Hot prospect Josh Rock set to realise darts dream on Ally Pally stage at World Championships

The 21-year-old Broughshane native is only in his first year as a professional but what a 12 months it’s been.

Tipped by many leading pundits in the sport as a future world champion, Rock’s journey started when he won a much-coveted tour card at Q School.

‘Rocky’ won a player championship and five titles on the development tour.

He also reached the last 16 of the Grand Slam where he met three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, when in the second leg of the match Rock hit a sensational nine-dart finish.

He claimed the World Youth title with a 6-1 win over Nathan Girvan and has gone from 500/1 to lift the Sid Waddell trophy at the Ally Pally to 12/1.

Rock is now provisionally ranked 43rd in the world and of the 64 qualifiers for the world Championship, the Co Antrim thrower has the third highest average this season – only former champions van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price are above him

Added to his achievements on the board, Rock proposed to his fiancée Sarah at the homecoming party in his local bar The Thatch Inn after winning the world youth championship.

“I got into darts when I was aged about two and played my first competitive match when I was 10 at a local bar in Ballymena called the Fairhill,” Rock said.

“I didn’t win my first match. I concentrated on school until I was 16 and as soon as I left it has just been (darts) from then.

“It was my dad that got me into darts – funny enough he never played until I was born – when I was young. I always watched the darts and just took it on from him, he just played in the local pub leagues.

“To be honest it was only during lockdown when I knew I would be good enough: We were all stuck in lockdown and the only thing I done was practice for eight hours a day because there was nothing else to do,” he added.

“I started to hit a few nine-darters and I never hit one until lockdown and then it started clicking from it.”

The first step on Rock’s journey was securing a tour card.

“Going to Q School to get your tour card is a massive thing,” he said.

"I struggled apart from the first day I got into the final stage. I had a couple of days’ break then there were only four days left. I was sitting on one point and thankfully I got my card on the last day.

“Because I had only got my tour card, I had to go through all the qualifiers to get to the TV majors. The first few weeks in the PDC were tough and I kept getting beat, then I got my first win and I haven’t looked back.”

It was the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton last month when Rock announced himself on the world stage.

“I like the Grand Slam because you are fighting for the top two places as it is a league table,” he said.

“I got beat by Ryan Searle and wasn’t happy as I didn’t play my game, then I played a very close friend, Scott Williams. I just got over the line against him.

“I knew I only needed three legs against Luke Humphries and I took the 121 checkout and knew that was it.”

In the knockout round Rock produced his memorable nine-darter against Van Gerwen.

“You have to do that against Michael. I have a lot of respect for Michael because he has actually taken time to talk to me and he said a lot of nice things to me after that game.

“When I hit that nine-darter Michael knew what he was up against, he averaged 107 and I averaged 104, but at a time he was averaging 121 and I was averaging 116 – the standard was that good.

“That probably was the game that made Josh Rock. People are saying can ‘he do this or do that’ and the very first leg you win against MVG, you hit a nine-darter which just shows I can do it.”

Much was made of Rock’s celebration as he hurt his ankle in the aftermath, although the player himself was unfazed.

“It didn’t affect me to be quite honest,” Rock said.

"Sometimes you need to show that emotion to show that you care. Some people don’t do it, they keep themselves to themselves or they overdo it, but sometimes the wee odd celebration giving it large is ok.”

Rock defeated Nathan Girvan 6-1 in Minehead to be crowned world youth champion. It was a moment he had dreamed of.

“It’s a good feeling even if you take the youth out of it – just to be called world champion means the world because it is something you can only dream off,” he said.

All roads now lead to the London for the biggest event on the calendar.

“My first target for the year was to get to the Ally Pally, I’ve done that, seen the draw and I’m happy with it,” said Rock.

“There are no easy games. I’ve played Jose before and beat him, and I know I can beat him again.

“The Ally Pally is the biggest stage in the world and to be part of it and to be there is a dream come true.

“I’m looking forward to getting on that stage and looking out at the crowd and even if I don’t have a very successful life in darts, I can say I have been there and done it.”