Fresh from inspiring Northern Ireland to World Cup of Darts glory, Josh Rock is now aiming to make his mark at this year’s Betfred World Matchplay.
Rock has been touted as a superstar in the making ever since claiming his PDC Tour Card in January 2022, and now he’s delivering on that potential on the sport’s biggest stages.
The 24-year-old enjoyed a dream start to life on the professional circuit, winning five Development Tour titles, a ProTour crown and the World Youth Championship within the first 12 months of his career.
Rock also landed a memorable nine-darter on his Grand Slam of Darts debut, achieving perfection in an epic last 16 encounter against Michael van Gerwen.
The Northern Irishman continued to impress on the ProTour and European Tour stage over the next few years, but success in major ranking events had proven somewhat elusive.
However, his run to a first televised ranking semi-final in March’s UK Open bucked that trend, before he and Daryl Gurney combined to create darting history for Northern Ireland last month.
Rock was virtually flawless in Frankfurt, with the pair defeating the formidable Welsh partnership of Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price in an epic decider to become World Cup champions.
“It was absolutely massive for me and Daryl,” reflected Rock, who registered an individual average of 107.88 in the final.
“For me to personally, to lift my first major title and to win for my country, made it even more special.
“To beat one of the best pairings there has ever been in Gerwyn and Jonny was absolutely fantastic. It was a pleasure to be involved in that match.”
Rock will renew his rivalry with former European Champion Ross Smith in Blackpool, in a repeat of their first round showdown at last year’s World Matchplay.
Smith ran out a 10-4 winner on that occasion, although Rock is likely to prove a different proposition on his return to the Empress Ballroom.
“I just laughed when the draw came out. I thought typical, it’s deja-vu!” added the world number 17.
“There could be fireworks, but hopefully this time around I come out as the winner. It should be a fantastic game regardless.
“There are no easy games at this tournament. The top 32 players in the world are capable of winning anything, so it’s all on the day.
“I’m confident in my own game. I still haven’t won a game at the World Matchplay before, but it’s only my third appearance there.
“I’ve always said it’s a marathon not a sprint. It will be a stepping stone if I can get that first win, and then I believe I’ll be able to push on.”
Rock’s World Cup heroics have inevitably dominated the narrative surrounding his form, although he’s been equally impressive on the ProTour circuit in the first half of 2025.
The 24-year-old claimed his fifth ranking title at Players Championship Ten in April, before succumbing to Price in another final just eight days later, despite averaging north of 110.
This consistency on the Players Championship circuit has been supplemented by a brace of semi-final appearances on the European Tour, providing further confirmation of Rock’s burgeoning potential.
Having established himself as a contender at the highest level, the next step is to lift major individual silverware – a task he remains firmly focused on.
“I feel in a really good place at the minute, and long may it continue,” declared the former World Youth Champion.
“I knew I could perform on the TV, but I had a lot of things going on behind the scenes which didn’t really help. Now everything is going to plan.
“I’m only 24 years old, so I’ve still got an awful lot of time in this sport to achieve what I want to achieve.
“As I have said before, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so I’m happy to keep doing what I’m doing, but I would love to win an individual major title this year.
“It would mean the absolute world to me, and I’m going to fight as much as I can for that.”
You can read the full, exclusive interview with Josh in the official 2025 Betfred World Matchplay programme.
2025 Betfred World Matchplay
Monday July 21 (1900 BST)
First Round x4
Chris Dobey v Ricardo Pietreczko
Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
Ross Smith v Josh Rock