Win just a bonus for darts legend

Jim Joyce prefers a low profile despite high achievements on the darts' front.

The champion darts player among New Zealand's war veterans is quietly preparing for the Interdominion Darts' Tournament between RSA members from Australia and New Zealand, in Sydney in April.

"That could well be my last tournament. I am 75 now," he chuckled.

The Whangarei father of seven was part of a four-member team from Whangarei RSA that competed in the national darts' tournament in Wainuiomata in October.

He won the singles, was runner-up in the fours, scored the highest start and was awarded the Veterans' Cup to add to his vast number of medals and trophies from more than 40 years as a professional darts' player.

"I am only playing to enjoy myself. When I won this, I couldn't believe it. I put this win down to bonus," he said.

Mr Joyce started playing darts socially during the Mayala campaign in the late 1950s but quit after he left the army.

"Instead I got involved in athletics, netball, boxing while my kids grew up and when they gave up because they decided there were better things to do in life, I started playing darts again.

"I used to go down to the Onehanga RSA in Auckland where I met darts champion Frankie Noland, also played with him and all that encouraged me to continue playing."

His otherwise fun-filled life has been blighted by the death of his wife of 50 years, Mary, son Rodney, a sister, two younger brothers and an uncle, in a short space of four years. After Mary's death last year, he nearly gave up playing darts.

On the tourney in Wainuiomata, Mr Joyce said he did not even want to compete.

"I told one of the boys 'I am not going. You take my place', but to win a tournament that I played for so long yet didn't expect to win was a bonus. Like any sport, when you put pressure on yourself, you don't do well. I just played to enjoy and won it."

Scooping the Whangarei RSA's sportsperson of the year was icing on the cake for the war veteran.

He is considered a darts legend in the RSA circles.