Wayne Warren: World Champion at 57
The double sat waiting under the stage lights as Wayne Warren lined up match dart against Jim Williams, the 2020 BDO world title one throw away. When it landed, the 57-year-old Welshman became the oldest world champion darts has ever seen.
Who Is Wayne Warren?
Wayne "Yank" Warren was born in June 1962 in Tynewydd, Wales, and he's been throwing competitive darts since 1985. He now plays on the World Darts Federation (WDF) circuit and holds a unique place in history as the last-ever BDO World Darts Champion.
He throws right-handed with a 17.5g Red Dragon Signature dart — a lighter setup than many pros favor. If you're curious how that compares, here's what dart weight the pros use.
- Six darts with knurled brass barrels for accuracy and tighter grouping
- Comes with 16 spare GlideXPro flights in standard and slim shapes
- Sleek EVA case keeps the whole kit protected and giftable
His walk-on music is Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", and honestly, the song fits. Warren's whole career is a story of getting knocked down and climbing back up.
The Long Road Through the BDO
Warren joined the British Darts Organisation in 2003, back when it ran the sport alongside the PDC World Darts Championship. His big-stage debut came at the 2005 BDO World Darts Championship, where Mervyn King knocked him out in the first round.
That early exit didn't define him. He kept grinding through qualifiers, and by the 2015 BDO World Trophy he'd fought his way to the quarterfinals.
The trophies came along the way, too. In 2014 he won the BDO Gold Cup, beating Pip Blackwell three sets to nil, and he added titles like the Antwerp Open, the BDO International Open, and the WDF Europe Cup Team event.
The 2020 Title That Made History
The 2020 BDO World Championship was the crowning moment of Warren's career. He surged through the field and into the final against fellow Welshman Jim Williams.
Warren won it 7-4. At 57, that victory made him the oldest world darts champion ever — and since the BDO folded soon after, he'll stay the last name on its trophy for good.
Beyond the Oche
Warren isn't a full-time darts machine. He's a skilled roofer by trade, and he stays busy on the exhibition circuit with Red Dragon Darts as his sponsor.
His toughest fight came off the stage. In 2001, an accident with boiling chip fat left him with severe burns and scarring across his upper body.
The scars stayed, but the setback didn't stop him. He came back to deliver some of the best darts of his life, capped by that world title nearly two decades later.
Next time someone tells you it's too late to start something, point them at Wayne Warren.