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'I was in Iceland for darts tournament with Russ Bray it might be better than England'

I went to the far frozen north to discover a passion for darts at a tournament hosted by two legends of the sport - John McDonald and Russ Bray

[Russ Bray, John McDonald and Will Schofield]

I ventured to Iceland to watch a darts tournament

Walking along Akureyri's harbour is to feel what it's like to skirt around the edge of the earth.

There are only a few miles between me and the most extreme north of this planet - in the distance, I could see the fjord opening up into the vast expanse of the Arctic.

This isn't the typical host town of a sporting event.

However, the Akureyri Open - the reason I found myself in the far north of Iceland on a spring morning that felt more like summer - isn't a normal sporting event.

John McDonald and Russ Bray had ventured to the frozen north - and it was their presence that had prompted me to hop on a flight from London Gatwick to the small Icelandic town.

[Akureyri]

Akureyri feels like you're on the edge of the world

Darts, for me, has always felt like an English sport - one played in boozers up and down the country. That's reflected in the upper echelons of the sport - only one Premier League player doesn't come from these shores.

And yet, from the moment I walked into the Sjallinn, which had been rebranded as the Sjally Pally, it became clear that passion is just as feverish as it is here.

I spoke with organisers and players, all proud to show off their small corner of the world; all eager to showcase the sport and its far reaches.

[Pludeild rs]

The Akureyri took place over two nights

Hundreds had entered the competiton and through a series of group stage games, they had been whittled down to the final eight on the Saturday night.

At the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship over the winter there were representatives from all four corners of the globe - and for the past two years, Iceland has fielded a team in the World Cup of Darts.

Who says an Icelander won't graced the famous stage soon too, from what I saw, almost nobody.

[Akureyri Open]

The tournament might have been better than those staged in the UK

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There was a moment just before the final that stuck with me, before announcing the final two, McDonald looked around in amazement. He'd admitted to me beforehand he'd never been to Iceland and didn't know what to expect.

And in that moment, he had discovered the same thing that I had a couple of hours beforehand.

You can be anywhere, even this town on the edge of the world, but darts is still darts.

That's what perhaps what I was asked the most by the locals - all eager to learn how it compared to events back home. I told them all I was amazed, it was like some of the top events in the UK. And that became clear a couple of days after I had landed back home. I was in Manchester for Premier League darts and of course, the occasion is bigger - but were those in attendance all as passionate as the hundreds that crowded into that nightclub? Absolutely not. easyJet Holidays offers a flight and four-night room package from 481pp. Stay at Kea by KeaHotels in Akureryi for four nights, flying from London Gatwick to Akureyri.

[Will Schofield]

Will Schofield

Will joined the Daily Star Sport team in 2021 after graduating from the University of Winchester with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. He is now a Senior Sports Journalist with a wealth of experience from being on the ground at the Tour de France to sitting in press boxes. Will has a love for niche football stories (mainly from Scandinavia), the thrills and spills of darts, and all things cycling - for which he has travelled Europe, seeking out stories.

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