It’s a big week for Nikki Roberts and Kerin Frost who make their debuts at the North Island darts championships in Hamilton.
The two Cambridge Darts Club members – known as The Finisher and KDawg – have plenty of support from the rest of the team selected to play in the champs which wrap up on Saturday at the Hamilton Workingmen’s Club.

Nikki Roberts (The Finisher) and Kerin Frost (KDawg) at Cambridge Darts Club before the North Island champs. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Spokesperson Ian Makuch said the Cambridge club, which meets every Wednesday night at the Cambridge Cosmopolitan Club, had thrived post Covid under its founder Josh Evans.
The club now has 50 regular members.

Ian Makuch (Cushy), David Ray (Stingray), Bradley Cook (Cookie), Andy Watkins (Hot Shot). Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
While Makuch, David Ray, Bradley Cook and Andy Watkins had all competed outside the town, it was a new experience for Roberts and Frost who will play in the women’s pairs today and the singles tomorrow.
Roberts and Ray, who goes by the name Stingray, competed in the mixed pairs yesterday (Wednesday) after The News went to press while the men will play in the pairs today and the singles on Saturday.
Interest in darts around the Waikato has grown since the World Series of Darts made Hamilton a regular stop over.
And the meteoric rise of Luke Littler, who made it into the Professional Darts Corporation’s World Darts Championships in January as an unseeded 16-year-old, has fuelled interest among young people, said Makuch, whose competing name is Cushy.
Cook is known as Cookie and Watkins as Hot Shot.

Cambridge Darts Club team competing in the North Island champs, from left Nikki Roberts, Ian Makuch, David Ray, Kerin Frost, Bradley Cook, Andy Watkins. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

David Ray throws a dart while practising. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Nikki Roberts (The Finisher) and Kerin Frost (KDawg) at Cambridge Darts Club before the North Island champs. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.