Robert Wagner, born in Vienna on 14 June 1965, became one of the best-known Norwegian darts players of his generation. Nicknamed 'The Magician', he made a particular impression at the BDO World Championship, with his spectacular victory over Brian Woods at the 2010 World Championship remaining one of the most memorable matches of his career. However, a genuine breakthrough at the highest level never materialised, and Wagner also made headlines for his outspoken criticism of the BDO in 2012.
Wagner only started playing darts in 1991, following a period as a bodybuilder. He made his debut on the international BDO circuit in the early 2000s and qualified for the BDO World Championship at Lakeside for the first time in 2003. On his debut, he defeated Englishman Gary Robson 3-1 in sets before losing 3-0 to Belgian Erik Clarys in the second round. He returned in 2004, beating Dutchman Co Stompé 3-2 in the first round before falling 3-1 to John Walton. In 2005, he defeated Finnish player Jarkko Komula in his opening match, then took a 2-0 lead against former world champion Ted Hankey, only to lose 3-2 in sets. Wagner also competed in the International Darts League and the Finder Masters in 2003, failing to progress beyond the group stage in either.
2008 proved to be a particularly successful season. Wagner reached the semi-finals of the Dutch Open, losing to Scotland's Robert Thornton, and finished runner-up at the Finnish Open to Englishman Steve West. He won the Norwegian national championship, defeating Rune David in the final. At the Winmau World Masters, he defeated top player Gary Anderson in the last 16, then beat Dutch player Joey ten Berge in the quarter-finals before losing to Scott Waites in the semi-finals. At the 2009 World Championship, he lost 3-2 in sets to Gary Anderson in the first round. Later in 2009, he won the Finnish Open and successfully defended his Norwegian national championship.
The 2010 World Championship was the absolute highlight of Wagner's career. He defeated eighth seed Alan Norris 3-1 in the first round, then faced Brian Woods in a match that became one of the most talked-about contests of the tournament. Woods took a 2-0 lead in sets, but Wagner fought back to level. With Woods leading 3-2, Wagner again fought back to force a deciding set. He broke Woods three times at moments when defeat threatened, and Woods missed a match dart at the bullseye. Wagner ultimately won the deciding leg to complete a 4-3 victory in sets. In the quarter-finals, he lost 5-1 to top seed Tony O'Shea.
From 2012 onwards, Wagner increasingly focused on the PDC-affiliated circuit. In 2012, he won a tournament in Vääksy, Finland, defeating Ulf Ceder in the final. Shortly after, he made headlines by saying "The BDO is shite" in an interview. According to reports, he was subsequently not admitted to the 2012 Winmau World Masters and faced the threat of a disciplinary hearing. In 2014, he qualified for the PDC European Championship, where he recorded an average of 100.59 but lost 6-2 in legs to Vincent van der Voort in the first round. It was his only appearance at a ranked PDC major. He represented Norway at the World Cup of Darts in 2014, 2015 and 2016, with his best performance coming in 2016 when he and Cor Dekker reached the last 16, at the time Norway's best result in the tournament's history. In recent years, Wagner has appeared only at local tournaments.
