On top of the world: Peter Machin won both the singles World Darts Trophy and team World Cup Men’s Championship in 2017. Photo: Bransen Gibson
Former darts world champion Peter Machin and his team are battling it out with some of the best players from around the country at this year’s Australian Darts Championships at Rich River Golf Club.
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Teams from each of the states and the ACT are fighting to win the Peter McMenamin Cup — awarded to the winning state in the team event — which is just one of 13 events at this year’s championships.
Machin — a three-time Pacific Masters and three-time Australian Grand Masters champion and winner of both the singles World Darts Trophy and team World Cup Men’s Championship in 2017 — is representing his home state of South Australia at the prestigious Australian titles.
“It’s the biggest event in the country, you don’t get anything bigger than this,” Machin said.
“I love playing for Australia, and this is where they pick the national team from. I love wearing the green and gold and I love travelling the world for my country.”
Unlike the singles and doubles categories at the national championships, the Peter McMenamin Cup is a team event — something Machin said brought a different set of challenges.
“This is a team event, not a singles tournament — you need eight people to pull together to play well to win it, it’s not just a one-man band,” he said.
“Team events are tougher. When you are up there playing singles, it is just you, no-one else can do anything for you, you have to rely on yourself.
“I love getting in there with the team. When we’re playing well we feed off each other’s confidence. We compete back home, but we’re good mates here.”
Given his family history, it is no surprise Machin has excelled in the world of darts.
“I was born into it, I started playing when I was around 10 years old,” he said.
“My grandfather was the president of the very first darts association in South Australia. My dad was in the very first state team for South Australia and he played in the very first Australasian championships.”
His wife, Debbie, also plays, with the pair winning the Australian Mixed Doubles Championship in 2014 — one of his proudest achievements.
“The biggest thing for me was winning the Australian mixed doubles title with my wife, Debbie. That was awesome, and we did it in our home state too, that was pretty cool,” Machin said.
“That and winning the world dart trophy. I was runner-up the first year and won it the second year, and we won the World Cup for Australia that year as well — we are the only team outside Europe to ever do it.”
Machin said he was proud of what he had achieved in his career, but there was another accomplishment he was hoping to tick off his list this year.
“My goal as a kid was to play in the UK, and I have actually got to do that and win on TV over there, it is an absolutely amazing feeling,” he said.
“I’m looking at the PDC world championships at the end of this year. I have not played in one yet, and that is my aim for this year — to play in the world championships.”
The Australian Darts Championships conclude on Saturday, August 13, with events held daily at the Rich River Golf Club until then.
Machin will also compete in the mixed doubles, men’s doubles and men’s singles events.
Taking aim: Peter Machin in action for South Australia during the Peter McMenamin Cup, part of the Australian Darts Championships. Photo: Bransen Gibson
