In a scathing attack on the sport’s governing body, Scottish darts star Cameron Menzies has declared he will refuse to pay a ÂŁ2,500 fine levied by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) for his on-stage meltdown at the 2026 World Darts Championship.
The punishment, along with a four-month suspended suspension, was handed down after Menzies was filmed repeatedly punching the stage table following a painful first-round defeat to Charlie Manby at Alexandra Palace .
The incident, which left the 37-year-old needing medical treatment for bloodied knuckles and subsequent surgery for nerve damage, has been a source of regret for the player . However, speaking out against the DRA’s decision to publicly release the full list of sanctions after a three-year silence, Menzies has cited a blatant inconsistency in how the rules are applied .
The ‘Littler’ Loophole
Menzies is pointing the finger at the treatment of world number one and back-to-back champion Luke Littler, arguing that similar or worse acts of unprofessionalism have gone unpunished.
His argument centers on the hostile crowd behavior and Littler’s own on-stage antics during the same tournament. During his fourth-round win over Rob Cross, Littler was audibly booed by the Alexandra Palace crowd and engaged in a tense spat with fans, later taunting them by saying, “You pay for tickets and you pay my prize money” .
Furthermore, Menzies’ camp has pointed to a separate incident in the Premier League where Littler clashed with Dutchman Gian van Veen and was involved in a “spat” that drew widespread criticism .
Fans are also questioning why the DRA took no issue with Littler’s conduct during his World Championship final victory against Van Veen, where the 19-year-old swatted furiously at a wasp on stage, momentarily stopping play—an act some claim is a violation of the code of conduct regarding “behavior in the playing area” .
“Where is the consistency?” Menzies is reported to have said. “I punch a table in frustration at myself, injure myself, and get a massive fine. Yet, the world champion can be involved in crowd spats and swatting things out of the air on the oche, and there is silence from the DRA. It is a joke, and I will not be paying this fine.”
The DRA’s Position
The DRA, which recently published its comprehensive disciplinary record covering cases from 2023 to 2026, confirmed the penalties against Menzies.
The official allegation against him was “Repeatedly punching table on stage.” The sanction included a ÂŁ2,500 fine and a four-month suspension, which is suspended until July 23, 2027 .
A DRA hearing on January 19 determined that any further breach of the disciplinary code before that date could trigger the suspension, effectively banning Menzies from the sport . The DRA has not commented on the specific comparisons drawn to Littler’s actions, but the recent release of records has pulled back the curtain on how the sport polices its stars—revealing that while Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson also received sanctions, Menzies appears to be one of the hardest hit for a physical outburst .
The Toll on Menzies
Despite the fine and controversy, Menzies has attempted to rebuild his career. Having climbed to 26th in the PDC world rankings and reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Cup of Darts, he secured a silver lining by winning the Players Championship 23 event in Leicester on July 6 .
However, he has been open about the damage the incident caused. He revealed that the injuries from punching the table were severe enough to require surgery, leaving him with “no feeling in my fingers because of the damage I’ve done” .
As the stand-off with the DRA escalates over the payment, the debate over consistency in disciplinary action is set to intensify, with many fans questioning the governing body’s selective enforcement of its own rules.