Team Kiwi - DPA & DPNZ Pro Tours

Team Kiwi is delighted to announce their new signing, Greg Walsh, following his fine semi-final run at yesterday’s DPNZ Pro Tour 9 event in Invercargill, NZ. Greg will balance his Team Misfits management duties with representing Team Kiwi on various worldwide tours. Welcome Greg!

After a four month break, we’re back on Tour...
See you in Timaru tomorrow boys!
Haupai Puha
Graeme Lowe



🤣🤣🤣

It was third time a charm for Team Kiwi’s Ben Robb as he won through to the quarter finals on his third visit to the big stage, almost assuring his inclusion at the World Series of Darts Finals in the Netherlands.

Congratulations Ben from your Team Kiwi brothers and the whole of the local darting community...



https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2019/08/nz-darts-masters-ben-robb-avenges-defeat-to-simon-whitlock-with-hamilton-victory.html

Team Kiwi’s Koha Kokiri narrowly missed adding the Melbourne stage to his 2019 PDC World Series of Darts experience, going down to Mick Lacey in the final of the third and final qualifier.

Mick will make his long-awaited television debut alongside Team Kiwi’s Haupai Puha and James Bailey, as well as Damon Heta, Robbie King and Tim Pusey whilst Kokiri can console himself with yet another TV appearance in Brisbane. Congratulations to both players from the Team Kiwi family.

Koha Kokiri joins his Team Kiwi team mates Haupai Puha, Ben Robb and James Bailey on the Brisbane stage in August for the PDC World Series of Darts!

Super job Koha!

HE’S DONE IT!

Team Kiwi’s Haupai Puha has added the Brisbane Darts Masters to his Melbourne and Hamilton World Series of Darts outings in August!

Congratulations Hopes!!!

Team Kiwi's Haupai Puha has hit a 107 average to reach the final of the first of three Australian Brisbane Darts Masters qualifiers following Kiwi-born Robbie King's success in the first of three Melbourne Darts Masters qualifiers earlier in the day. Puha takes on Perth veteran David Platt.in a bid to add the Brisbane event to the Hamilton and Melbourne ones he has already qualified for. Team mate Koha Kokiri reached the quarter final where he fell to Platt.

The winner between Puha and Platt will join Team Kiwi's Ben Robb and James Bailey (current in Korea playing soft tip) in Brisbane, along with Perth's Damon Heta and the winners of two further qualifiers over the coming couple of days.

King will join Puha, Bailey and Heta in Melbourne, along with two more qualifiers as the weekend progresses.

Follow live at https://tv.dartconnect.com/matchlist/dpawsqbrisbane19e1

Team Kiwi in Christchurch at the New Zealand Qualifiers for the Hamilton, Brisbane and Melbourne Darts Masters

James Bailey, Haupai Puha
Ben Robb, Graeme Lowe

We all miss you Koha!

Congratulations to Ben who has qualified for the Brisbane Darts Masters and the New Zealand Darts Masters in Hamilton in August. Congratulations to Haupai who added the Melbourne Darts Masters to his New Zealand Darts Masters spot with his number one ranking on the DPNZ.

Team Kiwi proud!!!

Team Kiwi heads to Christchurch this weekend for the NZ edition of the World Series of Darts qualifiers. There will be two events for Hamilton and one each for Brisbane and Melbourne.

Best of luck to Team Kiwi’s Haupai Puha, Ben Robb, James Bailey and Graeme Lowe, as well as to all attending the events at Hornby.

BAILEY SECURES WSoD WILCARDS

Team Kiwi's James Bailey has secured his entry into two PDC World Series of Darts events in August, following his second ranking to date on the DPA Order of Merit. Perth's Damon Heta tied up first placing earlier in the weekend to return to both Brisbane and Melbourne following his strong performances last year at those venues.

Bailey, who also competed in Melbourne last August before heading to London in December for the PDC World Championships at the Alexandra Palace, was in a tight tungsten tussle with Team Kiwi teammate Haupai Puha until World Cup-bound Puha fell at the quarter final stage to Victoria's Steve Fitzpatrick, thus ending his "Hopes" to add Brisbane and Melbourne to the Hamilton spot he had already earned as number one on the DPNZ tour. Puha required a tournament win and for Bailey to fall to Queensland's Mick Lacey to sn**ch the spots. As Bailey came from a 0-3 deficit to advance against Lacey, it all became academic as Bailey secured his third and fourth PDC globally-televised appearances in the space of a year. Bailey went on to face Heta in a fitting final given the prizes earned by both players at this point in the season, with Heta prevailing 6-3. Bailey was also announced in the Australian side to take on New Zealand at the 2019 Australasian Championships along with Heta, Fitzpatrick and Queensland's Robbie King.

Ranking Table as at close of play 2nd June 2019
1 264 Damon Heta
2 214 James Bailey
3 197 Haupai Puha
4 191 Steve Fitzpatrick
5 177 Ben Robb
6 170 Koha Kokiri

Congratulations James and the very best of luck in Brisbane and Melbourne from the Team Kiwi players and supporters. It's a pleasure having you on the team as our honorary Kiwi!

"Hopes" heads to Germany from Melbourne first thing Monday morning to team up with Europe-based Cody Harris in representing New Zealand at the PDC World Cup starting on Thursday. The very best of luck from the Team Kiwi players, supporters and the whole of New Zealand!

Tense Team Kiwi Battle in Victoria for WSoD Wildcard

It’s all going down to the wire in Victoria. With Damon Heta having secured the first wildcards to the PDC World Series of Darts events in Brisbane and Melbourne in August, the second became a race between Team Kiwi’s James Bailey and World Cup-bound Haupai Puha. Once Bailey made his way past Victoria’s Brandon Weening in the last 32 to guarantee a minimum of four points, Victoria’s Steve Fitzpatrick’s hopes were dashed as he would be unable to close the gap regardless of his result. Puha trails Bailey by nine points and will need to reach the final to have any chance of reversing the order. A semi-final finish for Bailey will guarantee his success, regardless of Puha’s result.

With both Bailey and Puha reaching the quarter finals, a win over Queensland’s Mick Lacey will see Bailey secure his place, whilst Puha must now win the event should Lacey prevail over Bailey.

Follow the action live on:
https://tv.dartconnect.com/matchlist/dpapro19e22b

Team Kiwi Flying High in Victoria

With the coveted prizes of positions at the PDC’s World Series of Darts at stake, the Team Kiwi boys are enjoying yet another successful DPA weekend at Barooga Sports Club in Victoria, occupying four of the six finals berths and taking out two of the three events to date. Following this weekend, the top 2 ranked players will each receive automatic wildcards to both the Brisbane and Melbourne iterations of the WSoD global roadshow.

Following a few logistical challenges, the players managed to arrive at the remote Victorian location with a couple of hours to spare before close of registration for Friday’s first event of four. There had been some suggestion, following an announcement posted after the gruelling six-event Dubbo leg of the tour, that the remaining tour weekends of 2019 would revert to three events per weekend as in 2018. However, with this tour weekend being the last to contribute to the two World Series of Darts automatic wildcards, the format has remained one event on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Coming into the weekend, Western Australia’s Damon Heta held a commanding, if not insurmountable, 30-point lead over Team Kiwi’s James Bailey, with teammates Haupai Puha, Ben Robb and Koha Kokiri a further 13, 29 and 32 points behind, respectively.

Ranking Table as at 30th May 2019
1 196 Damon Heta
2 166 James Bailey
3 153 Haupai Puha
4 151 Steve Fitzpatrick
5 137 Ben Robb 137
6 134 Koha Kokiri
7 115 Robbie King
8 109 Mick Lacey
9 87 Bill Aitken
10 82 GG Mathers

The Team Kiwi players demonstrated their intentions early on Friday with Robb and Bailey fighting out the final and Kokiri falling to Bailey in the semi finals having fought off Puha in the quarter finals. Robb took the final 6-2 over Bailey to set up an exciting race over the remainder of the weekend.

Ranking Table as at close of play 31st May 2019
1 208 Damon Heta
2 182 James Bailey
3 161 Haupai Puha
4 159 Steve Fitzpatrick
5 157 Ben Robb
6 146 Koha Kokiri
7 123 Robbie King

Saturday morning’s knockout event saw Heta hit back with a 6-3 final win over Kokiri, the maximum 20 points securing his return to both the Brisbane and Melbourne WSoD events. Heta performed well in both events in 2018 and will return in August justifiably full of confidence. Kokiri’s final place was enough to keep his hopes of the second wildcard alive. Whilst Puha and Robb fell at the quarter final stage and Bailey at the last 16, all remained in the battle, along with Victoria’s Steve Fitzpatrick.

Ranking Table as at close of Pro Tour Event 20 1st June 2019
1 228 Damon Heta
2 186 James Bailey
3 171 Steve Fitzpatrick
4 169 Haupai Puha
5 165 Ben Robb
6 162 Koha Kokiri
7 135 Robbie King

Following two quarter final exits, on Saturday afternoon Germany-bound Puha showed the form that earned his place in the New Zealand team alongside Europe-based Cody Harris for next week’s PDC World Cup. In a thrilling final where both players averaged over 90 and pushed 100 for much of the match, Puha recovered from a missed match dart in a nervy 10th leg to edge out Heta in the deciding leg and keep his “Hopes” alive for the automatic wildcards. The result meant Puha would return to play the final event on Sunday before heading to Germany from Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning. Had he not been in contention, his plan was to travel to Melbourne early and rest ahead of his journey.

Bailey’s 4-6 semi-final loss to Puha was enough to hold him in pole position for the Brisbane and Melbourne wildcards, whilst Robb’s exit at the same stage to Heta and Kokiri’s last 32 finish ended their respective chances.

Anything short of a semi-final finish will automatically eliminate Puha from the race. Even then he will have to rely on Bailey falling early. If Puha wins the event, Bailey will need to reach the semi-finals to hold his position. A runner-up finish for Puha will see Bailey having to reach the quarter finals, whilst a semi-final exit for Puha will see Bailey hold with a last 16 finish or better. The only other player with a mathematical chance, albeit slim, of attaining the wildcards is Fitzpatrick, who requires a tournament win on Sunday with Bailey falling before the last 16 and Puha before the semi-finals to claim the prize.

Ranking Table as at close of play 1st June 2019
1 244 Damon Heta
2 198 James Bailey
3 189 Haupai Puha
4 179 Steve Fitzpatrick
5 177 Ben Robb
6 162 Koha Kokiri

Follow Sunday’s action on https://tv.dartconnect.com/matchlist/dpapro19e22b

All the best boys!