Darts sensation Nathan Aspinall is taking a break from the dartboard to tie the knot with his long-term partner Kirsty in a star-studded wedding. While many fellow darts pros will be celebrating, the big day comes with one golden rule: absolutely no darts talk! Before saying ‘I do,’ Aspinall enjoyed a memorable stag do in Ibiza, featuring an unexpected encounter with England’s Lionesses. But once the confetti settles, his focus will sharpen on the dartboard again, as he faces a crucial challenge to qualify for the Players Championship Finals.
A Darts-Free Wedding Day for “The Asp”
Nathan Aspinall, the 35-year-old former World Matchplay champion, is set to marry Kirsty at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire. This special occasion sees him temporarily swap the competitive darts stage for wedding celebrations.
The wedding is strategically timed during a gap in the professional darts calendar – specifically, after the World Matchplay and before the Australian events. This careful planning ensures that many of his fellow professionals can attend without missing crucial tournaments.
Around 20 members of the darts community are expected to join the celebrations, including prominent names like Luke Humphries. However, one notable absence will be rising star Luke Littler, who is currently enjoying a family break in Florida.
The most important rule for the day, according to Aspinall, is simple: absolutely no darts talk! His fiancée, Kirsty, has spent years living with the constant travel, tournaments, and inevitable conversations about the sport that come with being with one of the PDC’s leading players. This wedding offers a rare opportunity for a day completely free from the world of darts.
“My missus has to put up with a lot of darts talk — that’s our life,” Aspinall explained. “One of the main rules was there’s no darts involved at all. So we’ll keep it that way.” He did concede he might make one small reference to the sport in his speech, joking, “I’ll probably say in my speech that the darts paid for this wedding.”
Ibiza Stag Do: Darts Pros Meet Football Royalty
Before the wedding bells, Aspinall celebrated his stag party in Ibiza, joined by several fellow darts players, including Chris Dobey, Ross Smith, and Joe Cullen.
In one of the more unexpected sporting crossovers of the summer, the group found themselves on the same Jet2 flight as members of England’s Lionesses women’s football team! Aspinall recounted meeting Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone at Manchester Airport, both heading to the same sun-drenched destination.
“I was in a wedding dress, she was in a City kit,” Aspinall humorously recalled, referring to his stag attire. “We got chatting and realised they were going to Ibiza. So on our Jet2 flight was me and all the darts lads, and all the Lionesses.”
The groups later met again on the island, with Aspinall speaking warmly about former England goalkeeper Mary Earps. “I must give Mary Earps a shout out — she was amazing,” he said. “I spent about an hour with Mary. She was a lovely woman.”
The Race to Minehead: A Crucial Players Championship Push
Once the wedding and honeymoon celebrations are complete, Nathan Aspinall’s focus will quickly turn back to the dartboard and the competitive season.
He currently sits 94th on the Players Championship Order of Merit with £17,250 earned during the campaign. To qualify for the prestigious Players Championship Finals at Minehead, players must be among the leading 64 on this ranking.
The current qualification cut-off is significant, with Martin Schindler presently occupying the final qualification place on £25,500. This means Aspinall has a considerable amount of ground to make up.
Aspinall is not alone in this challenge; many other high-profile players are also currently outside the qualification spots:
- Josh Rock
- Ryan Joyce
- Mike De Decker
- Peter Wright
- Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Luke Littler (who notably has not earned any money from the floor events so far due to his decision not to participate in them)
The remaining Players Championship events are absolutely crucial for these players to accumulate enough ranking money and secure their spot in the finals. The final stretch of the ProTour season promises to be a thrilling race for qualification.
Soon, Aspinall will trade his personal “I do” for the professional “checkout” on the oche, aiming for a strong finish to the season.
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
