Josh Rock: Difference between revisions

 

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Northern Irish darts player (born 2001)

Darts player

Joshua Rock (born 13 April 2001) is a Northern Irish professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently ranked world number ten. Nicknamed “Rocky“, he has been a PDC Tour Card holder since 2022. He won his first European Tour title at the 2024 Dutch Darts Championship and has won six PDC titles in his professional career. He has made two PDC major semi-finals in 2025; at the UK Open and World Matchplay. Rock won the PDC World Cup of Darts in 2025, representing Northern Ireland alongside Daryl Gurney. He also threw a televised nine-dart finish at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts in his match against Michael van Gerwen.

In his youth career, Rock found success in the PDC’s youth system, most notably winning both the PDC World Youth Championship in 2022. He also won five PDC Development Tours in 2022.

Rock was born on 13 April 2001 in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.^[5][3] He played for his local football club, Antrim Rovers, as a right-back.^[6] He later moved to the village of Broughshane. He started playing darts competitively in pub leagues at the age of 10 or 11 and began pursuing a career in the sport once he left school at age 16.^[7]

In January 2022, Rock attended PDC Pro Tour Qualifying School. He won a PDC Tour Card by defeating Nathan Rafferty in the Final Stage Day Four final.^[8]

He topped the Development Tour Order of Merit, winning five events. In November, Rock achieved his first televised nine-dart finish in the last 16 of the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, in an eventual 10–8 defeat to Michael van Gerwen.^[9] Later that month, Rock won the PDC World Youth Championship by beating Nathan Girvan 6–1 with an average of 104.13, a record for a World Youth final.^[10]

In his debut at the 2023 World Championship, Rock beat José Justicia, Callan Rydz and Nathan Aspinall before losing 4–3 to Jonny Clayton in the fourth round.

On the 2023 PDC Pro Tour, Rock reached the final of four Players Championship events and the Austrian Darts Open.

At the 2023 Grand Slam of Darts, Rock won Group B with wins against Chris Dobey, Jonny Clayton and Berry van Peer and reached the quarter finals with a 10–5 win over Krzysztof Ratajski.^[11] Rock lost in his quarter-final match 16–15 to James Wade.^[12]

At the 2024 World Championship, Rock suffered a shock 3–1 second-round defeat to Berry van Peer.^[13] On the 2024 PDC Pro Tour, Rock reached the final of Players Championship 7, but lost to Chris Dobey 8–4.^[14][15] However, in May, Rock won his first PDC European Tour title; he beat Jonny Clayton 8–4 in the final of the Dutch Darts Championship.^[16] Rock added two more Players Championship titles at events 17 and 30.^[17][18]

Rock represented Northern Ireland in the PDC World Cup of Darts for the first time at the 2024 edition, serving as team captain and partnering Brendan Dolan.^[19] They reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they were defeated 8–4 by eventual champions England.^[20]

At the 2025 World Championship, Rock reached the third round where he was eliminated in a 4–2 defeat to Chris Dobey.^[21] Following the tournament, he signed a deal with darts manufacturer Target Darts and claimed that he and new Target stablemate Luke Littler could “dominate the sport for years to come.”^[22][23] At the UK Open, Rock reached his first PDC major semi-final after a 10–7 victory over Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals, but lost 11–2 to James Wade.^[24] He won his first title of the year – his fifth Pro Tour title – at Players Championship 10, defeating Cameron Menzies 8–4 in the final.^[25]

Rock and teammate Daryl Gurney won the World Cup of Darts for Northern Ireland for the first time, defeating Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price of Wales 10–9 in a deciding leg.^[26] He broke the record for most maximums (180s) hit in a World Cup final with nine.^[27]

Rock reached the semi-finals of the 2025 World Matchplay^[28][29] and the final of the 2025 Flanders Darts Trophy, losing to eventual champion Luke Littler on both occasions.^[30][31] After making the semi-finals at the 2025 Hungarian Darts Trophy, Rock reached a career-high ranking of tenth in the PDC Order of Merit.^[32]

Rock married his wife Sarah in January 2025, two days before competing at the 2025 PDC World Masters.^[33] In September 2024, the couple had a daughter.^[34] He is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers and local side Ballymena United; he was primary and secondary schoolmates with Northern Irish footballer Ross McCausland.^[35]

Rock became an ambassador for Sensory Kids NI, a children’s autism charity in Northern Ireland, after his stepson was diagnosed with autism.^[36][37]

PDC European Tour

PDC Players Championships

Performance Table Legend
W	Won the tournament	F	Finalist	SF	Semifinalist	QF	Quarterfinalist	#R RR L#	Lost in # round Round-robin Last # stage	DQ	Disqualified
DNQ	Did not qualify	DNP	Did not participate	WD	Withdrew	NH	Tournament not held			NYF	Not yet founded