Warwick prepare for darts Varsity clash with Birmingham

Warwick will face off against the University of Birmingham on Saturday 22 April, in Warwick’s first darts Varsity match since 2020.

Back then, Warwick got the better of the now defunct Coventry, but the team has since gone from strength to strength and asserted the university’s place as one of the UK’s leading outfits.

The match comes just a matter of weeks after Warwick clinched the Midlands regional trophy, with a last-day defeat of Nottingham Trent.

Varsity will also take place a day before Warwick’s throwers head to Loughborough for University Darts UK’s National Finals, where they will be hoping to go better than their semi-final finish from last year.

It all means that it could prove an exciting week for Warwick Darts, in which they can complete a triple crown of Varsity, Midlands and National championships.

Society founder Kyle Mandell will face Will John in the competition’s opening game, before seasoned Warwick darters Adi Boier and Finn Butler face Harrish Illankovan and Matt Peck in a doubles match-up.

We want to bring an Ally Pally sort of vibe to a uni event, something we don’t yet have at Warwick. People turning up in fancy dress, drinks flowing, crowds chanting and singing

– Former Warwick president James Keith

In a further singles game, former Warwick president James Keith will play Birmingham’s Aaron Raguro, followed by Warwick’s Ben Nicholl and Dave Varney vs Birmingham’s Zoe Leydon and Ben Bampton.

Warwick’s captain, Anthony Joseph, will then face off against Birmingham’s skipper Woody Boon in the penultimate singles clash, before Will Temple and Dom Renouf vs Harrison Mitchell and Patrick Still.

The final tie will see Dan Heydon, who sealed Warwick’s title-winning victory over Trent last month, play Caleb Day.

The match will take place on Saturday evening at 5.30pm in the University of Birmingham’s Guild.

In preview to the match, James Keith said: “Varsity will not just be a darts match for people to come and watch, because to be quite frank that would be boring in itself.

“We want to bring an Ally Pally sort of vibe to a uni event, something we don’t yet have at Warwick. People turning up in fancy dress, drinks flowing, crowds chanting and singing, watching a team from your university beat the Midlands rivals on a stage in front of hundreds.

“What better way to do that than a high-stakes Varsity game against University of Birmingham. I’m sure it will leave those in the crowd wanting Varsity Darts 2024 to come sooner.”

Tickets for the event are still available online and willing spectators are encouraged to snap them up soon and back their Warwick peers.