The NZ Darts Council have just held their Junior/ Youth NZ Championships at Hastings. Te Awamutu Sports Darts had 3 Youth players compete, Chris Roberts and brother Josh for these boys is the 2nd year at Nationals and Sharyn Wilkinson 1st time also 1st year of playing darts, they all excelled in every event they competed in.
The results are as follows.
Mixed Pairs = Josh and Sharyn last 8
Youth Boys Pairs = Chris and Josh 3rd equal
Youth Girls Pairs Consolation = Sharyn and K Fishwick 3rd equal
Youth Girls Singles Consolation = Sharyn last 8
Youth Boys Singles = Chris last 16
Youth Boys Singles = Josh Winner
It is apparently the 1st time that a player whom Won the Juniors the year before then moved up to Youth the following year has Won the 2 titles in consecutive years.

Our players also made the Tournament Teams
Sharyn was in the Green Team which lost to the Red 11 - 13
Chris was in the Green Team which beat the Red 13 - 11 Josh was in this Red Team.
Te Awamutu Sports Darts Club are so proud of the 3 of them, well done you 3.

The NZ Darts Council Senior Champs are in Palmerston North this year from August 3rd / 8th August. We have 3 ladies and 3 men who made the King Country/ Waikato Men's and Ladies Region Team for these Championships.

The fact that the bottom of an empty wine barrel was used is a clue to how the game developed into a pastime. It is thought that the soldiers took their shortened arrows with them to the local drinking establishment to both exhibit their skill and have fun at the same time. When the bottoms of wine barrels proved to be inconvenient or in short supply, some inventive dart thrower brought in a cross-section of a moderate sized tree.
The "board" provided rings, and when it dried out, the cracks provided further segmentation. This cracked and dried board began to evolve into what we think of as the current dart board

A game as fun as darts, could not be hidden from the upper classes and they soon put their own stamp on the game. Henry VIII was reputed to enjoy the game immensely. So much so, that he was given a beautifully ornate set by Anne Boleyn.
Like much of American History, the roots of darts in America can be traced to the Pilgrims. These hardy colonizers were reputed to have played the game on the Mayflower as it made its ocean crossing. It was then played avidly in America whenever leisure time was available.
However, darts remained largely an Anglo-American sport until the Victorian age when it was spread world-wide by the great expansion of the British Empire. It seems that the "sun never set on the British Empire". At the same time, there was never a time when a dart was not in the air. Many native populations were exposed to the game and found enjoyment in it.

Around 1900 the rules and darts began to settle into what they are today. Yet according to Christopher G. Carey, author of American Darts Organization Book of Darts, "The international throwing line of 7 ft. 9 1/4 inches was established in the 1970s to make it standard for international competitions; depending on the country (or at times, even the venue), the throwing line was anywhere from 7 ft 6 in. to 8 ft. Also, throughout the early part of the 20th century, there were many different types of dartboards until the 'clock' board became the standard...It really wasn't until after WWII that many of the rules of darts became standardized." Now people all around the world can enjoy the sport of darts in international competitions, in leagues, or in private parties and all be on an equal footing.
So the next time you put your toe to the line and raise a dart to the board, remember that there is a rich history behind this engrossing sport.