Betfred World Matchplay: Luke Humphries talks Blackpool, Luke Littler rivalry and Phil Taylor

Luke Humphires heads to Blackpool for the Betfred World Matchplay this weekend, looking to defend the crown he magnificently won at the Winter Gardens last year. The Leeds fan is having a decent season so far, having picked up the Premier League title in London as well as the PDC Masters. 

Now he is looking to defend his Matchplay crown in Blackpool, where once again he will do battle with his great rival Luke Littler. He caught up with Betfred ahead of the tournament, and discussed everything from his form, to how Phil Taylor would fare in the modern era. 

Sat inside on a rainy day at a golf course, Humphries was relaxed and happy to talk to us as we head towards the Betfred World Matchplay event, where he will play rising Dutch star Gian van Veen in the first round. The defending champion is keen to work hard to recapture the form that saw him win the Premier League at the end of May, having been up and down across 2025.

“I believe I can get there and I have to work harder to achieve that. I can’t sit back and say I’m not getting any better, but I’m not practicing, because that’s my own fault and I need to work harder, practice harder because these are the tournaments I relish. The long formats and the longer days suit me because once I get into that rhythm after one or two legs, because sometimes I’m a slow starter, then I’m tough to pull back.

“I’m not unbeatable, you’ve seen many people beat me, but the longer format makes it harder for other players to beat the likes of me, Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price because we’re long-format players and that’s why you see the likes of us usually win these tournaments.”

This time last year we saw the very best of the 30-year-old in Blackpool, as he dominated the field before beating Michael van Gerwen 18-15 in the final. It’s a destination that is close to his heart, because of his upbringing. 

“Blackpool means a lot to me. When I was a kid, I did all my youth darts in and around that area and that’s where I started off playing and for years, I was always dreaming of playing at Blackpool at the Winter Gardens and I finally achieved that dream about four years ago. It was a good day for myself as I remember beating James Wade and averaging over 100, so I couldn’t believe I was playing, never mind winning.

“A goal of mine was always to win this one because it’s prestigious. It’s always been at the Winter Gardens since its inception, the trophy’s the same and the fans are always amazing. It’s such a beautiful venue and for me to have won it is so special and to do it again would be even more special. It’s really important for me to work hard and try and win it back-to-back.” 

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If he is going to win it back-to-back he is likely going to have to overcome Luke Littler, the teenage superstar who has taken the sport by storm. Littler was defeated by Humphries in the 2024 World Championship final, but won the big one in 2025 as the defending champion was knocked out in round four. Despite the obvious competition between the two best players in the world, it’s a rivalry played with a healthy dose of respect. 

“I enjoy playing him,” Humphries explains. “He’s fascinating to play against because one minute he doesn’t miss and he brings you on and you start playing better. He brings out the best version of me and he’s a Phil Taylor type of character because he has that aura and you always know when you’re playing somebody big in the world of darts because it just feels different. Every other game you’re playing, it just feels like a normal game but when you’re playing against Luke, it just feels different. It’s like playing in a final and you know you have to raise your own levels. When you know you have to, you do and I feel like that’s why we have so many great games.

“We know that we have to bring out the best in each other and I know that if I don’t play well against him, then you don’t win and if I play well against him, then he won’t win, so I just enjoy the fact that everybody enjoys watching it and it’s a rivalry that will go a long way over the next few years.” 

Humphries is now one of only four players in history to have won the Triple Crown - following in the footsteps of Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and MVG when he picked up the final piece of the puzzle, the Premier League, in May this year. 

He’s now part of that elite club of players who have lifted the World Championship, the Betfred World Matchplay and the Premier League - but he believes he is playing in a more competitive era than Taylor played in. 

“You’ve got 30 players that are very capable of giving you a good game and beating you. There’s 127 people that are capable of beating you because that’s everybody on the tour, but I think there’s about 30 people nowadays where it’s a tough draw and they’re tough to play against. 

“No disrespect to Phil Taylor and others, but there weren't many challengers for Phil. However, I do believe if you stuck Phil in this era, then he would still dominate, but I don’t think he would win everything if he had to play me, Luke [Littler] or Michael [van Gerwen]. If he had this sort of draw, then it’s a lot harder to do. I still think he would be the number one in the world and he would have won more than he lost, that’s for sure, but he would have had a harder task. 

“There are a lot of younger players now that have no fear and if I was playing in his era, I probably would have feared him a little bit because he was such a character and had an aura about him. If you played Phil 15 times a year instead of one or two, then you’d get used to the feeling.”

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