Coronavirus has claimed another sporting event, with the 2020 NZ Darts Masters called off, due to the global pandemic.
The tournament was due to take place on August 21/22 at Hamilton's Claudelands Arena, but has been moved back 12 months and rescheduled for August 20-21, 2021, at the same venue.
This year's event would have been headlined by history-making Fallon Sherrock, who became the first female to win a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship match last year.
The Masters gives Kiwi arrowsmiths a rare chance to compete against some of the world's best, including reigning champion Michael van Gerwen and current world champion Peter Wright.
Along with the event in New Zealand, the two Australian legs in Townsville and Wollongong have been rescheduled, along with the US Darts Masters, scheduled for June.
"As with our recent decision to move the US Darts Masters in New York back 12 months to be part of our 2021 World Series of Darts, we felt that this was the most appropriate step for our Oceanic events, given the current global situation," says PDC chief executive Matthew Porter.
"The reaction of fans in Australia and New Zealand, ahead of our World Series of Darts events, had been extremely encouraging, and we had been very excited about our planned debuts in Wollongong and Townsville, as well as the return to Hamilton.
"To agree dates to stage the events in 2021 will now enable fans to plan with a greater degree of certainty for what should be three fantastic world series events."
The PDC first staged the event in Hamilton last year, after four years in Auckland, with more than 7500 fans attending across the two nights.
Hamilton City Council venues, tourism and major events general manager Sean Murray was happy that the PDC had agreed to return in 2021.
"While it is understandable this year's event isn't able go on as planned, it is fantastic that PDC is committed to bringing the NZ Darts Masters back to Hamilton in 2021," he said.
"We look forward to celebrating the return of this event with darts fans next year in what promises to be a highlight of Claudelands' 2021 event calendar."
