Like many players of her generation, Gemma Hayter started throwing darts long before she understood quite where the sport could take her.
Growing up in a family of pub landlords and county players, darts was simply part of the wallpaper. A battered board on the shed wall of her parents’ pub became her first practice room, and she was already involved in Hampshire’s youth set-up by 13. At 14 she was promoted to the senior Hampshire Ladies team, a moment that confirmed her early promise.
“I think that’s when I realised, I was actually pretty good,” Gemma told Fen Regis Trophies. But back then, for a young woman in the sport, opportunities were few and far between.
Early Breakthroughs, Missed Doubles, and Limited Pathways
Hayter’s first big test came in her late teens when she reached a major local final against the iconic Deta Hedman.
“I was really nervous…it was a comfortable win for Deta,” she recalled. Moments like that were formative but rarely led anywhere. The women’s circuit simply didn’t offer the same structure or prize money it does today.
Gemma competed at the 2009 World Masters, though she remembers little beyond disappointment at her own performance. More vivid is her run to the 2015 BDO Gold Cup quarter-finals, where she pushed Fallon Sherrock hard before struggling on the doubles.
“She said afterwards, ‘I don’t know how I won that.’ I said, ‘Because I couldn’t hit a double!’”
Even after being capped for England in 2016, she stepped away from the sport shortly after. Life, work, and finances all played their part.
“I felt like playing for England was the highest I was ever going to get,” she admitted. “I’d achieved all I could, and it just wasn’t viable.”
A New Era – and a Familiar Hunger
By 2024, darts had changed beyond recognition. The PDC Women’s Series was thriving, prize money was increasing, and players like Beau Greaves were demonstrating that women could compete toe-to-toe with men.
Then came Luke Littler, and all the fanfare that accompanied the teenager, which pulled Hayter back towards the sport she’d left behind.
“Littler-mania got me watching again,” she said. Seeing her old youth darts contemporary Luke Humphries crowned world champion only added fuel. Before long, she dusted off her darts and began throwing again at home.
A casual practice session turned into a decision to enter the Women’s Series, and with her partner’s encouragement – and a last-minute bit of holiday booked – Hayter suddenly found herself back on tour.
Her expectations were modest: “I said I’d be happy with £400 for the weekend.” Instead, Gemma reached the semi-finals in her very first PDC event, earning £500 and proving that her talent hadn’t faded.
“It was a roller coaster from the start,” she said. “Each achievement seemed bigger than the last.”
Titles, Momentum and a Rapid Rise
Success followed quickly. Hayter won major events and darts trophies on the Modus and Women’s Amateur Darts Circuit (WADC) circuits. That included a commanding 4–0 victory over Sherrock in the 2024 WADC final, a proud moment in front of a hometown crowd in Portsmouth.
“That was massive for me,” she says. “My first big title since coming back.”
Her aims in 2025 were clear: reach the Women’s World Matchplay. Gemma did exactly that, finishing inside the top eight despite losing three Women’s Series finals, a frustration softened by the increasingly high standard of her averages.
Her Matchplay weekend was memorable for unconventional reasons, too. A seagull incident, a hotel without running water, and then almost being hit by another bird on the walk to the venue created a chaotic backdrop to what was, for her, a landmark appearance.
“It was surreal,” she laughed. “We had a media day that went a bit wrong. We went out early in the morning into the town, and obviously there are loads of seagulls and I ended up getting pooped on!
“I went back to the hotel to freshen up and there was no running water…I had to do my best, and my girlfriend was trying to get the poop out of my hair before I went and done media.”
Though taking her place in the spotlight may not have provided the glitz and glamour Gemma may have imagined, she is no less proud of how far both she, and women’s darts in general, have come over the years.
“Thinking back to 2016 when there was almost nothing for women, now people are stopping you for photos. It’s crazy.”
All Eyes on Ally Pally
On 19 December, Gemma Hayter will step onto the most famous stage in world darts: the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. It’s an opportunity she never expected to come her way.
Her opponent is a daunting one: world number 11, Josh Rock.
“I was maybe less excited when I found out I’d got Josh Rock,” she joked. “I could’ve had an easier draw.”
But she isn’t setting unrealistic targets.
“I just want to play well. As long as I win at least one leg, I’ll be happy.”
Whether modesty or simple realism, Hayter is fully aware of the challenge she faces. But she’s equally aware that in today’s darts landscape, anything can happen on the night.
A Bright Future – and Ambitions Beyond 2025
Hayter is hugely positive about the health of women’s darts:
“The women are putting in the hours now. There are more tours, more chances. And what the JDC is doing for girls is brilliant.”
Looking ahead to 2026, her goals include:
• Winning a Women’s Series title
• Solidifying her Matchplay place
• Claiming a first win on the Winter Gardens stage
• Exploring WDF opportunities, perhaps even a Lakeside return
She isn’t planning another long break, though she doesn’t see herself going full-time unless something dramatic changes.
“As long as I can work and play darts, that’s ideal for me,” she says. “I’ve never been in a position where I had to win to pay the bills, and I like it that way.”
Conclusion: A Career Reborn
From throwing darts at a shed door to stepping onto the Alexandra Palace stage, Gemma Hayter’s story is one of resilience, timing, and rediscovered passion. After walking away in 2016, she returns not just to compete, but to thrive in a women’s game transformed almost beyond recognition.
Whatever happens against Josh Rock on Friday 19 December, Hayter has already achieved something far more meaningful: she has rewritten her own story, and her best chapters may still be ahead.
By Aaron Gratton
