Van Gerwen breaks new ground with Cambridge Union visit

Michael van Gerwen at Cambridge University

Michael van Gerwen made history as he became the first darts player to speak at The Cambridge Union on Tuesday.

Van Gerwen spoke to the world's oldest debating society about his career, views on the sport and his rivalry with Raymond van Barneveld before fielding questions for over an hour.

Founded in 1815, The Cambrige Union has a long and extensive tradition of hosting prominent figures from all areas of public life in its chamber, including the Dalai Lama, President Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking.

"It was a privilege to be asked to speak at such a prestigious institution," Van Gerwen reflected.

"It was a great experience, and something I wasn't expecting to be asked to do.

"Of course, the students had lots of great questions for me and I enjoyed talking to them.

"If you look on the walls of the university you see people who did what I did yesterday, people like Bill Gates and Robert De Niro, so it was a real honour.

"It's also good for me to experience something out of my comfort zone, and it's good for darts to be able to represent the sport in a different setting."