The World of Darts Company has confirmed that Punch Taverns has the largest pub company darts team competition in the world.

The first round of the annual competition, The Punch Darts Classic 2009, kicked off last month with 1,215 teams from 1,094 of Punch’s leased pubs.

Stephen Martin, Punch’s beer and cider category manager explains: “The competition is now in its fifth year and we’re thrilled to have more of our leased pubs on board than ever before.”

“The competition is an excellent way for our licenses to attract new customers, drive footfall and sales whilst building a great sense of team spirit - particularly important in this climate.”

“Licensees can reward their darts playing customers for their continued support, and with a prize fund of £6,800, teams are really keen to have a go.  We aimed to make it as simple as possible for licensees and their customers to set up their own teams – free entry and lots of useful tips such as offering complimentary food to players,” adds Stephen.

The first round of games took place last week with the second, third and fourth rounds running throughout the summer. All matches are played on a home and away, aggregate, knockout basis so September’s Regional Finals will see the 32 finalists competing for a place at the Grand Finale event in October.

Stephen concludes: “There are some fantastic prizes at stake including a £2,000 prize for the winning team, £1,000 prizes for runners up, £500 prizes for third and fourth place and even a £200 prize for the most successful ladies team, so we’re encouraging everyone to try their hand at darts!”