Connor Hopkins Crowned 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions
Connor Hopkins is your 2026 Red Dragon Champion of Champions!
Twelve months after winning the Plate, Connor returned to The Depot with unfinished business and this time, he wasn't leaving as the nearly man. Across eight matches and a field of 247 players, he steadily built momentum before catching fire exactly when it counted most, saving his two biggest performances of the tournament for the semi-final and final. It capped a run that saw him produce a 106.64 semi-final average, follow it with a 98.79 average in the final, and ultimately see off Jeff Bass 2–1 to lift the trophy that had eluded him a year earlier.
He Turned It On When It Mattered
Connor didn't just win the title. He produced his biggest darts on the biggest stage, and the numbers back it up.
Quarter-final: Connor Hopkins 2–0 Liam Wigley (81.24 average)
Semi-final: Connor Hopkins 2–1 Taylor Richards (106.64 average)
Final: Connor Hopkins 2–1 Jeff Bass (98.79 average, including two 100+ average legs)
That 106.64 in the semi-final is a serious number by any standard - a reminder that Champion of Champions isn't just a big amateur get-together, it's a genuine showcase of top-level talent.
106.64 SEMI-FINAL & HIGHEST AVG
91.58 OVERALL TOURNAMENT AVG.
£10,000 CHAMPION.
From pub to podium. 🏆
A Family Affair
For Connor, the £10,000 winner's prize wasn't the highlight.
"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."
What Comes Next?
Alongside the £10,000 prize, Connor has earned:
- Paid entry to 2027 Q-School
- £500 towards travel and accommodation
- A place in the preliminary round of the 2027 Winmau World Masters
And it's clear which of those means the most to him.
"The £10,000 is obviously great, but the main thing for me is getting a spot in the Masters and Q-School paid for."
Connor had already planned to attack Q-School next year. Now he's heading there as a Champion.
"Everyone wants to be a pro. It's the be-all and end-all of every amateur's ambition."
A Name on the Trophy
Connor now joins a Champion of Champions honours list that includes names like Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton and he knows exactly what that means.
"If I do nothing for the rest of my career, to have my name in that list means an awful lot."
Asked about defending his title in 2027, Connor was quick with his priorities, he'd rather have a Tour Card. But he left everyone with a warning all the same:
"If I am here next year, people need to watch out, because I fancy it."
By the Numbers: Inside the 2026 Field
Champion of Champions isn't just about the man who lifted the trophy — the depth of the field this year tells its own story.
- 247 players entered the competition
- 72 entries at a single qualifier — the highest of the season, at Hopkinstown Cricket Club
- 162 maximums hit across the field — almost two 180s for every three competitors
- 1,700 scores of 100+ recorded — nearly 7 per player on average
Standout Performances
🚀 Chas Barstow topped the entire field with a 95.61 three-dart average.
🔥 Connor Hopkins produced the best First 9 average of the tournament: 98.00.
💥 Taylor Richards hit the most maximums with 6 × 180s, and topped the century charts too - 39 scores of 100+ and 15 scores of 140+.
👑 Connor Hopkins won 16 of his 19 legs — an 84% win rate, the best of any player with a substantial leg total.
Connor Hopkins — Full Tournament Line
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| 3-dart average | 90.96 |
| First 9 average | 98.00 |
| Average finish | 53.56 |
| 100+ scores | 42 |
| 140+ scores | 15 |
| 180s | 3 |
| Legs won | 16/19 (84%) |
For Connor Hopkins, the 2026 Champion of Champions will be remembered less for the £10,000 cheque and more for everything it opened up — an exceptional tournament performance backed by the stats to prove it, a paid run at Q-School, a seat at the Winmau World Masters, and a name now sitting alongside the likes of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton on the trophy's roll of honour.
But more than that, it was a title won in front of the two people who matter most to him, and a statement of intent from a player who clearly isn't finished yet. As for Champion of Champions itself, this year's numbers - 247 players, 356 matches played, and a 868 legs played throughout the event, proving the clearest evidence yet that grassroots darts is producing players who wouldn't look out of place on the biggest stages in the sport. If this is the standard at The Depot, the future of the game looks very bright indeed.
