World champion bypasses local Players Championship double-header despite Wigan venue being on his doorstep
Luke Littler has stuck to his guns by snubbing the Players Championship double-header in Wigan this weekend—a tournament everyone knows he’s no fan of despite it being held virtually on his doorstep.
The reigning world champion headlines a list of star names electing to skip the two Pro Tour events at Robin Park Leisure Centre, a venue that holds special significance in his career but has also been the source of frustration.
A Place of Origin—And Controversy
Robin Park in Wigan is not merely another Pro Tour stop for The Nuke; it is a site of origin mythology. Just two years ago, the Warrington wonderkid burst onto the professional stage there, capturing the title on debut and casually punctuating proceedings with a nine-darter, as if such feats were routine administrative tasks.
While his contemporaries navigated airport lounges or endured interminable motorway congestion, Littler’s post-victory commute amounted to little more than a leisurely twenty-minute glide back to Warrington – triumph followed by tea time.
This time, however, he will be conspicuous by his absence.
Past Traffic Nightmare
Littler’s decision to skip the Wigan events likely stems from a nightmare experience at the same venue in October 2025, when he was denied entry to Players Championship 33 after arriving just two minutes late due to M6 traffic caused by a fatal accident.
The world champion had to withdraw from Wednesday’s tournament at Wigan’s Robin Park Leisure Centre after arriving too late to register. Littler was caught up in traffic congestion caused by a serious incident on the M6 in which a man died.
Despite being only two minutes late, Littler was barred from competing due to the strict 11am registration deadline. He took to Instagram to joke: “Back to bed it is, wonder who they will call up,” with a laughing face emoji.
Double Standards Complaint
The incident particularly rankled because Littler believed he was treated differently to other players.
“Not the best day today but played some decent stuff, but really glad to hear from a few of the other players that people have been let in almost half an hour late for a pro tour but I can’t be two minutes late,” Littler said in a post on Instagram.
The frustration was evident—Littler felt the rules were being applied inconsistently, with star players sometimes receiving preferential treatment while he was held to the strictest interpretation of the deadline.
Why Skip It Now?
For Littler, who is world number one with £954,500 in Order of Merit prize money this season, the financial incentive to compete in Players Championship events is minimal compared to the hassle.
The highest-ranked player on the 2025 Development Tour earned just £17,775 across the entire year—pocket change for someone who banked £1 million for winning January’s World Championship alone.
With his demanding Premier League schedule and lucrative exhibition opportunities, Littler can afford to be selective about which Pro Tour events deserve his time—particularly when they’re at a venue that has caused him frustration in the past.
Missing His “Home” Event
The decision is all the more striking given Wigan’s proximity to Littler’s Warrington home—a twenty-minute drive that makes it one of the most convenient tournaments on the PDC calendar.
Yet convenience clearly isn’t everything. The combination of past traffic nightmares, perceived double standards in rule enforcement, and the relatively modest prize money on offer has led Littler to vote with his feet.
Not Alone
Littler isn’t the only big name skipping the Wigan double-header. Several other top players have also elected to bypass the weekend’s events, suggesting that Pro Tour tournaments are becoming increasingly optional for the sport’s elite as they prioritize major televised events and lucrative commercial opportunities.
Focus on Bigger Prizes
Littler’s decision to skip Wigan allows him to conserve energy for more significant tournaments on the horizon, including the upcoming European Tour events where the prize money and prestige are considerably higher.
With a £20 million, 10-year Target Darts deal in his pocket and exhibition opportunities around the world, Littler can afford to cherry-pick his schedule in a way that would have been unthinkable for previous generations of darts players.
The Verdict
Luke Littler’s decision to snub the Players Championship events in Wigan—despite the venue being on his doorstep and holding special significance as the site of his professional debut—demonstrates his willingness to stick to his guns when he feels aggrieved.
The traffic nightmare in October, combined with his belief that he was treated differently than other players, has clearly soured his relationship with the venue. When you’re earning millions from commercial deals and major tournament victories, spending a day at Robin Park for a relatively modest prize pot loses its appeal—especially when you risk being disqualified for arriving two minutes late.
For Littler, who has transformed darts into a mainstream phenomenon and earned unprecedented wealth doing so, the days of grinding through every Pro Tour event are behind him. He can afford to be selective, and Wigan—tournament “everyone knows he hates”—has paid the price for past frustrations.
The world champion’s absence from his local event sends a clear message: Luke Littler will compete where and when he chooses, and no amount of convenience or history will change that if he doesn’t feel the tournament is worth his time.
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