Guernsey to host first Island Internationals
GUERNSEY darts players have a new team event to compete in.
The inaugural Island Internationals will be taking place over the weekend of 27-29 January at St Pierre Park Hotel.
The event was originally slated to take place in the Isle of Man, but Guernsey have stepped up to the proverbial oche to host the weekend. It will then rotate locations each year between the four competing nations.
The Green Army will be competing against old rivals Jersey, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland.
All four teams competed in the WDF Europe Cup last September, and this new event should build on existing rivalries and create new, but always friendly, ones.
The festivities, sponsored by Thatcher’s Gold and the Liberation Brewery Group, begin on Friday 27 with a money-in, money-out lottery pairs competition, which should get the players in competitive mood for the serious business that follows the next day.
The event officially gets under way on the Saturday at 11am with the opening ceremony, where each team will be paraded in.
The first darts will be thrown an hour later, as the women compete in their opening round robin game.
Seven women will be representing each nation, with each match using best-of-five format.
The men will then play over the same format, with 13 players in each team.
The late afternoon will see the women back in action in their second match, and the day’s action will conclude as the men lock horns in their second encounter.
Sunday’s play begins at noon, with the women completing their round robin matches and the men toeing the oche straight afterwards to do likewise.
After the first stage, the women’s third-place play-off will take place on the floor, while the top two teams will duel on the stage to decide who takes the Island International title.
The men then round off the weekend as they do battle over the final placings.
Once the last darts have been thrown, a closing ceremony will bring down the curtain on what will be a fantastic weekend of darts, with those in attendance no doubt looking forward to convening again at the beginning of 2024.
Guernsey teams
Men: Ken Waters, Jason Allez, Callum Ferbrache, Darren Luxton, Adie Exall, Lee Savident, Kyle Hutchinson, Lee Smith, Alex Rosamond, Phil Dodd, Simon de la Mare, Kevin Brouard, Michael Ogier, Shaun Allez.
Women: Debbie Hamon, Tracy Ingrouille, Yvonne Le Gallic, Caroline La Touche, Tracy de la Haye, Jo Ellis, Astrid Allen, Jo Fallaize.
