A remarkable achievement sees 15 year old Lexi-Jayne Rooksby qualifying for the prestigious JDC World Youth Championship in Gibraltar this November. Known in the darts community as “The Knockout,” Rooksby only began playing darts two years ago to help her dad’s pub team, which was short of players.
Rooksby expressed her surprise and delight at her qualification: “I am pleased to qualify. I didn’t think I was going to get as far as I did.”
Despite her brief time in the sport, Rooksby has already competed at the county level. She has faced prominent Northamptonshire professionals, including Kettering’s “Rapid” Ricky Evans and the father-son duo James and Josh Richardson, who are also from Rushden.
Remarkably, Rooksby admits she “doesn’t practise much” and never practises at home. Looking ahead to the upcoming tournament, she remains optimistic yet realistic: “I hope I do well, but there’s going to be good people there. I’ll try my best.”
Her father, Mick Rooksby, shared his pride in her accomplishments: “When she first started playing, there was no inkling to what she was going to be like, so when she qualified, there were a few tears. To only do minimal practice and be as good as she is – you don’t really hear those kinds of stories.”
Darts has seen a surge in popularity recently, especially after Luke Littler became the youngest player to reach the PDC World Darts Championship final at just 16 years old in December 2023.
Lexi-Jayne Rooksby’s journey to the JDC World Youth Championship is a testament to her natural talent and determination, marking her as one to watch in the world of darts.