Lively, fun and relaxing: all words you might associate with university darts, even if some of them appear a bit contradictory. The truth is, darts has a bit of something for everyone and different elements of it are always going to appeal to people differently. But we thought we would try to distill some of the reasons why we enjoy uni darts. Whether you are starting uni this September or October, or returning to campus for a new year, we hope this list will convince you that UDUK might be something for you. 1. It’s open to all levels It is a bit of a cliche, but whether you are Champions League or pub league, seasoned tournament winner or beginner, uni darts is for you. Each and every year, we all see total beginners who have barely thrown a dart before rise through the ranks to become one of their team’s better players. Similarly, those who have played for years find themselves being caught up by new players (cough cough, your author). In short, no matter what point you start at, you can come on a long way and quickly. 2. It’s not that competitive Don’t get us wrong, we all pride ourselves on our team’s competitive records. There are no scenes which get hearts a racing more than the final doubles of a crunch UDUK league clash or the final stages of an important tournament. But unlike plenty of other uni activities, no one takes themselves too seriously. All invented animosity is good-natured, and you will more often than not find that once you are off the oche all tensions have disappeared. If you are the one to get yourself pumped from a bit of tense competition, that isn’t to say UDUK might not be for you. 3. It’s a good laugh As I said at the start of this piece, there are going to be parts of the uni darts experience that appeal to people differently. But almost everyone who has played in a UDUK team will tell you it is a whole lot of fun. Whether you are practicing with your team down the pub or campus bar, or playing in a UDUK game, there are plenty of laughs to be had. And the truth is so many people find that the time passes very quickly when they are playing uni darts. Some members of my own time have even used it as a pre-exam destresser to take their mind off things. The likelihood is that if you pick up a dart, you will soon find your troubles to fade away…&nbsp; 4. It can be a springboard to better things Once you have picked up a dart, you might find your life changes forever. Okay, maybe that is a bit heavy. But once you start playing, you will soon find yourself wanting to watch darts on the telly. You will start subscribing to darts channels on YouTube and TikTok, following insightful darts pundits like Wayne Mardle and Dan Dawson on Twitter…it might take over your life. And beyond that, once you have honed your skills on the uni darts circuit, you may well join a local pub team back home or at uni or even take part in more serious events than that. Some of our players, like the <a href="https://www.uduk.co.uk/post/clmxi6sa50005l808etf02vf0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PDC’s Adam Warner</a>, have gone on to play at the highest level. Many more play regularly week in, week out, even long after their degrees have finished. Why leave it at the university door? 5. You get to travel to new places Loughborough, Cheltenham and Bangor. They are just some of the highly exotic locations you could find yourself travelling to should you take up uni darts. And if that hasn’t put you off (joking, we love you guys really), there is the chance for plenty more amazing away days and UDUK-organised singles events throughout the year. Some of our universities also run trips abroad during the year, both to play darts and generally have a good time. Overall, UDUK is a great chance to experience new places and nightlives. What more could you want? I hope this list has helped to convince you that uni darts might be for you. And if it hasn’t, make sure to get in touch with your uni teams and follow what we are planning on UDUK socials to entice you.

Thomas Bartley - 24/09/2023

Why you should take up uni darts