Background
His Mother and Aunty played darts and they were probably who introduced him to the game.
His Mother and Aunty played darts and they were probably who introduced him to the game.
He eventually made a short comeback in 2003. Allpress played rugby and rugby league before he started playing darts in a Saturday league team for the Woolston Working Men"s Club in 1970 at the age of 21. In those days you played a round robin of pairs and then one game of singles.
In 1972 he watched the Australasian Darts Championships when they were held in Lower Hutt.
That was an annual competition which no longer exists between the Australian states and New Zealand. He decided he wanted to be part of that and by 1973 he was in the New Zealand team
Allpress competed in the 1980 and 1981 Embassy BDO International World Darts Championships but was defeated by Scotland"s Jocky Wilson in 1980 and by the American darts player David Miller in the first round in 1981. He was also a New Zealand Darts Council Director for 5 years.
Allpress has played in various parts of the World.
Australia, England and Hawaii representing New Zealand. He played in the Embassy World Championships twice. He played in World Cups in Copenhagen, Nelson and Brisbane. He has played in Pacific Cups in Melbourne and Auckland.
So many he has probably forgotten many of them.
One highlight for him was winning the New Zealand singles the year he retired in 1992 and then after being absent from darts for 11 years playing again and winning the New Zealand singles in 2003. Players that he respected were Murray Smith and Barry Whittaker.
Older Canterbury players who have known Allpress for a long time hugely admired him in that part of the darting world and has the greatest respect. He has been a mentor to many.