Darts legends from Western Australia, south-east Queensland, Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and South Australia converged on Cobram last week for the 2025 Australian Legends Darts Championship.
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The week-long event began with a welcome at Thompsons Beach and ended with a farewell dinner held at the Cobram Civic Centre on Saturday, November 1, when presentations were made to all the winners.
In excess of 400 enthusiastic darts players enjoyed use of the Cobram sports stadium, which catered well to the needs of men and women over the age of 45 years throughout seven days of competition. Firstly, there were team events, followed by singles, doubles and finally mixed events.
“Unequivocally this is the best venue we have played in for many years,” Charles Valance, vice president of Legends Australia and president of the Victorian Legends, said, while the inaugural president since 1997 when the Legends Australia was introduced, Robin Alexander, agreed.
That initial year saw 84 players enter the championships. The past week in Cobram numbers reached 412, yet generally range between 350 and 450. While many players take to the game at a relatively young age and continue to play into their 60s and 70s, others are relatively new to the game.
However the championships are more than just a sport — for many competitors it’s about friendship. Each Legend member proudly wears a special badge that says ‘Legends Means Friendships’.
The chance to make friends each year appears to be the main focus for most as they travel to the next designated location around the country.
Next year’s event will be held in Gosford, NSW.
Western Australia has the largest contingent of players, and this year South Australia entered for the first time.
Western Australian darts players Dean Whiteman, Darren Yaxley, Leeanne Johnson and Sandra Rance.
Competitors do not compete for prizemoney, it’s about the honour of representing your state, wearing an artfully designed shirt and being presented with a medallion in front of your peers. Each competitor pays $20 for the week plus a $20 registration fee.
A special commemorative shirt for 2025 was available to competitors showcasing the Murray River with a paddle boat on the front while on the back it featured Thompsons Beach. Quite a fabulous reminder of a great week spent in the area.
Lucy Garton showcases Thompsons Beach on the back of her shirt while playing for Victoria.
Victorian competitor and Katamatite resident Lucy Garton wore her shirt proudly all week. She loves the darts competition and will always remember the woman who encouraged her to play and join the Legends.
“I was encouraged by Hazel Sparks from Geelong to give it a try,” Lucy said. “She held my hand and encouraged me all the way. I will never forget her. Her daughter plays now and she is very good too!”
The first 100 shirts sold out immediately, while further orders were taken throughout the week.
Accommodation is varied for competitors: some have caravans, while others stay in short-term rentals, district hotels and motels, private homes or the RACV Resort.
Organisers wish to thank everyone involved in assisting with the championships, which included members of the Apex Club of Cobram, who ran the bar each day for the thirsty players, and Big Mumma’s was kept hard at work all day providing hot snacks. While away from the stadium, the Central Hotel, Barooga Hotel and the Sporties were kept busy after matches were over for the day.
While Cobram Barooga Business and Tourism Inc generously provided a grant to the sporting group, the Darts Legends invited Kylee and James from Dutch Thunder Wildlife to come along and speak with them and offered a generous donation to assist in caring for and continuing to save the lives of our local wildlife.
A fabulous week not only for Darts Legends but the town itself, as Cobram businesses would have benefited decidedly from an influx of more than 400 people here for the week.
