Photo: Taylor Lanning
By Ryan Segal
We have officially reached the point of summer where darts fans and players alike make their pilgrimage to the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, as the World Matchplay rolls into town.
The Top 16 in the Main Order of Merit and the Top 16 from the Pro Tour Order of Merit all travel to the Fylde coast in hopes of walking away with their name etched into eternal glory at the 33rd iteration of the event.
There are four representatives from Team Unicorn in the field - and here’s what you need to know, written in order of their respective first round ties.
Finding new ways to describe Gary Anderson is reaching the point where other languages may need to be involved, as English only has so many superlatives in its midst.
A two time, back-to-back champion of the world, The Flying Scotsman is more decorated than a Christmas Tree, having been a stalwart of the highest echelons of darts for nigh on two decades.
He’s also one of our two titans in this year’s event to know the feeling of the Phil Taylor Trophy in his hands, winning one of the greatest games of darts ever seen in Blackpool in his 2018 final against now-Unicorn teammate Mensur Suljovic.
A bit of very welcome reading for Gary fans is that, despite not yet throwing a dart in the tournament, his ranking balance is already in the green.
He, like all participants in the event, will receive £12,500 on his name on the OoM - and given he went out in his opener against Michael Smith two years ago, that means the extra £2,500 for qualifying, as well as anything from progressing through the tournament, is pure profit on his ranking.
Last year wielded the same fate, as Stephen Bunting overcame The Flying Scotsman 12-10 in a sudden death squeaker.
He faces Ryan Joyce in the second game of the second session (doesn’t that sound like a terrible Iron Maiden tribute), having won their last four meetings - including in the PC24 final back in 2023.
That one gets underway at approximately 14:00 on Lancashire’s most iconic stage.
Following him into evensong at the Winter Gardens is the magnificent James Wade.
Like Gary, the list of achievements that follows wherever The Machine’s name is written puts the Bayeux Tapestry to shame.
He ranks third in PDC history for majors won, with 11, and there’s barely a corner of the sport where James hasn’t left his momentous mark.
There’s optimism that he’ll continue his crescendo from the past two years in Blackpool this year - Having reached the Semi-Finals in 2024, and the Final in 2025…
You know what we’re hinting at here…
He’s defending £50,000 from that run to the L4 in 2024, when he beat Danny Noppert, Nathan Aspinall, and teammate Ross Smith en route.
Last year, he triumphed over Joe Cullen, Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen and Andrew Gilding on his run to the Final.
He looks to start his journey to a first Matchplay crown since 2007 against Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena - an opponent against whom James has only won one of his last five.
The pair face off in the second game of Sunday’s evening session, which will get underway at approximately 20:00 BST.
We now move into the final session of first round action - and opening up the action on Monday is Ross Smith.
A former European Champion, and a scorer with more power than the Springfield Nuclear Plant (Nucular…It’s pronounced Nucular), Smudger enters his fifth Matchplay arguably in finer fettle than ever before.
2026 has seen the King of Kent land his first European Tour title, reach another final, and win two Players Championship titles - cementing a place in the Top 16 on the OoM.
Simply - he just keeps getting better and better, and there’s no signs of that momentum slowing anytime soon.
He’s defending £30,000 from a career best run at the Matchplay in 2024, which saw him beat Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price en route to the Quarter-Final.
Last year didn’t wield quite the same success story, as Rock attained his revenge for the prior year’s encounter in the L32.
He opens his account against debutant Kevin Doets - an opponent he’s beaten three times in their last five meetings, including most recently at PC17 back in May.
That match is expected to get underway at approximately 19:00 BST.
And the last of our qualifiers - but by no means the least - is the member of Team Unicorn most recently in the PDC winner’s circle, in the form of Cameron Menzies.
Muirkirk’s favourite son made it three consecutive years with a title to his name in Leicester (all three won at the Mattioli, as it goes), defeating Cristo Reyes in the final a week and a half ago.
It was all the more emotional given the path that was trodden to it - and as the receiver of the first cuddle after he walked away from Streaming Board 1, I can firmly say it was an emotional moment all round.
But, if you wanted long winded torrents of random emotion, you could read Jane Eyre.
Cammy has also reached a maiden Euro Tour Semi-Final in 2026, and made his debut for Scotland in the PDC, reaching the Semi-Final of the World Cup alongside Unicorn teammate, and his hero, Gary Anderson.
He’s the only member of the team with no considerations to defending money, as, well…he didn’t qualify in 2024.
He did make it last year, and didn’t shine like he can on debut, losing to Danny Noppert in the opening round.
The challenge only increases in his second appearance at the Winter Gardens, with 2024 champion (and subsequently the man with the most to defend) Luke Humphries his opposition.
Although Humphries has the H2H advantage, their last three meetings in leg play have all gone to a last leg decider.
The match is the third of the evening session, commencing at approximately 21:00 BST.
Every dart from the event is live on Sky Sports for UK viewers, and via PDC Partners around the world.
Wish our boys luck, as they look to do what frustratingly few football managers have done in recent times, and send Blackpool wild.
Remember to use the code Unicorn10 at checkout at Unicorn-Darts.com to get 10% off all of our products in the Unicorn Summer Sale!