Josh Rock delivered an unforgettable moment on Night 4 of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Belfast, hitting a sensational nine-darter in front of his home crowd at the SSE Arena. Despite ultimately losing his quarterfinal match 6-2 to Gian van Veen, the perfect leg overshadowed the result, marking Rock's debut in his hometown with a historic achievement.
The Northern Irishman set up the nine-darter with two maximums of 180, leaving himself on 141. He then nailed treble 20, treble 19, and double 12 in succession, sending the packed arena into a frenzy. Post-match, Rock reflected, "My body is in overdrive. I'm standing here now shaking like a leaf. This is a dream come true. I said if I ever play in the Premier League, I would love to hit a nine-darter in Belfast." He added, "I'm consistent in losing 6-2, but to hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd is a massive, massive achievement in my eyes." Rock also admitted hesitation on double 12, saying, "Double 12 hasn't been good to me the last six months, so when the treble 20 and treble 19 went in, I thought, please go in! When it went in, I couldn't hold the celebrations back... I honestly don't care if I never hit a nine-darter in my life again!"
For his feat, Rock was awarded a bespoke set of solid gold darts worth £30,000 from title sponsor BetMGM, a prize offered for any nine-darter this season. He said, "Those golden darts will be in my cabinet forever, knowing that I've hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd." The moment held extra emotion as Rock recalled watching Adrian Lewis hit a nine-darter against James Wade in the same arena years ago as a spectator. He noted, "The first time I was ever here I watched Adrian Lewis hit a nine-darter against James Wade, and now the first time I've ever played in Belfast I've hit a nine-darter!"
From a sporting perspective, Rock remains without points in the Premier League season after the defeat to Van Veen. However, he will carry the confidence of his nine-darter into next week's match in Cardiff, where he faces reigning world champion Luke Littler at the Utilita Arena. Regardless of future results, Rock has cemented his place in Belfast darts history with this iconic moment.
