Darts set for World Cup

The first ever World Cup of Darts kicks off next Friday, with every arrow of the new event being screened live on Sky Sports.

New World Cup event taking place live on Sky Sports

The first ever Cash Converters World Cup of Darts kicks off next Friday, with every arrow of the new three-day event being screened live on Sky Sports. The 24-nation tournament will be held from December 3-5 at the Rainton Meadows Arena in Houghton-Le-Spring, Tyne & Wear, in yet another innovative tournament introduced by the PDC. While the top eight nations will enter at the second round stage on Friday night, the first round earlier in the day will feature 16 other nations competing in doubles matches. The first round will be played in a doubles format over the best of 11 legs of 501, with the losing team throwing first in the next leg. The eight first round winners will proceed to the second round on Friday night, where they face the top eight seeds - England, Holland, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Canada and the USA.

England favourites

Phil Taylor and James Wade will represent favourites England, but Scotland's Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton look a deadly duo, as do Dutch second seeds Raymond van Barneveld and Co Stompe. World Championship finalist Simon Whitlock represents Australia alongside Players Championship winner Paul Nicholson, while Wales have Lakeside world champion Mark Webster joining Barrie Bates. Of the 32 competing players in the opening round, 18 have previously played in the World Championship, while William O'Connor and Antonio Alcinas have competed in the World Grand Prix and European Championship respectively after breaking through this year. O'Connor will partner experienced Irish star Mick McGowan, while Alcinas's Spanish team-mate Carlos Rodriguez has played in the 2009 and 2010 World Championships. Russian pair Anastasia Dobromyslova and Roman Konchikov have both competed at Alexandra Palace previously, and they will line up against Gibraltar in the first round, for whom Dylan Duo has experience in the World Championship and UK Open and Dyson Parody has also played at Bolton. Both Germany and New Zealand will be represented by two players who have played in the World Championship, with Jyhan Artut and Andree Welge lining up against a rookie Czech Republic side and Kiwis Phillip Hazel and Warren Parry taking on the emerging Polish pair Krzsystof Kciuk & Krzsystof Ratajski. Jarkko Komula and Marko Kantele have both played on the Alexandra Palace stage in the past two years and will take on a Belgium team which includes 2006 World Championship qualifier Patrick Bulen. World Cup of Darts teams:
England (1) - Phil Taylor/James Wade
Netherlands (2) - Raymond van Barneveld/Co Stompe
Australia (3) - Simon Whitlock/Paul Nicholson
Scotland (4) - Gary Anderson/Robert Thornton
Wales (5) - Mark Webster/Barrie Bates
Northern Ireland (6) - Brendan Dolan/John MaGowan
Canada (7) - John Part/Ken MacNeil
USA (8) - Darin Young/Bill Davis
Ireland (9) - Mick McGowan/William O'Connor
Germany (10) - Jyhan Artut/Andree Welge
Spain (11) - Carlos Rodriguez/Antonio Alcinas
Finland (12) - Jarkko Komula/Marko Kantele
New Zealand (13) - Phillip Hazel/Warren Parry
Austria (14) - Mensur Suljovic/Maik Langendorf
Sweden (15) - Magnus Caris/Par Riihonen
Russia (16) - Anastasia Dobromyslova/Roman Konchikov
Gibraltar (17) - Dylan Duo/Dyson Parody
Slovenia (18) - Osmann Kijamet/Sebastijan Pecjak
Denmark (19) - Per Laursen/Vladimir Andersen
Poland (20) - Krzsystof Kciuk/Krzsystof Ratajski
Belgium (21) - Patrick Bulen/Rocco Maes
Japan (22) - Haruki Muramatsu/Taro Yachi
Czech Republic (23) - Martin Kapucian/Pavel Drtil
Slovakia (24) - Peter Martin/Oto Zmelik