Haupai Puha closed the Dartplayers New Zealand ProTour season in emphatic style, winning both Event 11 and Event 12 during the final weekend in Auckland. The 41-year-old New Zealander finished third on the Order of Merit, but the biggest prize went to Ben Robb, who topped the standings and secured his return to the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Puha launched his winning weekend with a dominant group stage in Event 11, dropping just one leg across his four group matches. He was equally relentless early in the knockouts, recording two successive whitewashes before seeing off Josh Walters 4-1. He then defeated Haunui Hira before facing Josh Roberts in the semi-finals, where he produced one of his best displays of the weekend. Averaging 92, Puha cruised to a 6-0 win to book his place in the final. Jonny Tata proved a far stiffer test there, but trailing 6-5, Puha struck in the decider to claim his first DPNZ ProTour title of 2026.
Puha wasn't done a day later. In Event 12, the final DPNZ ProTour event of the year, he again went all the way. He opened with four group wins, then dismantled Scott Wightman without dropping a leg in his first knockout match, adding two more victories to reach the semi-finals. Top seed Robb awaited there, averaging 95 and looking set for the final at 5-3 up. Puha refused to yield, erased the deficit, forced a decider, and completed the comeback. That set up another final against Tata, which turned into a thriller. This time Tata led 6-3, but Puha battled back and edged it 7-6, lifting his second title in two days and taking his career tally of DPNZ ProTour crowns to eight.
Despite Puha's double, Robb finished the weekend atop the year-long standings, having won five of the twelve DPNZ ProTour events in 2026 to lock up first place overall. That result earns Robb a berth at the World Darts Championship, returning to Alexandra Palace later this year. Tata could also be satisfied despite two final defeats, as reaching the final at both events secured him second place on the Order of Merit, handing him a return to the ANZ Premier League. Robb also qualifies again thanks to topping the standings.
