Claudelands has hit the target again, securing the New Zealand Darts Masters event for the country in 2019.

Fast becoming one of the most popular televised sports in the western world, darts is a fully professional sport featuring expert players exuding personality, passion and colour.

The Claudelands event – the 2019 New Zealand Darts Masters - will be held on 23-24 August, with eight of the sport’s stars joined by eight qualifiers from the Oceania region.

The two-day tournament will be televised in New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia. It will be the first time the World Series of Darts event is held in Hamilton after four years in Auckland.

H3 Executive Director Sean Murray says the event will be held in Claudelands Arena, a further vote of confidence in Hamilton’s world-class venues.

“We’re rapt to secure this event for the city and the region’s sports fans,” Mr Murray says.

“Darts at this level is played by some high-profile and engaging athletes and it’s going to be really special to have them in the city.

“The H3 team will pull out all the stops to put on a great event for the players and the supporters. A lot of thought is going into how we set up the arena and how we can make sure we really take advantage of the size and shape of our venue.

“We’re going to put on a great show here – we’re determined to take things up a couple of notches for darts fans in New Zealand and ensure they have a really memorable experience.”

Mr Murray says securing the event further shows Hamilton and the H3 venues are the best in the country.

In late November, FMG Stadium Waikato was confirmed as the venue for the All Blacks’ final home test for 2019, and in the coming summer Seddon Park will host five international cricket matches. The stadium will also host its second HSBC New Zealand Sevens in January, the return of Nitro Circus in March, plus several home games for the Chiefs in Investec Super Rugby.

“We’ve repeatedly said Hamilton is a ‘can-do’ city when it comes to events and by confirming the World Series of Darts event for 2019 we’re demonstrating that again.”

Tickets for the 2019 New Zealand Darts Masters will go on sale through www.ticketek.co.nz.