Field of invitees complete for World Seniors Darts Championship

The field of invited players for the 2022 World Seniors Championship has been confirmed, with 22 darts legends to be joined by a further two qualifiers.

The inaugural World Seniors Championship is open to any player over the age of 50 and is expected to take place in February 2022.

The tournament is a joint venture between MODUS Sports and Jason Francis, who transformed his Snooker Legends exhibition tour into a global circuit which is now ratified by the sport’s governing body.

The World Seniors Championship is set to incorporate a top prize of £25,000 – exceeding that of the last BDO World Championship.

The 24-player field will be comprised of 15 former World Champions from both PDC and BDO codes, plus a further seven invited players.

Two further places will be available in a qualifying event which is set to take place later this year, though contractual ties mean current PDC Tour Card holders are ineligible.

The field is headed by 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor, who was the first player to be confirmed last month.

At 75, three-time World Champion John Lowe is set to be the oldest player in the line-up, ahead of 73-year-old Bob Anderson and 70-year-old Dennis Priestley.

Wayne Warren, the 2020 BDO World Champion and current MAD World Champion, will also be in action, alongside 1995 Lakeside Champion Richie Burnett and 2004 champion Andy Fordham.

Keith Deller, the 1983 World Champion, will also feature, having also won the League of Legends event back in 2009.

Ten-time Women’s World Champion Trina Gulliver MBE will make her return to competitive action, alongside two-time BDO World Champion Ted Hankey and 1997 champion Les Wallace.

John Part is one of three former PDC World Champions in action, while Australia’s Tony David is also set to compete, having won the BDO world title in 2002.

Three-time BDO World Champion Martin Adams and 2001 champion John Walton also accepted their invitations.

Former PDC world finalists Kevin Painter and Peter Manley are among the seven wildcards, as well as crowd favourites Tony O’Shea and Terry Jenkins.

Multiple major winner Robert Thornton, who dropped off the PDC circuit at the end of last season, also features alongside former UK Open champion Roland Scholten and Singapore legend Paul Lim.

Two-time world finalist Bobby George and 2009 Women’s World Champion Francis Hoenselaar have both accepted ambassadorial roles.

The venue is set to be confirmed on Monday May 17, and Live Darts understands The Circus Tavern is the preferred option, with Lakeside talks having stalled.

Organisers remain in advanced talks over television coverage, while the format and ticket news will be confirmed in due course.

BET £5 AND GET £20 IN FREE DARTS BETS WHEN YOU REGISTER HERE (18+)

World Seniors Championship 2022 Invited Players

Phil Taylor
Keith Deller
Bob Anderson
Martin Adams
John Walton
Wayne Warren
John Lowe
Ted Hankey
Dennis Priestley
Andy Fordham
Richie Burnett
John Part
Les Wallace
Tony David
Trina Gulliver
Kevin Painter
Tony O’Shea
Terry Jenkins
Peter Manley
Robert Thornton
Roland Scholten
Paul Lim

Plus a further two qualifiers