August 14, 2025 • 10 mins
This weekend, some of the biggest stars of the darts world descend on Spark Area for the 2025 New Zealand Darts Masters.
It is the first time Auckland has hosted the event since 2018, with Hamilton hosting the event the past 3 years.
Luke Humphries, the current world number one in darts caught up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the upcoming weekend event.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk z'd be. We're joined now by one
of the best darts players, if not the best darts
players in the World's name is Luke Humphries. World number
one is here for the Auckland Darts Masters. Welcome into
the studio. Look great to meet. You're great to eyeball.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You thank you for having me over.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, you're a defending champ in this particular tournament. How
important is that for you to defend that or is
it more eyes for than anything else?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, I mean it's not too important to defend the
title and itself, but obviously it's you know, last year
was my first World Series win overseas, so it gives
it a special feeling for me and it's a special
trophy for me. And you come all this way you
want to pick one trophy up side then was successful
in Australia and Wollongong. But yeah, it makes me more
determined to go on and retain my trophy that won
(00:57):
last year in the Island.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
How important are these World Series matches because it's coming
through to final, isn't it in September? So what weight
does this carry with all of the pro darts players?
How much do they value your treasure, this particular brand
of darts if you will.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I think it's exciting for us as players because
we get to travel the world. You know, we've been
to Bahrain, We've been Netherlands, we've been Denmark, Poland, then
we went to New York. Now we're in Australia, New Zealand.
You know, very blessed to be able to travel the world,
get to play in these tournaments, and you want to
you want to win them. You want to you want
to have all these nice trophies that come with it,
and you know they are important and it could get
(01:34):
you a higher ranking in the in the World Series
of Darts Final, like you say in September, and that
can make your job easier because if you're not in
the top one, two, three, four, you could be playing
a very tough player early on in the competition in
the World Series Finals.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So let's talk about your progression in your career. You
were a rufer originally, how long for and what took
to you over what twenty eighteen twenty seventeen when you
became professional? What was the drive behind.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Me yeah, well, I I've reheard when I finished score
at sixteen, so I went straight into that. My dad
was a refuss. I worked with him, lovely sort of
job for me to have as soon as I finished school,
and I did that till I was about twenty one,
twenty two, I think I think I just turned twenty
two and i'd finally got my pro tour status in
twenty seventeen. I think it was or twenty eighteen, and
(02:21):
I just thought to myself, I have to give it
all I've got because you only get one chance. You
talk cards for two years, I thought you ever guaranteed
on tour two years. You know, if you're not in
the top sixty four after two years, then you find
yourself you're not a professional anymore. So it was for
me just something I wanted to give my all into
and it kind of worked out straight away. First year
I made a court finals with the World Championships, beating
(02:42):
Rod Cross, which is the reigning champion. So my career
started off really well and I never looked back after that.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, you were talking met Gary Anderson before. I think
he knocked you out of World Championships a couple of
years back then. Yeah, so your bigger spects idy remind
you of these things, right, want that as well your
form at the moment you were struck down on the
flute Australia, you hit a rotten old time. You were
beaten by Mike did the dicker, who actually everaged one
(03:08):
hundred and four. So it's not like you played terrible darts.
But he played really well, didn't he. Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I mean I was so unfortunate, to be honest. You know,
on the Friday when I played my first game, I
didn't feel great, but I didn't feel too bad. I
felt like I was going to, you know, just be
one of them things. And on Saturday morning I woke
up really really bad and I didn't know if I
could make it up on the stage. She was by
turn up at the venue and Todd the you know,
our tournament director, that there could be possibly I might
have been make it on stage. I can only see
(03:34):
how it goes. And I made it up on the stage,
and unfortunately for me, it was as bad as I expected.
But even if i'd have been at my best, might
played fantastic. So it would have been a tough, tough
game for me to win regardless, But yeah, it was
a sham. I come all this way and one of
the tournaments was kind of washed out for me. But
I can put it right this week.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, without your health, you know nothing, and that will
take me back to maybe it was even during COVID.
You're reasonably heavy, sea guy. You went on a mission
to drop some weight to get yourself fit, because even
though people look at dance pleasant, it don't be fair
to do that here just throwing a couple of ounces,
but your mental state massive. And you noticed that changed
(04:13):
when you dropped all those pounds.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I did. I knew that one thing that would
stopping me from being a great dark plan, and I
think for me was the fact of the long days
used to take out of me too much, you know,
used to get to the latter rounds, and I used
to find myself really tired and fatigued, and I couldn't
I couldn't achieve what I knew I could do. So
I thought, if I lose the weight, it was going
to improve me. I'd get fitter, stronger, more importantly, you know,
(04:38):
mentally stronger, And all them things seemed to happened. And
as soon as I lost the weight, I was in
a major tournament three months later Final Sorry, which was
my first ever one. And then I never looked back
from that. I kept losing the weight, kept eating well, exercising,
and you know that was like four years ago now,
four or five years ago, and I look back now
and think if I hadn't made all them changes, I
(04:59):
generally do not think that I would have achieved what
I had. I have done now.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
And you've got their great relationship the war. What it'd
you want to call all the other Luke and Lefler
who's been extraorded? Is it true? According to wiki Luke
stands for Leeds United Kings of Europe. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's very true. Yeah, I was actually my dad was
going to well, I was going to be called Liam,
was my name was going to be. And then my
dad seeing that it was the anniversary of someone who
had called deaf son Luke after Lee's at King's Europe,
and he was like, nah, you're having that one now
to my mum, so she had no say in it.
And yeah, I was named after my football team that
(05:34):
I spought.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, we've got a connection because of course Chris Wood
played for Leeds. Yeah, a couple of years man, he's
gone on some fence.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, great thing.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You've seen the film cool hand, Luke, that's your name?
Deep Boiled Eggs.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Not really nos teemed to right.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It's a Paul Newman film, Ladies and Gentlemen ninety sixties.
I think, stunning film.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right, it's a great it's a great film, an olden
da film. It's western of film. And but that was
what my name was. Nickname was originated from that film
and kind of works in well, don't obviously all under
pressure using your hand. My name's in it. I think, yeah,
it kind of suits me well, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
It also had a problem with anxiety back in the day,
and that leads you to the question around what work
you do in the mental space. Sports psychology is huge
in this day and age. What ever sport you're in,
is this something that you address and deal with?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
It was at the start, yeah, I used to get
I think it was just before COVID. I went through
it just just to have anxious moments, and then it
was just a normal life. It wasn't anything to do
with us. And then it started creeping into darts and
it got really tough for me. Then I kind of
always thought that was going to keep happening. I was
never going to be able to achieve all the things
that I wanted to achieve. But I addressed it, managed
(06:48):
to find the root of what was causing it, and
worked it out. And now obviously I'm sort of not
anxiety free, but I feel like I manage it now
in a way that doesn't affect me in my dark career.
And yeah, it's quite a story from you know, where
people see me five six years ago to where I
am now. I've overcome so many obstacle and I know
everybody does in life, but I've overcome my own obstacles
(07:11):
and it makes it even more sweet to be world
champion and world number one, an eight time major champion.
From where I've started off and what I've had to
overcome to now what I've achieved.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Who's your biggest threat coming up this weekend? It's Skott's City.
I mean, you look to Stephen Banting has been some
pretty good form, hasn't he. But of course you've got
littler floating around as well. Go on Price. Yeah, who
do you even care about? The opposition is at all
about you?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah? I mean not really, I don't care because the
fact if I've beat them so many times and they've
beat me so many times. So you know, when you're
a new newbie or a newcomer and you're not playing
as often in these big tournaments, you know, like Mike,
he might fear some of the other players because he's
not used to playing them as much as I am.
But yeah, it wouldn't bother me, to be honest, I
think my main threat is it's always looked like though
he's the best player in the world, he's the most
(07:55):
consistent player in the world. So for me, he's definitely
always a threat to play against them. But then again,
I've beat him loads of times and he's beat me
loads of times, so it's not like when I play
against them I'm worried or stress. I know that he's
capable of high levels, and I'm aware of that, so
I'd have to be on my game when I play
against him.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Looking forward to some nine out scrapes Towards the end,
there's been some classics of recent times. And one last thing,
and thank you so much for joining us. It's been
a real pleasure with you in the studio. Tell us
about your method when you go and play so many
people have comed different ways behind what they do, how
they approach the yarchy, the way do their darts. What
is your philosophy, your theory? How do you go into
(08:35):
a game, just a singular game.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Well, first of all, I'd turn up at the venue
about three to four hours beforehand, get myself comfortable. Then
I'd start practicing in thirty minute increments and in fifteen
minute break. You know, I feel like for me as
a person, I need a good two hours of practicing
to get myself at a level that I know I'm
really capable of being at my best. And then when
(08:58):
I'm in the game, you know, there's so many great
experiences when you're playing, you know, different countries, Like when
you're playing in a country that only gets it once
a year like Australia now Low Zealand, they really enjoy
the moment because they don't get it very often. So
you've got to take away the fact of how great
the crowd, because the crowd last year were fantastic in
New Zealand, and I got to take the way the
fact that it's going to be amazing this weekend as well,
(09:19):
and focus on my game and when I'm there I'm
sort of focused on what I'm doing, how I'm playing,
and hopefully I can, you know, go there and everything
goes right and no illness is and can play the
best of my abilities because when i'm when I'm at
my best, I'm arma's if played a bit.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
But it's always the same. You put the same position,
what same is angle on the hockey, well is the same.
Nothing's changed as long as you've been playing.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Nothing ever changes. I think it's it's a sport. It's
all about repetition. If you start changing the way you
stand throw all these things, I'll confuse your natural ability.
So for me, you're standing in the same position, same throw.
Everything is repetitition and if you if you've got a good,
good one of them, then that's when you'll be successful.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Leeds United Kings of Europe. It's hope it happens for you.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
A few years away from happening, but hopefully it does
in the future.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Hey, wishing you the best, all the luck you need.
But of course it's all about application and talent. As
you know. Thanks very much for joining us here at
the News talk said be the pleasure has been our
thank you for having me for more from sports talk.
Listen live to news talks. It'd be from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from news Talk z'd be. We're joined now by one
of the best darts players, if not the best darts
players in the World's name is Luke Humphries. World number
one is here for the Auckland Darts Masters. Welcome into
the studio. Look great to meet. You're great to eyeball.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You thank you for having me over.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, you're a defending champ in this particular tournament. How
important is that for you to defend that or is
it more eyes for than anything else?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, I mean it's not too important to defend the
title and itself, but obviously it's you know, last year
was my first World Series win overseas, so it gives
it a special feeling for me and it's a special
trophy for me. And you come all this way you
want to pick one trophy up side then was successful
in Australia and Wollongong. But yeah, it makes me more
determined to go on and retain my trophy that won
(00:57):
last year in the Island.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
How important are these World Series matches because it's coming
through to final, isn't it in September? So what weight
does this carry with all of the pro darts players?
How much do they value your treasure, this particular brand
of darts if you will.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I think it's exciting for us as players because
we get to travel the world. You know, we've been
to Bahrain, We've been Netherlands, we've been Denmark, Poland, then
we went to New York. Now we're in Australia, New Zealand.
You know, very blessed to be able to travel the world,
get to play in these tournaments, and you want to
you want to win them. You want to you want
to have all these nice trophies that come with it,
and you know they are important and it could get
(01:34):
you a higher ranking in the in the World Series
of Darts Final, like you say in September, and that
can make your job easier because if you're not in
the top one, two, three, four, you could be playing
a very tough player early on in the competition in
the World Series Finals.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So let's talk about your progression in your career. You
were a rufer originally, how long for and what took
to you over what twenty eighteen twenty seventeen when you
became professional? What was the drive behind.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Me yeah, well, I I've reheard when I finished score
at sixteen, so I went straight into that. My dad
was a refuss. I worked with him, lovely sort of
job for me to have as soon as I finished school,
and I did that till I was about twenty one,
twenty two, I think I think I just turned twenty
two and i'd finally got my pro tour status in
twenty seventeen. I think it was or twenty eighteen, and
(02:21):
I just thought to myself, I have to give it
all I've got because you only get one chance. You
talk cards for two years, I thought you ever guaranteed
on tour two years. You know, if you're not in
the top sixty four after two years, then you find
yourself you're not a professional anymore. So it was for
me just something I wanted to give my all into
and it kind of worked out straight away. First year
I made a court finals with the World Championships, beating
(02:42):
Rod Cross, which is the reigning champion. So my career
started off really well and I never looked back after that.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, you were talking met Gary Anderson before. I think
he knocked you out of World Championships a couple of
years back then. Yeah, so your bigger spects idy remind
you of these things, right, want that as well your
form at the moment you were struck down on the
flute Australia, you hit a rotten old time. You were
beaten by Mike did the dicker, who actually everaged one
(03:08):
hundred and four. So it's not like you played terrible darts.
But he played really well, didn't he. Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I mean I was so unfortunate, to be honest. You know,
on the Friday when I played my first game, I
didn't feel great, but I didn't feel too bad. I
felt like I was going to, you know, just be
one of them things. And on Saturday morning I woke
up really really bad and I didn't know if I
could make it up on the stage. She was by
turn up at the venue and Todd the you know,
our tournament director, that there could be possibly I might
have been make it on stage. I can only see
(03:34):
how it goes. And I made it up on the stage,
and unfortunately for me, it was as bad as I expected.
But even if i'd have been at my best, might
played fantastic. So it would have been a tough, tough
game for me to win regardless, But yeah, it was
a sham. I come all this way and one of
the tournaments was kind of washed out for me. But
I can put it right this week.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Well, without your health, you know nothing, and that will
take me back to maybe it was even during COVID.
You're reasonably heavy, sea guy. You went on a mission
to drop some weight to get yourself fit, because even
though people look at dance pleasant, it don't be fair
to do that here just throwing a couple of ounces,
but your mental state massive. And you noticed that changed
(04:13):
when you dropped all those pounds.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I did. I knew that one thing that would
stopping me from being a great dark plan, and I
think for me was the fact of the long days
used to take out of me too much, you know,
used to get to the latter rounds, and I used
to find myself really tired and fatigued, and I couldn't
I couldn't achieve what I knew I could do. So
I thought, if I lose the weight, it was going
to improve me. I'd get fitter, stronger, more importantly, you know,
(04:38):
mentally stronger, And all them things seemed to happened. And
as soon as I lost the weight, I was in
a major tournament three months later Final Sorry, which was
my first ever one. And then I never looked back
from that. I kept losing the weight, kept eating well, exercising,
and you know that was like four years ago now,
four or five years ago, and I look back now
and think if I hadn't made all them changes, I
(04:59):
generally do not think that I would have achieved what
I had. I have done now.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
And you've got their great relationship the war. What it'd
you want to call all the other Luke and Lefler
who's been extraorded? Is it true? According to wiki Luke
stands for Leeds United Kings of Europe. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
That's very true. Yeah, I was actually my dad was
going to well, I was going to be called Liam,
was my name was going to be. And then my
dad seeing that it was the anniversary of someone who
had called deaf son Luke after Lee's at King's Europe,
and he was like, nah, you're having that one now
to my mum, so she had no say in it.
And yeah, I was named after my football team that
(05:34):
I spought.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, we've got a connection because of course Chris Wood
played for Leeds. Yeah, a couple of years man, he's
gone on some fence.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah, great thing.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You've seen the film cool hand, Luke, that's your name?
Deep Boiled Eggs.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Not really nos teemed to right.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It's a Paul Newman film, Ladies and Gentlemen ninety sixties.
I think, stunning film.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right, it's a great it's a great film, an olden
da film. It's western of film. And but that was
what my name was. Nickname was originated from that film
and kind of works in well, don't obviously all under
pressure using your hand. My name's in it. I think, yeah,
it kind of suits me well, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
It also had a problem with anxiety back in the day,
and that leads you to the question around what work
you do in the mental space. Sports psychology is huge
in this day and age. What ever sport you're in,
is this something that you address and deal with?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
It was at the start, yeah, I used to get
I think it was just before COVID. I went through
it just just to have anxious moments, and then it
was just a normal life. It wasn't anything to do
with us. And then it started creeping into darts and
it got really tough for me. Then I kind of
always thought that was going to keep happening. I was
never going to be able to achieve all the things
that I wanted to achieve. But I addressed it, managed
(06:48):
to find the root of what was causing it, and
worked it out. And now obviously I'm sort of not
anxiety free, but I feel like I manage it now
in a way that doesn't affect me in my dark career.
And yeah, it's quite a story from you know, where
people see me five six years ago to where I
am now. I've overcome so many obstacle and I know
everybody does in life, but I've overcome my own obstacles
(07:11):
and it makes it even more sweet to be world
champion and world number one, an eight time major champion.
From where I've started off and what I've had to
overcome to now what I've achieved.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Who's your biggest threat coming up this weekend? It's Skott's City.
I mean, you look to Stephen Banting has been some
pretty good form, hasn't he. But of course you've got
littler floating around as well. Go on Price. Yeah, who
do you even care about? The opposition is at all
about you?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah? I mean not really, I don't care because the
fact if I've beat them so many times and they've
beat me so many times. So you know, when you're
a new newbie or a newcomer and you're not playing
as often in these big tournaments, you know, like Mike,
he might fear some of the other players because he's
not used to playing them as much as I am.
But yeah, it wouldn't bother me, to be honest, I
think my main threat is it's always looked like though
he's the best player in the world, he's the most
(07:55):
consistent player in the world. So for me, he's definitely
always a threat to play against them. But then again,
I've beat him loads of times and he's beat me
loads of times, so it's not like when I play
against them I'm worried or stress. I know that he's
capable of high levels, and I'm aware of that, so
I'd have to be on my game when I play
against him.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Looking forward to some nine out scrapes Towards the end,
there's been some classics of recent times. And one last thing,
and thank you so much for joining us. It's been
a real pleasure with you in the studio. Tell us
about your method when you go and play so many
people have comed different ways behind what they do, how
they approach the yarchy, the way do their darts. What
is your philosophy, your theory? How do you go into
(08:35):
a game, just a singular game.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Well, first of all, I'd turn up at the venue
about three to four hours beforehand, get myself comfortable. Then
I'd start practicing in thirty minute increments and in fifteen
minute break. You know, I feel like for me as
a person, I need a good two hours of practicing
to get myself at a level that I know I'm
really capable of being at my best. And then when
(08:58):
I'm in the game, you know, there's so many great
experiences when you're playing, you know, different countries, Like when
you're playing in a country that only gets it once
a year like Australia now Low Zealand, they really enjoy
the moment because they don't get it very often. So
you've got to take away the fact of how great
the crowd, because the crowd last year were fantastic in
New Zealand, and I got to take the way the
fact that it's going to be amazing this weekend as well,
(09:19):
and focus on my game and when I'm there I'm
sort of focused on what I'm doing, how I'm playing,
and hopefully I can, you know, go there and everything
goes right and no illness is and can play the
best of my abilities because when i'm when I'm at
my best, I'm arma's if played a bit.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
But it's always the same. You put the same position,
what same is angle on the hockey, well is the same.
Nothing's changed as long as you've been playing.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Nothing ever changes. I think it's it's a sport. It's
all about repetition. If you start changing the way you
stand throw all these things, I'll confuse your natural ability.
So for me, you're standing in the same position, same throw.
Everything is repetitition and if you if you've got a good,
good one of them, then that's when you'll be successful.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Leeds United Kings of Europe. It's hope it happens for you.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
A few years away from happening, but hopefully it does
in the future.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Hey, wishing you the best, all the luck you need.
But of course it's all about application and talent. As
you know. Thanks very much for joining us here at
the News talk said be the pleasure has been our
thank you for having me for more from sports talk.
Listen live to news talks. It'd be from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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