Following Michael van Gerwen’s withdrawal from the World Cup of Darts, Northern Ireland moved up to become the 4th seed for the tournament. This means they will skip the group stage — but one has to wonder if this is a team that might benefit from getting a few matches under their belt before entering the knockout rounds.

Players: Josh Rock / Daryl Gurney
Ranking: 4

The team consists of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, marking the first time this duo will play together in the tournament. Last year, it was Rock who teamed up with Brendan Dolan, and in previous years, Northern Ireland’s pair was typically Dolan and Gurney.

In the 2024 edition, Northern Ireland reached the quarter-finals but were knocked out by England. Before that, they narrowly defeated host nation Germany 8–7 in a thrilling round of 16 match.

Josh Rock has had a strong 2025 so far, reaching the semi-finals of the UK Open, making deep runs in two European Tour events, and securing a win in the PDC Players Championship. Daryl Gurney is known for his high ceiling but can be inconsistent. It will be interesting to see whether the pair can bring out the best in each other on stage, because the raw potential in this team is certainly there.