Connor Hopkins Crowned 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions After Stunning Cardiff Final
Connor Hopkins produced his biggest darts when it mattered most to defeat Jeff Bass 2–1 and lift the 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions title at a packed Finals Day in Cardiff.
The Red Dragon Champion of Champions returned to The Depot on Saturday 22 August, bringing together 256 venue champions from across the UK and Ireland for one of the biggest days in grassroots darts.
After a full day of knockout action, Hopkins and Bass were the last two standing — and they delivered a final worthy of the occasion.
Hopkins saves his best for the big stage
Hopkins headed into the closing stages in serious form.
After a 2–0 quarter-final victory over Liam Wigley, the 21-year-old produced one of the performances of the tournament, averaging a huge 106.64 in his 2–1 semi-final victory over Taylor Richards.
On the other side of the draw, Bass averaged 99.07 to overcome Simon Stevenson 2–1 in the quarter-finals before defeating Graham Brookes 2–0 to book his place on the stage.
With a packed crowd watching on, Hopkins and Bass then went head-to-head for the title.
Hopkins took the opening leg before Bass responded to level the match at 1–1. It all came down to a deciding leg — and Hopkins delivered.
He closed out the match 2–1 with a 98.79 final average, including averages of 100.20 in both legs he won, to become the 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions.
For Hopkins, however, the result meant far more than the £10,000 winner’s prize.
“It’s the only tournament every year that my mam and dad are here to watch. To win it with them in the audience means more than anything I could possibly do.”
From Plate winner to Champion
The victory completes a remarkable 12-month turnaround for Hopkins.
At the 2025 Finals Day, an early Main Event exit saw him drop into the Worthington’s Plate, which he went on to win.
One year later, he returned to Cardiff and went all the way in the Main Event.
Hopkins admitted that the experience of playing on the stage 12 months earlier may even have helped when the pressure ramped up.
“I was more nervous in the first and second round than the final,” he said. “I don’t know if the experience from going to the stage last year helped, but I felt so much more nervous in round one and round two than the final.”
This time, he left with the biggest trophy of them all.
The next step
Alongside the £10,000 winner’s prize, Hopkins has secured paid entry to 2027 Q-School, £500 towards travel and accommodation, and a place in the preliminary round of the 2027 Winmau World Masters.*
For a player who was already planning to make the step towards Q-School, those opportunities proved particularly significant.
“The £10,000 is obviously great, but the main thing for me is getting a spot in the Masters and Q-School paid for.”
Hopkins added: “Everyone wants to be a pro. It’s the be-all and end-all of every amateur’s ambition. If I play the way I’ve done today, I think anything could happen.”
His name now joins an impressive list of Champion of Champions winners, including some who have gone on to reach the very top of professional darts.
“If I do nothing for the rest of my career, to have my name in that list means an awful lot,” Hopkins said.
A Finals Day to remember
Hopkins’ victory capped a huge day for grassroots darts in Cardiff.
This year’s Finals Day brought a refreshed Red Dragon identity to The Depot alongside the Main Event and Worthington’s Plate, live social coverage, player interviews, special guests, fan activations and a rugby exhibition.
The atmosphere continued right through to the final — something those who have attended the tournament over many years highlighted as a noticeable step forward in 2026.
The event also delivered beyond the oche, with more than £2,600 raised on Finals Day for Velindre Cancer Centre and Prostate Cymru. Including fundraising undertaken by the family of Champs legend Russell Thomas throughout the qualifying campaign, the amount raised for Velindre reached £3,015.39.
From the hundreds of players who entered qualifying events to the 256 venue champions who earned their place in Cardiff, Champion of Champions once again showed what makes grassroots darts special.
And after winning the Plate in 2025 and the Main Event in 2026, will Hopkins return to try to become the first player to successfully defend the title?
He hopes he won’t need to.
“Hopefully I don’t have to come back next year. But if I am here next year, people need to watch out, because I fancy it.”
From pub to podium. Connor Hopkins is the 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions.
