (The Clonoe Cyclone) Mansell in the first round before falling to Dutch pro Benito van de Pas, the 30th seed. Long, listed as a 2,500/1 longshot in the 96-player field at London's Alexandra Palace, earned 25,000 pounds ($46,285) as a second-round loser, more than enough to cover his expenses. He lost to England's James (Hillbilly) Hurrell in the first round in December 2024. After he competed at Alexandra Palace the first time, he got a Facebook friend request from a 12-year-old Luke Littler. Now 18, Littler is ranked second on the PFC Order of Merit and won the PDC World Championship in January. Long didn't have to wait long to face Littler, whose nickname is The Nuke. The two were paired up in the first outing of Long's first competition after winning his tour card. Long was up 3-0 and 4-2 but eventually lost 6-4 to the teenage sensation who recorded three straight 100-plus checkouts en route to the win. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
Tatler Asia
03-06-2025
- Tatler Asia
Hyrox racing: The brutal, beautiful fitness race that's taking over the world (and Asia's elite gyms)
Hyrox racing in Asia Once dominated by European and North American cities, the Hyrox circuit now counts Asia among its fastest-growing territories. Manila The Philippine capital has emerged as a rising Hyrox hub. , with Hyrox Philippines holding its first competition in May 2024, with another set for October 2025. Singapore Always ahead of the curve, Singapore embraced Hyrox with unofficial races at studios like Field Assembly and Fitness Bravo. The first official Hyrox Singapore event took place in October 2023; another is scheduled for September 2025. For time-conscious Singaporeans, the sport's precision and structure are a perfect match—plus, there's a smoothie bar waiting at the finish line. Bangkok Bangkok's fitness scene is led by Base, where Hyrox-style group classes are taught under neon lights and thumping music. It's nightlife meets high-intensity interval training. Hyrox Thailand hosted its first official race in January 2024, with another slated for January 2025. See more: The most stylish fitness studios in Singapore for yoga, pole dance and spin classes in gorgeous interiors Why are people Hyrox-hooked? Hyrox scratches a uniquely modern itch: the urge to quantify progress. With its global format, athletes can compare times across cities and continents. It's competitive, but also communal—bonded by shared effort and mutual respect. At training studios across Southeast Asia, Hyrox athletes defy stereotype. Gen Z beginners, busy professionals, and 40-something parents all share the same arena. Athleisure ranges from local labels like Thailand's V Activewear and the Philippines' Recess, to familiar names like Lululemon and Garmin. Hydration is now high fashion—electrolyte packets have replaced green juice—and race talk flows from paces and splits to weekend getaways in Seoul or Sydney. Hyrox is more than a fitness trend. It's becoming a lifestyle, much like running or cycling. Hyrox pros and cons Let's start with the good. HYROX racing is gloriously quantifiable. Every second counts, making progress feel tangible. For data-driven types, this is fitness you can track, chart and flex about. The event also cultivates a unique camaraderie: you're racing with and against others, bonded by the shared grind. Add to that functional movements that build real-world strength—think sled pushes and sandbag carries—and it's more than a workout; it's athleticism with purpose. You get to travel There's also the wanderlust factor. With races held everywhere from Dubai to Seoul, HYROX racing is becoming the global athlete's playground—a circuit where you can train hard and travel harder. High intensity But it's not for the faint of heart. The format is intense, and the risk of injury is real, especially without good form or guidance. Sled pulls and burpee broad jumps aren't forgiving. Then there's the cost: races typically run US$85 to US$110, plus travel, gear and gym memberships—fitness at a first-class price. And while leaderboards can motivate, they can also tip into obsession. For some, it's less about health and more about hustle. In that case, what started as wellness can quickly become another source of stress. What experts say While long-term studies on Hyrox specifically remain limited, sports scientists are intrigued. A 2023 review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests hybrid races like Hyrox 'bridge a unique physiological gap' between strength and endurance disciplines, potentially reducing cardiovascular disease risks when scaled appropriately. Experts caution that the intensity can overtax the body, especially for recreational athletes. Recovery and coaching remain key. But with the proper guardrails in place, Hyrox remains a viable and attractive alternative to traditional workouts. In an era of filtered wellness, Hyrox stands out as something real—a challenge you can feel, measure and conquer, one rep at a time.
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
Alex Mitchell must raise tempo against Leinster to earn Lions spot
Not many people outside Northampton expect the Saints to do anything other than succumb to the might of Leinster next Saturday. An away semi-final in Dublin — where Leinster have not conceded a point in their past 2½ European fixtures — represents the most lopsided of challenges. Northampton are the English club champions. As for Leinster, they are a team of immense international credentials. They are the essence of Ireland's Test side, with a couple of world-class additions in the shape of Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman, designed to get them over the line in Europe. This elite squad is an international side masquerading under the name of a province. In contrast, Northampton have found some form too late to make a successful defence of
