Players Championship 21-22 returns the PDC floor circuit to Robin Park Leisure Centre today, and the most obvious storyline is simple: Luke Humphries gets another demanding Wigan examination against one of the strongest ProTour entry lists of the year. The official entry announcement says “the 2026 PDC ProTour season continues in Wigan”, with Players Championship 21 staged on Tuesday 16 June and Players Championship 22 following on Wednesday 17 June.
It is not a television-arena week, and it should not be dressed up as one. But these 128-player floor events often tell fans plenty about form, rhythm and Matchplay-era momentum. Each tournament carries a £15,000 top prize, with fields made up of PDC Tour Card Holders and PDPA Associate Members. For followers of darts, that combination usually means long days, quick turnarounds and little hiding place.
Humphries Heads Deep Wigan Field
Humphries’ presence gives the double-header its headline weight. The world-class standard around him is hardly light, either, with Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Gian van Veen, Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Rob Cross, Ross Smith and Beau Greaves among those listed. Luke Littler is absent from the entry list, which is notable, but only in the practical sense that one major name will not be in the draw.
For Humphries, this is exactly the type of week that can sharpen rather than flatter. Wigan floor events are not won by reputation. They demand a player to handle a cold opening round, a sudden board switch, and opponents who know a single afternoon can transform their ranking money. That is why these two days matter beyond the trophy photo.
Smith’s recent warning shot at Players Championship 20 still feels relevant here, because he is another dangerous name in the same relentless environment. NineDartNews looked at that performance in its Ross Smith Players Championship 20 analysis, and Wigan now offers a direct follow-up for players trying to turn one good floor run into something sturdier.
Nijman Carries The Hottest ProTour Note
The most eye-catching form line belongs to Wessel Nijman. The official announcement describes him as a winner of five Players Championship titles in 2026 and says he will “bid to extend his title tally in Wigan”. That is a significant marker, not because it guarantees anything across two fresh draws, but because repeated floor wins are rarely accidental.
Nijman has become one of the clearest ProTour reference points of the season, and his form surge has already been tracked in detail in NineDartNews’ Wessel Nijman rankings piece. The question now is whether another Wigan visit reinforces that upward line or gives the chasing pack a chance to slow him down.
Van Gerwen and Price remain obvious barometers. Van Veen brings the same intrigue he has carried through recent ProTour campaigns, while Bunting, Clayton, Rock and Cross give the field proven depth. Greaves’ inclusion adds further interest, especially because these events place every player in the same unforgiving best-of-11-leg rhythm from the first dart.
How To Watch And What Matters
Play is scheduled to begin at 13:00 BST on both days. Four boards will be streamed through PDCTV and bookmaker websites, giving supporters a better window into the floor than existed in earlier eras. The DartsNews watch guide lists the broadcast window as 13:00-19:00 and says PDCTV gives fans “a unique opportunity” to follow these tournaments live.
That access matters because floor darts can be misunderstood if reduced only to winners and averages. The texture is in the sequence: who starts quickly, who survives a poor spell, who backs up a big result, and who looks comfortable moving from board to board. The broader 2026 schedule, including the televised majors flagged by Sky Sports, gives these midweek events added context without making them something they are not.
At 13:00 BST, watch Humphries’ opening pace, Nijman’s response to being the marked man, and whether Van Gerwen, Price or Van Veen can seize early control. On the floor, the day often turns before the last 16; the first hour may tell fans plenty about Wigan’s direction today.
