Thibault Tricole has spoken of his emotion after it was announced that France will host a PDC European Tour tournament for the first time in 2027. The Darts Grand Prix de France will take place in Liévin from 19.03.2027 to 21.03.2027, marking the first official PDC tournament on French soil.
For Tricole, the news is the realisation of a long-held wish. "For years, we said to ourselves: 'Imagine, one day, a PDC competition here in France...' We've all dreamed of it... Well, that day has finally come," he wrote on his Facebook page. The Frenchman also expressed his pride at the historic nature of the announcement, calling it "The first PDC Open in history in France."
Reflecting on the journey of darts in his country, Tricole admitted that a decade ago such an event seemed impossible. "When I think back on the path Darts has taken in our country over the past few years, it's amazing! A little over 10 years ago, all of this seemed so far away, even unthinkable." He even recalled doubts about the sport's future in France, saying: "I sometimes wondered if the federation would ever show up, given the decreasing number of licensed players..."
That uncertainty now stands in stark contrast to the prospect of hosting a PDC European Tour event. "And today, we are preparing to host an official PDC competition in France," Tricole said. He also noted that while the French Darts Festival had already brought some of the world's top PDC stars to France, the arrival of an official European Tour event represents another significant step forward. "With the French Darts Festival, I was already very proud to see some of the world's top PDC stars stepping onto French soil. This time, we are taking another step forward."
According to Tricole, the Liévin debut is clear evidence that darts is genuinely gaining ground in France. "This shows clearly that the enthusiasm for darts in France is real. Little by little, we are catching up on the gap we had with our European neighbors."
