JDC Nations Cup 2026

JDC Nations Cup 2026: Team Northern Ireland Tournament Round-Up

Held at the CISWO Club in Glenrothes, Fife, the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Nations Cup 2026 brought together the top youth talent across the home nations. Under coaches Anto Adams and Matty Gallagher, Team Northern Ireland’s 13-strong squad—8 boys and 5 girls—delivered an exceptional weekend of darts on the DartConnect stage, highlighted by deep singles and doubles knockout runs.

Squad & Management

Coaches: Anto Adams & Matty Gallagher

Boys Squad: Christian Ennis (Captain), Thomas Elliott, Samuel Adams, TJ Campbell, Leo Jamieson, Ethan Todd, Lee Shields, Max McConnell.

Girls Squad: Amber O'Toole, Faith Richardson, Lauren Davies, Jennifer Lee, Ruth Lee.

Headline Knockout Runs

Thomas Elliott Reaches the Boys Singles Semi-Final (Top 4) The standout individual performance of the tournament came from Thomas Elliott in the JDC Nations Cup Boys Singles Knockout:

Battling through the earlier knockout stages, Elliott booked his place on the main stage with a clinical 3–1 victory over Doyle in the Quarter-Finals.

In the Semi-Final, Elliott faced England star Jack Nankervis in a high-stakes clash, eventually bowing out 4–1 as Nankervis advanced to the final. A brilliant top-four finish on an elite international stage.

Amber O'Toole & Faith Richardson: Girls Doubles Semi-Finalists Northern Ireland also made waves in the Girls Doubles division:

Group B: O'Toole and Richardson topped their section with 3 wins from 4 matches to secure the #1 seed.

Quarter-Final: A commanding 3–0 whitewash over Scotland's C. Sutherland & B. Harvey propelled them into the final four.

Semi-Final: The pair exited after a spirited 3–1 battle against England's E. Kay & N. Baxter, securing a well-earned podium finish.

Boys Singles Group & Knockout Campaign Christian Ennis (Captain): Led by example, qualifying out of Group G with 3 wins from 4 matches and an electric 83.02 three-dart average, highlighted by a 14-dart leg and heavy power scoring.

Lee Shields: Advanced out of Group H in 2nd place with 3 wins from 4 matches and a 78.02 average, producing consistent finishing under pressure.

Group Phase Grit:

TJ Campbell: Registered a 68.34 tournament average in Group A.

Leo Jamieson: Posted a solid 65.29 average in Group F.

Ethan Todd: Fought hard in Group C with a 63.61 mark, taking two legs off top-tier competition.

Max McConnell: Clinched a match victory in Group D with a 59.07 average.

Samuel Adams: Battled through four gritty legs in Group E, averaging 58.99 in a section containing Nico Adams.

Resilience on the Oche:

The defining moment of character came when Jennifer Lee took ill just prior to match play. Her sister, Ruth Lee, answered the call on immediate notice, stepping onto the oche to wear the Northern Ireland shirt. Jumping straight into an international competition with no preparation is never easy, but Ruth showed tremendous composure throughout her matches—keeping the team on schedule and drawing huge praise from coaches Anto Adams, Matty Gallagher, and the travelling support.

Coaches' Leadership & Looking Ahead

From organizing the board rotations and DartConnect scoring assignments to keeping spirits high between sessions, coaches Anto Adams and Matty Gallagher ensured the squad operated as a disciplined unit.

With two semi-final finishes, 80+ singles averages, and huge experience gained against the best in the UK and Ireland, Team Northern Ireland leaves Glenrothes with their heads held high and a bright future ahead.