Playing darts for Ireland at the World Cup is an honour - but it comes at a cost
WHEN you think about darts, South Korea certainly isn't a country that would immediately spring to mind.
Yet such is the reach and ever growing popularity of the game, that all roads will lead to the Asian country this September for the 2025 WDF World Cup.
The choice of this year's host country is all part of a plan to promote darts in regions where it might not have been so popular before.
With China just producing their first ever snooker world champion in Zhao Xintong, how long will it be before Asian players take over on the oche too?
For Ireland's part, our Ladies team are the reigning WDF World Cup champions and they will be in no mood to hand that title up when they rock up in South Korea in September.
Three of the team that won the World Cup in 2023 - Robyn Byrne, Katie Sheldon and Aoife McCormack - will be back for another crack at it and will be joined by Donegal's darting stalwart Denise Cassidy.
Under the expert eye of Galway man, Kevin Devaney, this team will be one to be feared again for sure.
The Men's team isn't half bad either, with Ireland's number one, Offaly's Stephen Rosney, joined by reigning WDF Six Nations Singles champion Gerard McGlynn of Donegal and the Waterford pair of Dean Finn and Paddy Quinn.
Quinn certainly reckons they will have what it takes to compete against the very best in the world, starting with the WDF Six Nations Cup in Wales next month.
Meanwhile the Irish Youths teams will also be strongly represented at the World Cup.
The Boys team will be made up of the WDF Europe Cup winning captain, Aidan O'Hara of Tipperary and Carlow's rising star Jack Courtney.
They will be joined in Korea by the Girls pairing of Zoe Burke and Rachel Ivers, from Laois, who will no doubt pose a threat to all the big teams at the competition.
While the opportunity to represent their country at a World Cup will be a huge honour for all 12 players involved, it does come at a huge cost.
The Irish National Darts Organisation (INDO) will be looking at shelling out the guts of €30,000 to get their teams to South Korea.
As a voluntary organisation, that is going to entail a fair bit of fundraising on their behalf, with an idonate fundraiser now up and running to help with the costs.
To donate, please click on the link below.
https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/RepublicofIrelandWorldCupDartsTeamFundraiser
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