Wainuiomata darting sensation Jonny Tata along with internationally ranked Ben Robb will contest the NZ Darts Masters, starting in Auckland on Friday night, up against many of the world’s biggest stars.
Tata is a full-time truck driver with Gilmours in Wellington, and while he goes into the match as under underdog against world number three Gian van Veen he says he is up for the challenge.
Along with van Veen of the Netherlands, the tournament will also feature Gerwyn Price, fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton and James Wade (England) among the world’s top 10.
Tata says heading into the tournament he’s been training two hours a day after work – double the amount of practice time he usually gets.
Tata, who made the second round of the world championships late last year, says the mental factor may be the biggest part of competitive darts.
“Like when you start getting pissed off with yourself or if you’re not having what you want, then it just goes worse and worse.
“For me, if I go up there and hit a five or a one instead of a 20 or a triple 20, I laugh it off a bit and try to do better on the next throw. Once you start doubting yourself, it goes downhill, says 33 year oldTata.
Tata said his practice sessions focus mostly on scoring big triples.
“I just go hard on the 20s, 19s, 18s segments. I do a lot of practice on the bullseye. I don’t know why, I just like practising on bullseye.
At last year’s world champs, he upset former European champion Ritchie Edhouse in the first round before bowing out 3-2 against England’s Ryan Meikle.
Tata said he’ll be lifted by the home crowd when he plays on Friday night.
“I’ve been booed by thousands of people over in Australia before, and I’ve been cheered on by thousands of people here in New Zealand. I’ve been in crowds over in the UK where they’ve just sung so loud it’s intense.”
Tata certainly knows how to hit the big numbers. He hit the first nine-dart finish in Darts Players New Zealand (DPNZ) Pro Tour history.
The son of former national champion Ra Tata, Jonny Tata began playing darts aged nine. He won a number of youth titles but gave up playing at the age of 17. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he began to play again.
Tata made his World Series of Darts debut at the 2023 New Zealand Darts Masters. He defeated world number two Peter Wright 6–3 in the first round.
In September 2025, Tata topped the end of season 2025 DPNZ Pro Tour ranking, hitting the first ever nine-dart finish in DPNZ Pro Tour history during his victory in the final of the last event. This qualified him for the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, his first ever PDC World Championship.
His victory on the Pro Tour also saw him qualify for the 2025 ANZ Premier League, a competition featuring eight of the best darts players from Australia and New Zealand. Tata won the opening night of the tournament in Melbourne, defeating Raymond Smith 5–3 in the final.
During the 2026 WDF season, Tata defended the Canterbury Classic title he had won in 2025.
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