When Darts Gets Weird: The Moment Richie Burnett Knocked Himself Out (Almost)

By Lewis Barnett 30 August, 2025 4 mins read 194 Views

Listen. I've seen some ridiculous endings to sports matches in my time, but this one takes the cake.

So there I was, watching the Modus Super Series International Pairs match last week - Wales versus South Africa - and honestly expecting another routine finish. Wales had just wrapped up a solid 4-1 victory thanks to Kurt Parry's absolutely mental 112 checkout. Standard celebration time, right? Wrong.

Audio Summary of the Article

The Fake Punch That Went Horribly Right

Devon Peterson from South Africa decides to be a good sport about losing. He playfully throws a fake punch at Richie Burnett, the 58-year-old Welsh legend. Burnett, bless him, tries to sell it like he's in some WWE match.

And that's when everything went sideways.

The man goes flying backward with such theatrical enthusiasm that he smacks his head straight into a TV in the corner. I'm talking a proper THUNK that you could hear through the broadcast. My mate Dave texted me immediately: "Did that just actually happen?" Yes, Dave. Yes it did.

Burnett Being Burnett

Here's the thing about Richie "The Prince of Wales" Burnett - the guy's been through worse than a bump on the head from a television set. He just rubbed his noggin, laughed it off, and carried on like nothing happened. Classic Burnett.

The fans absolutely lost their minds on social media afterward. One person called it the "funniest end to a darts match ever," and honestly? They weren't wrong. Another wrote "We need Richie on the TV box more often" - which is ironic considering he'd just had an unfortunate encounter with one.

Poor Peterson looked mortified.

Why We Love This Madman

This is exactly why Burnett's such a fan favourite, though. The guy went viral last year for throwing darts while standing on one leg like some kind of tungsten flamingo. He's unpredictable in the best possible way.

But it's his backstory that really gets you. Back when he was struggling financially, Burnett once told a story that still makes me wince. He was at a tournament in Wigan with barely any money, bought himself a Pot Noodle for dinner, but had no kettle to make it with.

So what did he do?

The absolute madman drained water from the radiator in his hotel room. Brown, soily water that he used to make his dinner. And because he'd used nail scissors to open the valve (who travels with nail scissors?), it wouldn't shut properly afterward. Spent the entire night getting up every hour to empty a tray catching the leaking radiator water.

The Beautiful Chaos of Live Sports

These are the moments that make sports worth watching, aren't they? Not the perfect 180s or the calculated finishes, but the completely unscripted human moments where a fake punch turns into accidental slapstick comedy.

Burnett walked away fine, by the way. Probably teh toughest thing about his evening was explaining to his wife why he had a bump on his head from "playing darts."

Sometimes the best entertainment happens when nobody's trying to entertain anyone at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you recommend some fun dart games for parties?

Absolutely! Darts doesn't have to be all about 501 and cricket. For parties, you want games that keep everyone involved, accommodate different skill levels, and create some friendly competition.

My darts keep bouncing out of the board. What am I doing wrong?

Bounce-outs are incredibly frustrating, but they're usually caused by one of a few common issues. First, check your dartboard—if it's old and dried out, even the best throws will struggle to stick. Quality sisal boards should last years, but cheaper paper-wound boards harden quickly. If you can press your thumbnail into the board and it doesn't leave a small indent, it's too hard.

What's the difference between steel tip and soft tip darts?

Steel tip and soft tip darts represent two distinct branches of the sport, each with their own equipment, venues, and sometimes even scoring systems. The most obvious difference is in the point: steel tips have metal points for traditional bristle boards, while soft tips use flexible plastic points for electronic boards.

What are "flights" and "stems" and do they really matter?

Flights and stems (also called shafts) are the components that stabilize your dart during flight, and yes, they absolutely matter—though perhaps not in the way beginners often think.

Wait, so how exactly do you score in darts? I always get confused.

Dart scoring is straightforward once you get the hang of it! The standard game (501 or 301) starts with that number, and you subtract whatever you hit with each throw. The goal is to reach exactly zero, with your final dart landing in a double.

I keep hitting 5s and 1s when aiming for 20s. How do I fix this?

This is probably the most common frustration in darts—those dreaded 5s and 1s when you're aiming for the 20 segment! The good news is that this specific problem usually stems from a few identifiable issues.

Statistics

Phil Taylor has hit a record 22 televised nine-dart finishes throughout his professional career.
Research shows that top professional dart players achieve accuracy rates of over 80% when aiming at treble 20.
Statistical analysis reveals that professional players throw darts at an average speed of 40-60 miles per hour.
The Women's World Darts Championship was established in 2001, with Trina Gulliver winning 10 titles.
The first televised nine-dart finish was thrown by John Lowe in 1984, earning him £102,000.
In 2016, Michael van Gerwen set a world record for the highest three-dart average in a major tournament at 123.40.
A professional dart weighs between 18-50 grams, with most players preferring 21-24 gram darts.
A standard dartboard is divided into 20 numbered sections, with the bullseye at the center worth 50 points.

External Links

How To

Choosing Your First Set of Darts

When I started out, I grabbed whatever cheap darts came with the board I bought at Target. BIG mistake. The flights (those wing things at the back) kept falling off, and the tips bent after just a few throws. After wasting about $30 on those garbage darts, I finally invested in a decent tungsten set.