Rugby Darts: Tries and Conversions on Sisal

Five points on the line, one dart left in your hand. Bury it in the bullseye and you've scored a try without ever touching a rugby ball.

What Is Rugby Darts?

Rugby Darts (sometimes called Dart Rugby) shrinks rugby's scoring system down to a dartboard. You still chase tries, conversions, penalties, and drop goals — you just earn them with darts instead of a full-contact sprint.

It's a real pub game, not a novelty, and it works because both sports reward the same thing: composure under pressure. The board becomes your pitch, and every throw is a scoring chance. Golf gets the same treatment in dart golf, where the numbers 1 through 18 become holes, every throw counts as a stroke, and the lowest card wins.

If you already know games like cricket darts, you'll pick this up in one round. The targets are simpler; the pressure is the same.

What You Need

A standard dartboard and three darts per player or team — that's it. No special board, no extra gear.

Two players or two teams works best, but the format stretches to bigger groups without breaking.

How the Scoring Works

Here's the rugby-to-dartboard translation:

• Try — 5 points. Hit the bullseye.
• Conversion — 2 points. After a try, you earn one shot at the double ring.
• Drop goal — 3 points. Land a dart in the triple ring.
• Penalty — 3 points. Awarded at your opponent's discretion, usually for an agreed infraction like a foot fault.

The conversion attempt is where games swing. A try plus a made conversion is 7 points, so treat that double-ring shot like a kicker treats the posts.

Michael van Gerwen Attempts the Ultimate Doubles Challenge

Van Gerwen races around every double on the board in a test that exposes just how frighteningly accurate the world's best can be.

Playing a Game

Decide who throws first with a coin toss, or have each player throw one dart — closest to the bullseye starts. Then take turns throwing three darts per visit and tally what you score.

A dart that misses the board scores nothing, like a dropped pass — the miss stands and your turn continues with your remaining darts. Once all three are thrown, play passes to the other side.

There's no fixed maximum score. Most groups agree a target before starting — first to 30 or 40 points keeps games tight — or play two timed "halves" like a real match.

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Accuracy decides everything here, since the bullseye and triple ring are small targets. If your grouping is loose, tighten it up with our guide to throwing darts accurately.

Rugby Darts (Video)

Can Van Gerwen Destroy the Bullseye Challenge?

Give one of darts' greatest scorers a bull-only target and watch competitive instinct take over immediately.

Playing With More Than Two

Rugby Darts scales easily. Run a mini tournament bracket, or rotate turns and keep a running score per player.

For big groups, teams of two or three work well — teammates alternate visits, just like a squad rotating through phases.

Are There Official Tournaments?

Not really — Rugby Darts lives in pubs, clubs, and living rooms rather than on the pro circuit. Some local venues run casual competitions, but it's a social game first.

If you want more games to rotate through on darts night, try Shanghai darts next — it's another fast, scoring-heavy crowd-pleaser.

Chalk up a scoreboard, agree your target, and kick off — the bullseye's your try line now.