Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Three Weeks

 

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bedlinog Rugby Club	1.285
5	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
6	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
7	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
8	Sartan Club	1.265
9	Hethersett Social Club	1.260
10	Clacton Sports Bar	1.256

One entry per venue, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded through the week ending 3 October.

Pinches Is Still the Benchmark

Three weeks ago, Pinches opened with 1.350.

That immediately became the number everyone else had to chase.

What has made Pinches particularly interesting hasn't simply been that nobody has beaten 1.350. It's what happened afterwards.

Its next two Tournament Strength figures were:

1.340

1.331

So this isn't a venue sitting at the top because of one extraordinary tournament followed by much weaker fields.

Pinches has repeatedly produced Tournament Strength scores above 1.330.

That remains some of the strongest evidence we've seen so far of a genuinely difficult regular Vault 19 venue.

The 1.350 remains the headline number.

The repeat performances are the more interesting story.

Faringdon Is Still the Closest Challenger

Faringdon Football Club remains second with its best Tournament Strength of 1.329.

Originally, I put an important caveat alongside that figure because it came from only eight players.

Since then, Faringdon has provided some useful supporting evidence.

Its subsequent 1.275 from a 24-player field showed that the venue can produce strong numbers with a much bigger entry as well.

That makes Faringdon's second place more interesting than it looked when the 1.329 first appeared.

Pinches remains clear at the top, but Faringdon is still the closest anyone has come.

Tipton Remains Third

Tipton Sports Academy's 1.297 continues to hold third place.

That was one of the figures that particularly caught my attention in an earlier update because it came from a substantial field.

It hasn't been overtaken during the latest week, but there is now a new name immediately behind it.

Bedlinog Arrives in Fourth

The biggest addition to the leading group this week is Bedlinog Rugby Club.

A Tournament Strength of 1.285 puts it straight into fourth place.

That takes it above Bagley's 1.280 and The Brookside's 1.278.

As always, one big Tournament Strength score gives me a reason to notice a venue.

What happens next will tell me considerably more.

Pinches is the perfect example of that.

So Bedlinog now becomes another venue worth watching as Vault 19 continues.

The Established Venues Are Still Hanging Around

The arrival of new challengers hasn't removed many of the venues we've been following throughout the series.

Bagley Sports & Social Club remains fifth with 1.280.

The Brookside in Syston is sixth at 1.278.

The Gardeners Arms in Ipswich, which entered the leading group last week, remains seventh at 1.270.

Then comes a familiar South West name.

Sartan Club remains in the Top 10 with a best of 1.265.

Sartan's individual Tournament Strength has moved around from week to week, but it continues to feature towards the stronger end of the Vault 19 data.

Hethersett Social Club is ninth with 1.260 after the steady improvement I highlighted previously, while Clacton Sports Bar completes this week's Top 10 at 1.256.

The Table Is Becoming Harder to Break Into

That's another thing beginning to emerge after three weeks.

The standard required simply to reach the Top 10 is becoming pretty high.

A venue now needs a Tournament Strength above 1.250 just to get into this particular group.

And there are other established strong venues sitting around that mark.

That means one good tournament can move a venue dramatically, but maintaining a place near the top is becoming more difficult as more results are added.

That's exactly what I hoped would happen with these updates.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Still Controls the Top

The WADC Tournament Strength story has developed considerably over the past three weeks.

Initially, The 9 Darter in Port Talbot led the way at 0.997.

Then Briton Ferry surged to 1.151, while Penybanc joined the leading group.

The latest picture still has a very strong Welsh look.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Three Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	Walton WMC	0.941

One entry per venue, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength. Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 are treated as one venue.

Briton Ferry Remains No.1

Briton Ferry Workies remains the WADC benchmark at 1.151.

Its progression has been one of the most interesting things I've found during these updates.

Earlier in Vault 3.0 it recorded 0.961, then 0.989, before producing the 1.151 that took it to the top.

That is exactly the sort of development I want to find by revisiting Tournament Strength rather than publishing one table and forgetting about it.

Briton Ferry isn't at the top because of the first tournament I happened to analyse.

Its numbers developed as the series progressed.

Penybanc Strengthens Its Position

Penybanc is another venue where looking beyond a single result helps.

I'm treating the Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 entries as one venue for these rankings.

Its best score is now 1.077, which puts it second overall.

It has also produced 1.049.

So, like Briton Ferry, there is supporting evidence behind the headline figure.

Penybanc hasn't simply appeared in second place through one isolated strong tournament.

It has produced two fields above 1.000.

Wales Holds the Top Four

Behind Briton Ferry and Penybanc come two more Welsh venues.

The 9 Darter, Port Talbot — 0.997

Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven — 0.986

Then comes England's strongest venue:

Dereham Cricket Club — 0.980

That means Wales currently occupies the top four positions in the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength ranking.

Dereham isn't far behind Resolven, so the England-Wales story isn't finished.

But three weeks into the series, Wales unquestionably has the advantage at the top.

A Very Different Picture From Week One

This is why I like revisiting these numbers.

After the opening tournaments, The 9 Darter led the WADC standings.

After two weeks, Briton Ferry had jumped to 1.151.

Now Penybanc has strengthened further to 1.077.

The venues haven't necessarily become weaker when they've dropped positions.

Other venues have simply produced stronger fields.

And we're beginning to get enough repeat events to distinguish between a big one-off number and a venue regularly attracting competitive fields.

Three Weeks In – What Do We Know?

There is still plenty of Vault 19 to come, so I'm not declaring any of these rankings final.

But after three weeks, some trends are becoming difficult to ignore.

In the main Vault 19 series, Pinches remains the benchmark.

Its 1.350 is still the highest Tournament Strength recorded, but the 1.340 and 1.331 that followed are what really make it stand out.

Faringdon remains the closest challenger and has backed up its eight-player 1.329 with evidence from a much larger field.

Tipton remains third.

Bedlinog is this week's big arrival.

And familiar venues including Bagley, Sartan and Hethersett continue to appear towards the top.

In WADC Vault 3.0, the story remains Welsh dominance.

Briton Ferry leads at 1.151, Penybanc has strengthened to 1.077 and Welsh venues occupy the first four positions.

Three weeks ago, I was looking for the biggest Tournament Strength scores.

Now I'm increasingly looking for something more important.

Which venues keep producing them?

That's where the toughest venues of Vault 19 and WADC Vault 3.0 should eventually reveal themselves.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Keeps Delivering as Wales Pulls Clear in WADC Vault 3.0

 

Two weeks into Vault 19 and we're beginning to get something much more useful than a collection of impressive one-off Tournament Strength scores.

We're starting to see patterns.

When I first looked at the new series, Pinches Cue Club in Norwich immediately set the benchmark with a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

A week later, Pinches backed that up with 1.340.

Now we've had another week.

Pinches has done it again.

Its latest tournament produced 1.331.

So the sequence now reads:

1.350 → 1.340 → 1.331

That consistency is becoming the biggest Tournament Strength story of Vault 19.

Elsewhere, some familiar venues have bounced back strongly, Faringdon has provided more evidence that its earlier huge score wasn't simply about an eight-player field, and Hethersett is quietly moving in the opposite direction to Pinches — getting stronger every week.

And over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has changed dramatically.

Last week I asked whether England was beginning to catch Wales.

This week, Wales has pulled further away.

How I'm Ranking the Venues

I'm continuing with the method I used in the previous update.

Each venue appears only once in the table, ranked by its highest Tournament Strength during Vault 19.

That stops venues holding several positions simply because they've staged several events.

But the other scores aren't ignored.

In fact, as the series develops, they are becoming increasingly important.

A venue producing 1.300 once is interesting.

Producing something around that level three weeks running tells us considerably more.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
5	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
6	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
7	Sartan Club	1.265
8	Hethersett Social Club	1.260
9	Clacton Sports Bar	1.256
10	The Monty Club	1.256

One entry per venue, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded in Vault 19 through the week ending 26 September.

Pinches Is Becoming More Than a Big Number

There isn't much debate about the headline.

Pinches remains No.1.

But I'm actually more interested in its third-best number than its best one.

The three Vault 19 scores are:

1.350

1.340

1.331

Its Tournament Strength has dipped very slightly each time, but only by 0.019 from its highest to its lowest.

That's remarkably consistent.

When Pinches first produced 1.350, I deliberately avoided immediately declaring it the toughest venue in Vault 19.

One exceptional tournament wasn't enough evidence.

Three consecutive scores above 1.330 make the argument considerably stronger.

There is still plenty of Vault 19 to come, but at this stage Pinches isn't merely holding onto the top position because of one spectacular opening night.

It keeps producing exceptionally strong fields.

Faringdon Is Answering an Important Question

Faringdon's 1.329 initially came with a fairly obvious caveat.

There were only eight players.

A very strong eight-player field can produce an excellent Tournament Strength figure, but I wanted to see what happened when the venue attracted a bigger entry.

We now have some evidence.

This week Faringdon produced 1.275 from a 24-player field.

It didn't beat its 1.329 record, so only the higher figure appears in the table.

But arguably the 1.275 tells us more.

Faringdon has now demonstrated that it can produce a strong Tournament Strength figure with a much larger field.

That makes its position immediately behind Pinches considerably more interesting.

Hethersett Is Quietly Climbing

One venue that might easily be missed by simply looking at the highest scores is Hethersett Social Club.

Its progression has been:

1.224 → 1.237 → 1.260

Three tournaments.

Three increases.

Its latest figure moves Hethersett into the current Top 10 and, perhaps more importantly, gives us another example of why following Tournament Strength week by week is useful.

It hasn't produced one enormous result.

Instead, the strength of the field has increased every time.

I'll be interested to see whether that continues.

Sartan Bounces Back

Sartan Club is another good example of why one week's number shouldn't be treated as definitive.

Sartan opened Vault 19 with an excellent 1.265.

Its next tournament dropped to 1.184.

This week it was back up to 1.256 from 25 players.

So while Sartan hasn't beaten its opening figure, it has returned very close to it.

Given how often Sartan appeared towards the top of my Vault 18 analysis, that's probably more significant than simply looking at its position of seventh in the current table.

The familiar South West benchmark is still producing strong fields.

Lindsay Is Remarkably Steady

There's a similar story at Lindsay Constitutional Club.

Its three figures are:

1.250 → 1.198 → 1.251

The latest tournament has actually edged above its opening Vault 19 score.

Again, this isn't about producing the biggest number in the entire series.

It's about a venue repeatedly returning to roughly the same strong level.

Lindsay was one of the Welsh venues that stood out during Vault 18, and two weeks into Vault 19 it remains very much part of the picture.

A New Name Enters the Top Group

The Gardeners Arms in Ipswich is one of the notable additions this week.

Its 1.270 puts it straight into sixth place when each venue is counted only once.

That's the sort of result that makes a venue worth following over the next few weeks.

As I've said throughout these updates, the next question is always the same:

Can it do it again?

Pinches is showing why that question matters.

The Top 10 Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

This is where I think these updates are becoming more interesting.

If I simply published the ten biggest numbers every week, we would miss some of the actual movement.

Pinches hasn't improved its best score this week — but producing 1.331 again is hugely significant.

Faringdon hasn't improved its best either — but 1.275 from 24 players strengthens its case.

Sartan hasn't beaten 1.265 — but its return to 1.256 matters.

Meanwhile, Hethersett has improved every week.

Tournament Strength is therefore becoming less about one league table and more about the pattern behind it.

And that should become even clearer as Vault 19 continues.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Pulls Further Clear

Last week's WADC question was simple:

Is England beginning to catch Wales?

At the time, South Wales held the top three positions, but Dereham Cricket Club had moved into fourth with 0.980.

England appeared to be closing the gap.

One week later, that isn't the direction the numbers have gone.

Instead, Wales has strengthened its position.

And the biggest mover of all is Briton Ferry Workies.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC #2, Ammanford	1.049
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	Walton WMC	0.941
7	Fordham RBL	0.933
8	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933
9	Wiltshire Darts House	0.929
10	Shooters, Leominster	0.916

One entry per venue, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

Briton Ferry Makes a Huge Jump

This is the standout WADC result of the week.

When I first looked at Briton Ferry in Vault 3.0, it had produced 0.961.

Its next event improved to 0.989.

Now it has recorded:

1.151.

That's not a marginal improvement.

Briton Ferry has gone from being part of a very competitive South Wales group to holding a substantial lead at the top of the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength table.

And it reinforces something I mentioned previously.

Briton Ferry has previous form.

It produced strong Tournament Strength figures in the previous WADC Vault series as well.

We're now getting increasing evidence that this isn't simply a venue that happened to produce one unusually strong women's field.

Briton Ferry is becoming one of the most interesting WADC venues in the data.

Penybanc Makes It a Welsh One-Two

There's another significant new entry.

Penybanc RFC #2 in Ammanford has recorded 1.049.

That immediately puts it second.

Last week's WADC benchmark was The 9 Darter's 0.997.

We now have two Welsh venues above 1.000.

That changes the shape of the table considerably.

The 9 Darter Hasn't Become Weak Overnight

One thing worth stressing is that The 9 Darter dropping from first to third doesn't mean anything has gone wrong there.

Its 0.997 remains exactly the strong score it was previously.

It has simply been overtaken by two even stronger Welsh fields.

That's an important distinction when looking at these rankings.

Positions can change even when a venue's own performance hasn't.

Resolven Makes It Four for Wales

Arrows Darts Venue #2 in Resolven remains at 0.986.

That means the current top four are:

Briton Ferry — 1.151

Penybanc — 1.049

The 9 Darter — 0.997

Resolven — 0.986

All four are Welsh.

Only then do we reach England's leading venue, Dereham Cricket Club at 0.980.

So if last week's question was whether England was catching Wales, the current evidence says:

Not this week.

England Still Has Some Strong Fields

That doesn't mean the English WADC venues aren't competitive.

Dereham's 0.980 remains an excellent figure and is only just behind Resolven.

Walton WMC is next at 0.941, followed by Fordham RBL and London GAA on 0.933.

Wiltshire Darts House has reached 0.929, with Shooters in Leominster at 0.916.

But at the very top of the table, Wales has created some daylight.

And Briton Ferry in particular has raised the benchmark considerably.

Two Weeks In – What Are We Learning?

We're still early in both series.

But the picture is becoming clearer.

In the main Vault 19 series, Pinches Cue Club remains the venue everyone is chasing.

Not simply because of its 1.350 record, but because it has followed that with 1.340 and 1.331.

Faringdon has strengthened its case with a strong 24-player field.

Hethersett is improving every week.

Sartan has bounced back.

Lindsay continues to produce remarkably similar strong figures.

And Gardeners Arms has entered the conversation.

Over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has moved dramatically.

Last week England appeared to be closing on Wales.

This week Briton Ferry has surged to 1.151, Penybanc has entered at 1.049 and Wales occupies all four of the leading positions.

The more tournaments we add, the more useful this becomes.

A huge one-off Tournament Strength figure will always catch the eye.

But I'm increasingly interested in something else:

Who keeps doing it?

After two weeks, Pinches is providing a very convincing answer.

And in the WADC Vaults, South Wales is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Still Leads as the Toughest Venues Begin to Emerge

 

A week ago I took my first look at Tournament Strength in Vault 19, and one venue immediately stood out.

Pinches Cue Club in Norwich produced a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

It was the strongest figure in the early data, but one tournament doesn't necessarily make a tough venue.

A week later, Pinches has provided a pretty convincing response.

Its second event produced 1.340.

So while plenty has changed underneath it, Pinches remains the venue setting the standard — and this time I've ranked each venue only once, using its strongest Vault 19 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

Vault 19: The Strongest Venues So Far

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength	Players
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350	24
2	Faringdon Football Club, Faringdon	1.329	8
3	Tipton Sports Academy, Tipton	1.297	28
4	Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury	1.280	24
5	The Brookside, Syston	1.278	13
6	Sartan Club, Bishopsworth	1.265	24
7	Clacton Sports Bar, Clacton	1.256	24
8	The Monty Club, Newtown	1.256	24
9	Pot Black, Shanklin	1.252	24
10	Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed	1.250	24
11	Bretforton Sports Club, Evesham	1.248	24
12	Dorchester Trinity Club, Dorchester	1.248	24

Each venue appears once, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded in Vault 19 so far. Player count relates to that tournament.

Pinches Has Backed It Up

This is probably the most important development since my first article.

Pinches hasn't simply held the No.1 position because nobody has beaten its original score.

It has produced another enormous number.

Its two Vault 19 events have recorded:

1.350 — 10 September

1.340 — 17 September

The second field contained 22 players compared with 24 for the first, yet its Tournament Strength fell by only 0.010.

That is beginning to look less like one exceptional tournament and more like a genuinely strong regular venue.

There is still a long way to go in Vault 19, but Pinches has provided the strongest early evidence of consistency at the very top.

Faringdon Produces a Huge Score – With a Caveat

The closest anyone has come to Pinches is Faringdon Football Club, with an impressive 1.329.

There is an important difference, however.

Faringdon's 1.329 came from an eight-player field.

That doesn't make the strength figure irrelevant. If eight very strong players enter a tournament, it is still a very strong tournament.

But it is different from producing a similarly strong number across a field of 20-plus players.

Faringdon has actually had three Vault 19 scores in the data — 1.170, 1.203 and then 1.329 — so it will be particularly interesting to see where it settles over the next few weeks.

Tipton Makes a Big Move

One of the figures I particularly like is Tipton Sports Academy's 1.297.

Why?

Because it came from 28 players.

That's the largest field among the venues at the very top of this table.

Tipton's earlier event was considerably lower at 1.055, so again I'm not ready to label it one of the toughest regular venues on the evidence of one huge tournament.

But a 1.297 from 28 players deserves attention.

Bagley Is Getting Stronger

Bagley Sports & Social Club is another venue where the second result adds something to the story.

Its first Vault 19 Tournament Strength was 1.238.

The next was 1.280.

That moves Bagley up to fourth in the one-venue-only table and, importantly, gives it two strong tournaments rather than one isolated result.

That is exactly what I will be watching as Vault 19 develops.

The Usual Suspects Are Still There

Some familiar venues remain prominent.

Sartan Club sits sixth with its 1.265 tournament and remains one of the leading South West names in the data.

Lindsay Constitutional Club is tenth at 1.250 and continues to feature prominently among the Welsh venues.

North Star Club sits just outside this Top 12 with a best of 1.241.

Bretforton is also back amongst the leaders at 1.248.

Not every second event has matched the opening score. Sartan, for example, followed 1.265 with 1.184, while Lindsay followed 1.250 with 1.198 and North Star followed 1.241 with 1.171.

That isn't necessarily a negative.

Tournament fields fluctuate.

In fact, that's precisely why following these figures over the entire Vault series should become increasingly useful.

Eventually we'll be able to separate venues capable of producing an occasional exceptional field from those that are relentlessly difficult week after week.

A Few New Names to Watch

There are some other interesting additions.

The Brookside in Syston has now reached 1.278, although its previous scores were considerably lower.

The Monty Club in Newtown has climbed to 1.256.

Pot Black in Shanklin has reached 1.252.

And Dorchester Trinity Club has improved from 1.203 to 1.248.

We're therefore beginning to get movement rather than simply seeing the same opening-night table repeated.

That's what I wanted from these updates.

---

WADC Vault 3.0: Wales Still Leads, But England Is Getting Closer

I'm also following the WADC Vaults separately.

The first time I looked at WADC Vault 3.0, the story was unmistakable.

South Wales dominated the top of the Tournament Strength table.

A week later, England has started to make an impression.

But it hasn't displaced Wales yet.

As with the main Vault 19 table, I've included every venue only once below, using its highest Tournament Strength.

WADC Vault 3.0: Strongest Venues So Far

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength	Players
1	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997	5
2	Briton Ferry Workies, Briton Ferry	0.989	6
3	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986	8
4	Dereham Cricket Club, Dereham	0.980	5
5	Walton WMC	0.941	4
6	Fordham RBL	0.933	4
7	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933	7
8	Wiltshire Darts House, Swindon	0.929	5
9	Shooters, Leominster	0.916	4
10	The Men of March	0.893	5

Each venue appears once, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

South Wales Still Owns the Top Three

The most obvious conclusion hasn't changed.

The three strongest WADC Vault 3.0 venues in the data are still all in South Wales.

The 9 Darter, Port Talbot — 0.997

Briton Ferry Workies — 0.989

Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven — 0.986

But there's now a particularly interesting story within those numbers.

Briton Ferry is getting stronger.

Its first event produced 0.961.

Its next reached 0.989.

That takes Briton Ferry to within just 0.008 of The 9 Darter's leading figure.

And from the previous WADC data I've looked at, Briton Ferry has produced strong Tournament Strength figures before.

It is rapidly becoming one of the WADC venues I want to follow most closely.

England Has Entered the Fight

England's big mover is Dereham Cricket Club.

Dereham initially recorded 0.855.

Its next tournament jumped all the way to 0.980.

That's enough to put it fourth overall and immediately behind the three South Wales leaders.

So has England caught Wales?

Not yet.

But the gap is considerably less comfortable than it looked in my first update.

Walton WMC is also showing some consistency, recording 0.941 and 0.923.

Fordham has reached 0.933, London GAA has also recorded 0.933, while Wiltshire Darts House has reached 0.929.

England therefore has considerably more representation towards the top than it did when I first looked.

One Tournament Tells Us Something – Repetition Tells Us More

That's probably the biggest lesson from this update.

The highest score is interesting.

What happens next is more interesting.

Pinches producing 1.350 caught my attention.

Pinches following it with 1.340 tells me considerably more.

Briton Ferry producing 0.961 was a strong start.

Following it with 0.989 changes the picture again.

Bagley moving from 1.238 to 1.280 is another example.

Then there are venues moving in the opposite direction or producing much more variable fields.

None of that is a problem. It's exactly what I'd expect.

As the sample grows, Tournament Strength should start showing which venues are consistently attracting strong fields rather than simply producing one exceptional night.

So, Where Are We Now?

After the first couple of weeks of Vault 19, Pinches Cue Club remains the benchmark.

Its best score of 1.350 still leads the entire field, but the really impressive part is the 1.340 that followed.

Faringdon has come closest with 1.329, although its eight-player field needs to be kept in context.

Tipton's 1.297 from 28 players is particularly interesting, while Bagley has strengthened from one event to the next.

And the familiar names haven't gone away. Sartan, Lindsay, Bretforton and North Star remain around the stronger end of the data.

In WADC Vault 3.0, Wales still holds the advantage.

Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Resolven occupy the first three positions.

But Dereham has given England a genuine challenger at 0.980, and several other English venues are beginning to gather behind it.

It's still early.

But we're now moving beyond simply asking:

Who had the strongest tournament?

The much more interesting question is beginning to become:

Where are the strongest tournaments happening again and again?

I'll keep tracking it throughout Vault 19.

ADC Darts Vault 19 Week 1

 Vault 19 is underway, and although it is far too early to decide which will ultimately be the toughest venues of the new series, the opening tournaments have already given me plenty to look at.

The headline comes from Pinches Cue Club in Norwich, which has recorded a Tournament Strength score of 1.350 — the highest figure in my Vault 19 data through Saturday 12 September.

Behind Pinches, there are some very familiar names.

Sartan Club has started strongly again and currently leads the South West, while Lindsay Constitutional Club remains the early Welsh benchmark. North Star has also opened Vault 19 above its previous series level.

I've also now found the WADC Vault 3.0 tournaments.

With my interest in the women's game and the amount of women's darts I already cover on Q4QS, I think it is important that I follow those events alongside the main Vault series.

And the opening WADC figures have produced a story of their own, with South Wales occupying the top three positions so far.

This is therefore my first Tournament Strength snapshot of the new Vault series, covering tournaments in the database up to and including Saturday 12 September.

What Is Tournament Strength?

Tournament Strength isn't simply based on the winner of an event or the highest average recorded on the night.

The Q4QS Tournament Strength measure is designed to look at the overall strength of the field.

That distinction is important.

A tournament containing one outstanding player and a relatively weak field is different from one where strong players are waiting in almost every part of the draw.

Over time, Tournament Strength should therefore help identify the venues where consistently difficult fields are turning up.

One event gives us a snapshot.

Several events begin to establish a pattern.

That is why the Vault 18 figures become particularly useful as Vault 19 gets underway.

Vault 19 – The Early Leaders

These are the strongest Vault 19 tournaments in my data through Saturday 12 September:

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength	Top-20 Avg
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350	72.50
2	Sartan Club	1.265	68.25
3	Lindsay Constitutional Club	1.250	67.48
4	Bretforton Sports Club	1.248	67.41
5	North Star Club	1.241	67.05
6	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.238	66.89
7	United Services Club	1.226	66.29
8	Hethersett Social Club	1.224	66.20
9	Stratford Social Club	1.218	65.89
10	Wiltshire Darts House	1.218	65.88
11	Pilcs Sports & Social Club	1.217	65.86
12	Dorchester Trinity Club	1.203	65.16

Pinches Sets the Benchmark

There is no getting away from the standout number in that table.

1.350 — Pinches Cue Club.

There is a sizeable gap between Pinches and Sartan in second at 1.265, while the Top-20 figure of 72.50 also stands well clear of the other early leaders.

I am deliberately not calling Pinches the toughest venue in Vault 19.

We simply don't have enough evidence for that yet.

What I can say is that no Vault 19 tournament in my data through Saturday 12 September has produced a stronger Tournament Strength figure.

Now Pinches has to sustain it.

One exceptional field can produce a huge score. If Pinches continues appearing near the top after five, six or seven tournaments, then we will have evidence of something much more significant.

For now, though, everybody else has a benchmark to chase.

Sartan Still Leads the South West

Closer to home, the strongest opening figure belongs to a venue that featured heavily in my Vault 18 analysis.

Sartan Club is currently the strongest South West venue in Vault 19 at 1.265.

Its Vault 18 Tournament Strength level was around 1.23, so the opening Vault 19 figure is actually higher.

It is far too early to say that Sartan has definitely become stronger. We are comparing one new-series tournament against a much bigger Vault 18 sample.

But it is certainly an encouraging start.

Sartan established its credentials during Vault 18 and has immediately returned with another very strong field.

For now at least, Sartan remains the South West benchmark.

Lindsay Remains No.1 in Wales

There is an equally interesting story in Wales.

Lindsay Constitutional Club has opened Vault 19 at 1.250, putting it third overall in this early table and first among the Welsh venues.

What stands out here isn't improvement.

It's consistency.

Lindsay's Vault 18 level was approximately 1.254.

Vault 18: 1.254.

Vault 19 opening figure: 1.250.

That is almost identical.

A single enormous Tournament Strength score will always catch the eye, but repeatedly attracting strong fields is arguably more interesting.

Lindsay is beginning to provide evidence of exactly that.

North Star Has Started Stronger

North Star Club is another established venue worth watching.

Its opening Vault 19 figure of 1.241 compares with approximately 1.209 during Vault 18.

That is an early increase of around 0.03.

Again, I wouldn't call it a confirmed improvement after one tournament.

But North Star already had a strong Vault 18 baseline, so beginning Vault 19 above that level is significant enough to monitor.

If it is still around 1.24 after several events, then we can start talking about a genuine increase in the strength of its regular field.

Bretforton Joins the Leading Group

The familiar venues shouldn't completely dominate the story.

Bretforton Sports Club has opened with an impressive 1.248, putting it fourth overall and only fractionally behind Lindsay.

Bagley Sports & Social Club is also right amongst the leading group at 1.238.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy looking at Tournament Strength.

The winner of an event naturally receives most of the attention.

This measure gives me another way of finding venues where the difficulty of simply getting through the tournament deserves recognition.

Bretforton has certainly put itself on that list after week one.

WADC Vault 3.0 – South Wales Sets the Early Pace

I've also now added the WADC Vault 3.0 events to the tournaments I am following.

I think that matters.

Women's darts is something I have a particular interest in, and as Q4QS coverage continues to expand I don't want the WADC Vaults to become an afterthought.

I will keep the WADC figures separate from the main Vault 19 table so that we can follow the development of that circuit properly.

And the first set of numbers has produced a very clear regional story.

Leading WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength
1	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
2	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
3	Briton Ferry Workies	0.961
4	Walton WMC	0.941
5	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933
6	Shooters, Leominster	0.916

The first thing that stands out is obvious.

The top three are all in South Wales.

The 9 Darter in Port Talbot leads the way with 0.997, followed closely by Arrows Darts Venue #2 in Resolven at 0.986.

Briton Ferry Workies completes the top three at 0.961.

That gives South Wales an impressive early grip on the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength standings.

Briton Ferry Has Previous Form

Briton Ferry is particularly interesting because I now have historical WADC data to compare against.

During WADC Vault 2.0, an event at Briton Ferry produced a Tournament Strength figure of 1.123.

That means its appearance towards the top of the early Vault 3.0 standings isn't simply an isolated strong tournament at a completely unknown venue.

There is previous evidence of strong women's fields there.

As I add more WADC results, this is exactly the sort of thing I want to explore.

Which venues repeatedly attract the strongest women's fields?

Which areas have the greatest depth?

And do the same venues remain difficult from one Vault series to the next?

After the opening tournaments, South Wales has certainly given me somewhere to start.

Two Rankings That Should Become More Interesting Every Week

The important caveat with everything in this article is the date.

These figures only include tournaments in my data up to and including Saturday 12 September.

They are not final Vault 19 or WADC Vault 3.0 venue rankings.

They're the starting point.

Pinches has produced the standout Vault 19 field at 1.350.

Sartan remains the early South West leader and has started above its Vault 18 level.

Lindsay remains No.1 in Wales and has produced almost exactly the same strength figure as it did during Vault 18.

North Star has also started higher.

And in the WADC Vaults, The 9 Darter, Arrows Resolven and Briton Ferry have given South Wales a clean sweep of the opening top three.

Now I want to see what happens when those venues have three tournaments behind them.

Then five.

Then seven.

One huge score can tell us where an exceptional tournament took place.

Doing it repeatedly tells us where the toughest venues really are.

For now, though, the first Vault 19 target has been set:

1.350 — Pinches Cue Club, Norwich.

And in WADC Vault 3.0:

0.997 — The 9 Darter, Port Talbot.

I'll be watching both.

What Shape Is the PDC Women’s Series In?

 

I recently found myself wondering about the current shape of the PDC Women’s Series.

Beau Greaves continues to dominate, while several familiar and experienced names remain near the top of the rankings. When the same players regularly occupy the leading positions, it can sometimes be difficult to judge how much the circuit beneath them is changing.

However, the PDC Women’s Series is only one part of women’s darts. Many players also compete regularly in WDF competitions and other events around the world, so this is not intended as an assessment of the entire women’s game.

Instead, I wanted to look specifically at what has happened within the Women’s Series.

Is its player base growing? Are new contenders moving through the rankings? Is the group behind the leading stars becoming stronger? And is the circuit producing a new generation capable of challenging the established names?

A closer look at the Women’s Series rankings, alongside the Q4QS data, offers some encouraging answers.

A Broader Player Base

When the Women’s Series began, the top end of the rankings was dominated by established names from the BDO era.

Lisa Ashton topped the inaugural standings in 2020, followed by Deta Hedman and Fallon Sherrock. Corrine Hammond, Aileen de Graaf, Lorraine Winstanley and Vicky Pruim were also among the leading names.

In that opening season, 58 players earned prize money. By 1 September 2026, that figure had increased to 129.

It is not a perfect direct comparison. The inaugural season was heavily affected by the circumstances of 2020, while the number of events and the available prize money have changed over the years.

Nevertheless, the modern rankings demonstrate how many players are now entering events, earning prize money and building experience on the circuit.

That does not automatically prove that the standard has risen at every level, but it suggests a broader competitive structure than existed during the earliest years of the Women’s Series.

The Beau Greaves Effect

Any discussion about the PDC Women’s Series in 2026 has to begin with Beau Greaves.

Since emerging as a major force, Greaves has established a level of dominance rarely seen in the women’s game.

She finished second in the Women’s Series rankings in 2022 before taking over completely, topping the standings in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She leads again in 2026, with £34,700 earned by 1 September—more than double the £17,050 collected by second-placed Lisa Ashton.

That level of dominance can make it difficult to assess the rest of the circuit.

When one player is so far ahead, everybody else can appear to be standing still. However, that is not necessarily what is happening. An alternative interpretation is that Greaves is simply setting an exceptional standard and continuing to improve faster than the field around her.

The gap between Greaves and the chasing pack is enormous, but underneath her dominance there are signs of genuine progress and considerable movement.

Familiar Names Remain Competitive

One of the most interesting features of the 2026 rankings is the continued success of several players who helped establish the Women’s Series.

Lisa Ashton is second in the current standings, while Fallon Sherrock is third. Deta Hedman occupies fifth place, with Vicky Pruim sixth and Trina Gulliver seventh.

Aileen de Graaf, Eleanor Cairns, Jo Locke, Rhian O’Sullivan, Lorraine Winstanley and Denise Cassidy are also inside the top 30.

It would be easy to point to those familiar names and conclude that little has changed. I think that would overlook two important points.

Firstly, their longevity deserves considerable respect. Remaining competitive as the circuit develops is an achievement in itself.

Secondly, established players continuing to succeed does not prevent new challengers from emerging. Both things can happen at the same time—and the movement elsewhere in the rankings suggests that they are.

New Faces Climbing the Rankings

Perhaps the clearest evidence that the Women’s Series is evolving comes from the number of players rapidly climbing the standings.

Gemma Hayter is one of the strongest examples. She moved from sixth in 2024 to fifth in 2025 and sits fourth in the current 2026 standings. She has established herself among the circuit’s leading players and also occupies fourth place in the current Q4QS rankings.

Lauryn Salter has enjoyed a remarkable rise. Ranked 60th in 2024, she climbed to 37th in 2025 before breaking into the top 20 in 2026. By 1 September, she had earned £3,750 and occupied 19th place.

Lauren Bloomfield’s progress has been even more dramatic. After finishing 103rd in 2024 with £200, she surged to 21st in 2025. She has backed that up in 2026, climbing another place to 20th and increasing her prize money to £3,300.

Jade Gofford has produced one of the biggest jumps of the current season. She was ranked 27th in 2025 but has climbed to eighth in 2026, earning £5,500 by the beginning of September.

That is not simply a small move within the middle of the rankings. It represents a breakthrough into the circuit’s leading group.

Another major success story is Joanne Oldershaw. She was 63rd in 2024 and 98th in 2025, but has exploded into the top 20 this season. Her £4,550 in prize money places her 17th in the current standings.

These are not isolated examples. Together, they demonstrate genuine movement throughout the rankings and a competitive landscape that continues to change beneath the established leading names.

Is the Chasing Pack Becoming Stronger?

One of the best indicators of progress in any sporting circuit is not simply the standard of its best player, but the quality and depth of the chasing pack.

The current Q4QS rankings reveal an increasingly dense group of Women’s Series players averaging from the mid-to-high 60s into the 70s.

Karolina Ratajska, Aileen de Graaf, Jade Gofford, Eleanor Cairns, Kim Holden, Denise Cassidy and Lauryn Salter are among those producing strong performances and competing for deep tournament runs.

The important point is not that every one of them is ready to challenge Greaves consistently. It is that there are increasingly dangerous opponents throughout a Women’s Series draw.

The prize-money standings support that impression.

By 1 September, 22 players had earned at least £3,000 during the 2026 Women’s Series season, while 58 had reached £1,000 or more.

Leading players can encounter a dangerous opponent from the opening rounds. More competitors appear capable of defeating recognised names, putting together deep runs and eventually establishing themselves among the leading group.

Competition within the chasing pack should ultimately help to raise standards throughout the circuit, even if Greaves remains some distance ahead of it.

The Next Generation

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the longer-term future of the Women’s Series is the emergence of younger players beginning to make an impact.

Macy Gibbons is a name that immediately stands out.

Although she currently sits outside the leading group on the Women’s Series Order of Merit, her Q4QS position and performance statistics suggest considerable potential. She has recorded a strong average and win percentage, indicating that she could climb substantially as she gains more experience.

Her progress is already visible in the Women’s Series standings. After earning £200 and finishing 101st in 2025, she had climbed to 74th with £600 by 1 September 2026.

Ruby Grey is another player attracting attention. She currently sits inside the top 50 of both the Women’s Series and Q4QS rankings. Her £1,400 in prize money places her 43rd on the 2026 Women’s Series Order of Merit.

Ella Coburn is also beginning to convert appearances into prize money and ranking progress. She has risen from 104th in 2025 to 51st this season, increasing her prize money from £200 to £1,100.

Olivia Goddard is another young name beginning to appear in the standings, earning her first Women’s Series prize money in 2026.

Whether these players eventually develop into regular title challengers remains to be seen.

Progress is rarely completely smooth, particularly on a circuit where the cost of entries and travel—and the ability to commit to a full schedule—can all affect a player’s development.

However, these are exactly the type of emerging players worth following over the coming seasons.

What Do the Rankings Tell Us?

Rankings never provide the complete picture.

They reward results rather than potential, while players who enter more events naturally have more opportunities to earn money. The Q4QS data adds performance averages and win percentages, but that also depends on which tournaments and matches are available within the database.

The 2026 Women’s Series season was also still in progress when these figures were collected on 1 September.

Despite those qualifications, there are some clear trends.

Greaves remains comfortably ahead. Ashton, Sherrock and several other established stars remain extremely competitive. Behind them, however, a group of newer contenders is beginning to establish itself.

Hayter has become part of the leading group. Gofford has broken into the top 10. Oldershaw, Salter and Bloomfield have reached the top 20.

Further down the rankings, players such as Gibbons, Grey, Coburn and Goddard are beginning to create their own signs of progress.

There is experience at the top, considerable competition in the middle and emerging potential beneath it.

So, What Shape Is the Women’s Series In?

Based on the available evidence, I think the PDC Women’s Series is in a healthy and increasingly competitive position.

Its player base is broader than it was during the circuit’s earliest years. More players are earning prize money, several newer names are climbing rapidly through the standings and the group behind the leading stars appears to be developing greater depth.

The extraordinary dominance of Beau Greaves can sometimes obscure that progress.

When one player sets such a high standard, everybody else can appear static by comparison. However, the movement beneath Greaves tells a different story.

Gemma Hayter, Lauryn Salter, Lauren Bloomfield, Jade Gofford and Joanne Oldershaw all provide evidence of players making significant progress within the Women’s Series.

Behind them, Macy Gibbons, Ruby Grey, Ella Coburn and Olivia Goddard offer signs of another generation beginning to emerge.

There are still areas in which the circuit can develop. More opportunities, greater international participation and more players being able to compete regularly across a full season would all strengthen it further.

It is also important to remember that the Women’s Series is not the entirety of women’s darts. Many players continue to develop and achieve success through WDF competitions and other routes around the world.

But judged specifically on its own rankings and recent trends, the PDC Women’s Series does not appear to be standing still.

Beau Greaves may continue to take most of the headlines, but beneath her dominance there is genuine movement, increasing depth and a developing group of players hoping to become the circuit’s next leading names.

Gibraltar Open & Classic Review: Clark, Lawrie and Jacklin Star Across WDF Weekend

The Gibraltar Open & Classic weekend produced four WDF titles across two busy days of darts, with Matt Clark, Mitchell Lawrie and Paula Jacklin leaving Gibraltar with the silverware.

Across the men’s and ladies’ events, the weekend had a strong international feel and plenty of quality, with the Gibraltar Open, Gibraltar Open Ladies, Gibraltar Classic and Gibraltar Classic Ladies all forming part of a competitive WDF programme.

Weekend at a Glance

Gibraltar Open: Matt Clark
Gibraltar Classic: Mitchell Lawrie
Gibraltar Open Ladies: Paula Jacklin
Gibraltar Classic Ladies: Paula Jacklin

Clark Claims Gibraltar Open Title

The Gibraltar Open title went to Matt Clark, who came through the men’s field to take one of the main trophies of the weekend.

Clark’s victory gave the weekend an excellent opening headline, with a well-earned WDF title added to his record. In a field containing several dangerous players, winning the Gibraltar Open required consistency across the draw rather than just one standout performance.

It also set the tone for a weekend where familiar names were pushed hard, and where the standard in the men’s events remained competitive deep into the knockout stages.

Lawrie Lights Up the Classic

If Clark took the Open, the Gibraltar Classic belonged to Mitchell Lawrie.

Lawrie produced one of the strongest individual tournament runs of the weekend, defeating Marcus Maier 5–2 in the final and averaging 93.69 in the title match. His standout performance came earlier in the tournament, where he produced a superb 109.25 average in his Top 32 win over Ruben Cañas Lopez.

Lawrie also came through a tough semi-final against Lewis Gurney, edging it 4–3, before finishing the job impressively in the final. Maier also deserves plenty of credit for reaching the final, with strong wins over Daniel Zapata and Ryan Branley on his route through the draw.

There were several other eye-catching performances in the Classic, including Daniel Zapata’s 105.47 average, Dom Taylor’s 98.44, and strong runs from Ryan Branley, Lewis Gurney, Nick Fullwell and Christopher Holt.

Jacklin Does the Ladies Double

The outstanding story in the ladies’ events was Paula Jacklin, who completed a superb double by winning both the Gibraltar Open Ladies and Gibraltar Classic Ladies titles.

In one of the finals, Jacklin defeated Irina Armstrong 5–2, showing her experience and match-play strength to come through another competitive women’s draw.

Armstrong also had an excellent weekend, reaching a final and producing some of the best numbers in the ladies’ event, including a 65.95 average in the last 16 and a 62.09 in her semi-final victory over Tami Kelley.

Jacklin’s double made her one of the clear players of the weekend. Winning one WDF title is difficult enough; winning both ladies’ events across the same weekend shows real consistency and composure.

Other Ladies Standouts

While Jacklin took the headlines, there were strong performances from several others.

Tami Kelley produced the highest ladies’ average shown in the data with 69.48 in her quarter-final win over Margaret Sutton. Lisa Vandekerckhove reached the semi-finals, while Hannah Meek, Laima Upeniece, Sandija Andersone and Margaret Sutton all featured in the latter stages.

The ladies’ events may not have had the same size of field as the men’s tournaments, but they still produced competitive matches and a clear weekend storyline through Jacklin’s double success.

Players of the Weekend

Paula Jacklin has to be right at the top after winning both ladies’ titles.

Mitchell Lawrie produced the biggest statistical performance of the weekend and backed it up by winning the Gibraltar Classic.

Matt Clark took the Gibraltar Open crown and ensured the men’s titles were shared across the weekend.

Marcus Maier impressed with a strong run to the Classic final.

Irina Armstrong was a major presence in the ladies’ events and pushed Jacklin in the final.

Final Thoughts

The Gibraltar Open & Classic weekend delivered four WDF titles and several strong storylines.

Matt Clark claimed the Gibraltar Open, Mitchell Lawrie produced a brilliant Gibraltar Classic run, and Paula Jacklin dominated the ladies’ side of the weekend by winning both women’s events.

For Q4QS, this is exactly the kind of WDF weekend that deserves proper coverage: multiple titles, international fields, strong averages, and players building momentum on the wider circuit.

Gibraltar once again provided a valuable stop on the WDF calendar, and the winners will leave with ranking points, confidence and a strong weekend behind them. 

Forgotten Women of Darts: The Trailblazers Before Beau Greaves

 The rise of Beau Greaves has shone a fresh light on the women’s game, confident, clinical, and competing toe-to-toe with the men.

But before the Women’s Series, before Ally Pally walk-ons and TV slots, there were a handful of pioneering women who carried the game when no cameras were watching.

They’re rarely mentioned now, yet they set the stage for everything Beau and Fallon Sherrock enjoy today. Let’s meet five of the forgotten heroes of women’s darts.

 Gayl King – The Original Pioneer

Long before Fallon Sherrock made headlines, Gayl King quietly made history.

In 2001, the Canadian became the first woman ever to play in the PDC World Darts Championship, earning her place by winning the North American Cup.

She faced Graeme Stoddart at the Circus Tavern and lost 3-1 in sets, but the result barely mattered. King had proved that women belonged on the biggest stage.

Since then she’s slipped from public memory, yet her legacy remains: she walked so others could run.

Stacy Bromberg - The Forgotten World Champion

Known as 'The Wish Granter', Stacy Bromberg dominated American darts for nearly two decades.

She was U.S. No. 1 sixteen times, won countless national titles, and in 2010 lifted the only PDC Women’s World Championship ever staged, edging Tricia Wright 6–5 in a thriller.

The event was meant to spark a women’s circuit — but it never returned. Bromberg kept inspiring others until her passing in 2017.

A true champion, sadly without the spotlight her achievement deserved.

 Ann-Louise Peters - The Danish Flagbearer

In an era dominated by English and Dutch players, Ann-Louise Peters carried the flag for Scandinavia.

She reached the semi-finals of the 2014 BDO World Championship, helped Denmark win WDF Europe Cup team gold, and consistently mixed it with the best.

Quiet, classy, and determined, Peters proved that talent in women’s darts was global and not just British. She stepped away from the tour soon after, but her legacy lives on in every non-UK player who dreams big.

--

Tricia Wright - The Nearly-Forgotten Finalist

If Stacy Bromberg was the champion, Tricia Wright was the other half of that 2010 story.

Wright pushed Bromberg to a deciding leg in the PDC Women’s World Championship final, and over her long BDO career collected titles across Europe.

She never quite became a household name, but her role in that historic final makes her part of darts history.

The 'forgotten finalist'  and a reminder of how small the women’s spotlight once was.

Francis Hoenselaar – The Jimmy White of Women’s Darts

If ever there was a Jimmy White of the women’s game, it’s Francis Hoenselaar.

For years she was runner-up to Trina Gulliver, finishing second six times at Lakeside before finally winning the BDO World Championship in 2009.

A six-time World Masters and five-time Zuiderduin Masters champion, she was stylish, consistent, and loved by fans.

Hoenselaar retired in 2011 after injury, but her perseverance remains a symbol of grace in defeat, and ultimate reward.

Closing Thoughts

Every era needs its pioneers. Before social media, before the glamour of the PDC stage, women like King, Bromberg, Peters, Wright, and Hoenselaar were carving out opportunities where none existed.

They may not trend on TikTok or walk out to a packed Ally Pally crowd, but they built the foundations of modern women’s darts.

Next time you watch Beau Greaves or Fallon Sherrock on TV, remember that their path was cleared by these unsung heroes.