Darts stars Luke Humphries and Luke Littler can no longer walk the streets of England without being stopped for selfies 鈥� what the French call la ran莽on du succ猫s (the price of success).
Frenchman Thibault Tricole is beginning to experience some of that mainstream recognition in darts. However, he can still stroll around his native Morbihan in Brittany, do his grocery shopping in his home village of Malgu茅nac without too much trouble, and enjoy his privacy.
But for how much longer?
Tricole became the first French player to win a round at the PDC World Championships in 2024, before being eliminated in the second round by British player Rob Cross. In 2025, he reached the same stage but was knocked out by the defending champion Humphries in the tournament that saw Luke Littler crowned as the youngest-ever darts champion at 17 鈥� the "Mozart of darts", as Tricole calls him.
Most recently, Tricole became the first Frenchman to win on the PDC European Tour as he knocked out 2023 World Champion, Michael Smith on April 4.
Currently ranked 65th in the PDC Order of Merit, Tricole hopes to break into the top 50.
His success in France mirrors Littler's in the UK, where darts' popularity has "gone ballistic", according to the BBC. However, the scale is smaller, and the journey is set to be much longer as darts is still not recognised as a sport in France.
Tricole's passion for darts began at the age of 12 when his father, Jean-Pierre Tricole, pinned a dartboard to the living room wall.
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He played relentlessly in clubs and tournaments across Europe until, in November 2023, he won a tournament in Germany, earning the long-awaited Tour Card that grants access to all PDC events.
"I was looked down upon by British players in my first few international tournaments. I used to hear, 'Wait a sec, you play darts in France?' But the moment you take them on in their own sport, they start respecting you. From that point on, they have always been very supportive and kind to me," he said. They even gave him his nickname: The French Touch.
Now, he travels 20 to 30 times a year to the UK for tournaments, taking the same travel routes as many Connexion readers, from ferries to planes and Eurostar trains. We asked him about life as a darts pro.
Your wife described your daily training routine as "coffee, training, press interview, repeat." Did you get your coffee and training in this morning?
She鈥檚 absolutely right. No kidding, it鈥檚 100% true, and no exception. I have a son, and as soon as I take him to daycare, I use the mornings to train alone at home.
You left your job as a landscape gardener, won major tournaments in the semi-professional league, and turned professional. How did you see your career develop?
Organically and steadily. Turning pro was a five-year project. I鈥檝e been playing since I was 12, but whether I was 15, 18, or 25, I always dreamed of becoming a professional player. It was more of a childhood dream that seemed out of reach over the years. I never imagined I could make a living from it because no one in France had done so before.
I鈥檝e always had a competitive mindset, always striving to win and improve. But you don鈥檛 tell your parents at 20 that you want to be a professional darts player 鈥� it鈥檚 expensive, requires a lot of travel, and isn't even recognised as a sport in France. So, you get a job and treat it as a side hobby.
The turning point was in 2019 when I took a gamble and left my job to pursue darts seriously. I started winning tournaments and achieving strong results in international B-league events. I made it to the World Championship at the O2 Arena in London in 2020. When travel expenses became a burden, I launched a crowdfunding campaign, which fortunately gained traction. That changed everything.
Do you take English lessons as part of your training?
(Laughs) I鈥檝e always neglected English, but I now realise I should have paid more attention in school 鈥� it would have made things so much easier! Friends used to tell me I would need to be fluent if I wanted to turn professional. I assumed it would come naturally, but I made progress in darts much faster than in English.
The first few years were tough when I had to do interviews with the English press. I was mocked in France for sweating during interviews. Sometimes, I was more stressed about the post-match interview than the match itself! But it鈥檚 getting better.
I鈥檓 not fluent yet, but travelling to the UK 20 to 30 times a year certainly helps. Your ear gets used to it.
What are your goals for 2025?
Right now, I鈥檓 ranked 65th. My goal is to break into the top 50 by the end of the year. The long-term aim would be the top 16, but let鈥檚 take it step by step.
Would you consider relocating to the UK, as French player Jocelyn Devilliers did in the US for pickleball?
Eye on the big prize: Thibault TricoleTaylor Lanning
It was an idea when I was 20 or 25. But now, I鈥檓 settled in Brittany with my wife and our two-and-a-half-year-old son.
Unlike Jocelyn, I鈥檓 lucky to be in Brittany, which is quite close to the UK, where most tournaments are held.
Ferries, planes, and trains are easily accessible from here. The ferry from Saint-Malo for a tournament in Cornwall, the Eurostar for events in London, and, unfortunately, a plane when I need to be in Manchester.
You once said, "I see myself as an ambassador for darts in France." Will the sport gain recognition if a French player wins a PDC World Championship, like Raymond Van Barneveld (2007) and Michael Van Gerwen (2014, 2017, 2019) did for the Netherlands?
That鈥檚 been my belief for 10 years. But now, after seeing the audience figures for the past two World Championships, I think recognition and success might come even without a French champion. The French love supporting a winner, so it would help enormously if a French player won, but interest is growing regardless.
"TricolORe" on the front page of L'Equipe 鈥� have you already dreamed of it?
(Laughs) Of course! It would be a dream. The pun is obvious, but I hope to see it printed one day. That would mean I鈥檝e come full circle and that darts is finally taken seriously in France.
What are the biggest differences between darts in France and the UK?
A: The biggest difference is that English players have agents who handle everything unrelated to playing. They book flights and hotels, deal with sponsors, and even choose which exhibition tournaments in local bars a player will attend. That doesn鈥檛 exist in France.
Your partnership with FC Lorient seems fitting. British newspapers always mention a player's football allegiance, like "Luke Littler, the Man United fan". Was that intentional?
With opponent, 'Luke Littler'Kieran Cleeves / PDC
A: Absolutely! That鈥檚 exactly what I tell other French players considering a career in darts: you have to adapt to the British mentality. It also helps me be accepted by British players. That was one of my main arguments when I pitched the partnership to FC Lorient.
Darts still has a long road ahead in France, but I'm optimistic. Whether recognition comes from the government or grassroots movements, I believe it's only a matter of time before the sport takes off properly in my country.
'Tricole effect' 鈥� darts clubs boom in France
鈥淲e are as surprised as anyone else! We did not anticipate such enthusiasm.鈥� So says Thomas Quinard, who launched a group dedicated to darts at CEP Omnisports, a sports club in Lorient (Morbihan), on December 1. Eleven members enlisted and he expects more to join.
鈥淲e hope to reach 20 by late March,鈥� he said.
Mr Quinard is one of many people in France to have recently opened a darts club. He attributes the trend to 鈥榯he Tricole effect鈥�.鈥�
It has been helped by interest from sports channel L鈥橢quipe 21, which saw Mr Tricole鈥檚 successes grow and partnerships accumulate, and capitalised on it.
The channel broadcast the 2024 PDC World Championship and renewed the contract last December for the 2025 edition, amassing 18 million viewers. It was the first time a darts event was broadcast on French TV.
The channel has taken things even further this year, buying broadcasting rights for each tournament in the Premier League Darts (from February 6 to May 29). Thibault Tricole is one of two commentators.
鈥淚 want to promote darts as a sport and end the stereotype that it is just in bars,鈥� said Alexandre Tenaudier, a player since 1997 and president of Branches Darts Club 89 in Branches and Les Cenobites Tranquilles in Fleury-la-Vall茅e (both in Yonne).
Mr Tenaudier opened both clubs last year. He, like many presidents and club owners, partnered with mairie officials to rent the salle des f锚tes to host a two-hour-long training session each Wednesday.
鈥淚 never thought the sport would make a comeback,鈥� said Mr Tenaudier.
鈥淚 now have teenagers looking to sign up to the club.鈥�
