June 2025 was an extraordinary month for darts enthusiasts, packed with high-stakes action and unforgettable moments at the Modus Super Series! We saw Lisa Ashton clinch her maiden Modus Super Series trophy during a fiercely contested Women’s Week 3. The inaugural International Pairs Week brought national pride to the oche, culminating in a dramatic victory for the Netherlands. Series 11 then kicked off with three electrifying weeks, featuring Jeff Smith’s dominant Week 1 win, Scott Taylor’s Week 2 triumph against the odds, and John O’Shea’s emotional first weekly title in Week 3, highlighting incredible comebacks and nail-biting finishes throughout.
Women’s Week 3: A Champion is Crowned
Following Jenson Walker’s Series 10 Champions Week victory, the Modus Super Series paused for the highly anticipated Women’s Week 3. This event showcased top female talent, all vying for glory.
Group Stage Drama
- Group A featured an all-star lineup including Women’s Week 2 champion Kirsi Viinikainen, WDF Girls World Champion Paige Pauling, and darts legends Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter, and Trina Gulliver. The group was incredibly tight, with only two points separating the top three. Ultimately, Gemma Hayter progressed to Finals Night, narrowly edging out Viinikainen and Ashton.
- Group B saw the return of original Women’s Week champion Rhian O’Sullivan, alongside Laura Turner and Lorraine Winstanley. In another close finish, Ashton and Viinikainen once again finished level on points, but it was Rhian O’Sullivan who advanced on leg difference.
- Group C was largely dominated by Vicky Pruim, who secured her spot in what promised to be an intriguing Finals Night.
Finals Night: Lisa Ashton’s Triumph
The stage was set for an epic Finals Night. Rhian O’Sullivan showed incredible form, going unbeaten all the way to the final. However, it was Lisa Ashton who ultimately triumphed, defeating O’Sullivan 3-1 to lift her first-ever Modus Super Series trophy. A truly memorable moment for the darts star!
International Pairs Week: National Pride on the Line
Next up was a brand new format: the first-ever International Pairs Week. Players weren’t just competing for prize money, but for the pride of their nations!
Group A: Scotland’s Incredible Comeback
The Welsh team of Richie Burnett and Kurt Parry started strong, dominating Group A for much of the week. However, the Scottish duo of John Henderson and Scott Campbell staged an astonishing comeback, securing nine consecutive wins to rally from near the bottom of the table. Their dramatic 4-2 victory over Wales in the final group match secured them the narrowest of group victories.
Group B & C: More Close Calls
- Group B also saw Welsh dominance, this time securing the top spot ahead of the Netherlands (Jimmy van Schie and Danny van Trijp) and Ireland (Shane McGuirk and John O’Shea). Peter Wachiuri made a Live Lounge return, though with less success than his debut.
- Group C came down to the wire between England and Belgium (Brian Raman and Xanti Van den Bergh). England won the decisive match, and both nations ultimately progressed to Finals Night.
Finals Night: Chaos and Dutch Glory
The Finals Night group stages were incredibly tight. After Scotland, Ireland, and Belgium all beat each other 4-1, an unprecedented situation unfolded: all six players took to the stage for a dramatic 9-dart shootout. This sudden-death tie-breaker, where players aim to score the highest with nine darts, created chaotic scenes with possibly the most players ever seen on stage for a televised competition! Scott Campbell’s two 180s put Scotland in an unassailable position, eliminating Ireland by just three points.
The Welsh team of Burnett and Parry once again went unbeaten in the Finals Night group stages. However, in a thrilling final, Jimmy van Schie and Danny van Trijp of the Netherlands took revenge for their earlier group defeat, winning 4-1 to lift the trophy – a fantastic moment for Dutch darts!
Influencer Darts Showdown 4
Amidst all the competitive action, there was also time for some fun with the Modus Super Series Influencer Darts Showdown 4. This saw Ollie Howard from Bullhitters and Peter Wachiuri triumph over ‘The Darts Referee’ Jack Langston and Marcel ‘Scorpion’ Althaus, proving that even influencers can hit their targets!
Modus Super Series 11 Kicks Off: Three Weeks of Intense Darts
Normal service resumed with the launch of Series 11 in the Live Lounge, but “normal” quickly became anything but, with weeks full of upsets and nail-biting finishes.
Week 1: Jeff Smith’s Decisive Dominance
- Group A finished in an extraordinary fashion: Jeff Smith won the group, but an incredible four players were tied for second place, all just one victory behind him!
- Group B saw David Evans and Gary Stone successfully advance to Finals Night.
- Group C was equally tight, with Tommy Morris and Danny Ayres tying atop the standings.
After such a tight week, it was no surprise that Finals Night was also a tense affair. Jeff Smith emerged victorious as the Week 1 winner, impressively needing 4-3 deciding leg victories in all but one of his matches – a true testament to his clutch performance.
Week 2: Scott Taylor Seizes the Moment
- Group A saw Jamie Hughes lead for much of the week, but losing his last two matches opened the door for Steven Johnstone. Johnstone produced two narrow 4-3 wins to dramatically steal Group A at the very last moment.
- Group B was less unpredictable, with Scott Taylor comfortably advancing with only two defeats.
- Group C was dominated by Tom Cromwell, who secured 8 wins from a possible 10.
In Finals Night, no player was undefeated after the group stages, creating a real sense that anything could happen. Few could have predicted the outcome: Tom Cromwell’s only 4-0 whitewash defeat of the entire week came in the final, as Scott Taylor delivered a stunning performance to win Week 2.
Week 3: John O’Shea’s First Weekly Title
- Group A saw Kevin Burness top the group, though some poor results on Day 3 made him sweat after what should have been a comfortable triumph.
- Group B was another close call, with Graham Hall narrowly prevailing ahead of John O’Shea and Alec Small.
- Group C featured an undeniable performance from Johnny Haines, who achieved a perfect record with 5 wins from 5 on Day 1, and repeated the feat on Day 2 to finish the group stages with an flawless 10 wins from 10 matches.
However, Haines could not carry that perfect form into Finals Night, suffering defeats to Alec Small (4-2) and Graham Hall (4-3) that ended his impressive run. Ultimately, the final came down to John O’Shea against Brian Raman. In a commanding performance, John O’Shea secured a 4-1 victory to be crowned the Week 3 champion – remarkably, his first-ever weekly win in the Live Lounge!
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
