The 22nd edition of the WDF World Cup was held in Cluj-Napoca in Romania. The Grand Hotel Italia is the venue from 7 to 12 October. All participant numbers records are broken. No less than 52 teams in the men’s competition, 46 ladies’ teams and 19 countries also sent their youth to Romania.
It will be a WDF World Cup without any incident which runs like clockwork and that is an incredible compliment to the organizing country that is itself relatively very small as a darts nation. No fewer than six new countries make their debut in Romania. Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine are included for the first time.
For the first time in history, the tournament gets a New Zealand winner. Darren Herewini beats Peter Machin from Australia in the final. On his way to the final, Herewini beats Richard Edwards, Leon Mertuk, Gary Elliot, Mindaugas Barauskas, Chris Landman, Mitchell Clegg and Martijn Kleermaker.
Machin also plays a strong tournament and beats Daniel Day, Johan Engström and Nick Kenny, among others. This year again many different nationalities among the last sixteen, including three Swedes. Peter Machin is the third Australian to reach the final of the men's WDF World Cup singles, but after Peter Hinkley in 1997 and Raymond Smith in 2017, he too must settle for silver.