Kiwi Champion French Wins Purfleet Place

NEW ZEALAND National Singles Champion Warren French will represent his country at the 2007 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

Following the qualification of Oceanic Masters champion Warren Parry for the 2006 World Championship, New Zealand has been awarded its own International Representative at this year's event.

French, who represents Woolston Club defeated Barry Kepa at the Papanui Club in Christchurch to win the National Singles title.

He saw off the challenge of more than 1,000 players, including nine former champions, to take the coveted honour as well as a place at the Circus Tavern.

Clubs New Zealand Darts Association spokesman Wayne McBeath said: "We'd like to congratulate Warren and I'm sure he's looking forward to playing at Purfleet.

"This is a great step forward for the Clubs New Zealand Darts Association, and New Zealand darts in general.

"Like in Australia, players in New Zealand now have two chances to qualify for the world's richest darts event, the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship."

The final chance for players comes in October at the Oceanic Masters in Gosford, with the champion joining French and the Australian Grand Prix winner in travelling to the UK in December.