Until recently, darts was basically a pub sport with one or two national competitions. Now, suddenly, but has become international, and it has become big business too. Although darts is part of the British folk heritage, we know surprisingly little of it's history. Those famed English archers are supposed to have played o form of darts before defeating the French at the battle of Agincourt in 1415. The Pilgrim Fathers are supposed to have thrown darts as they traveled to America on the Mayflower in 1620.
Goodness knows how they managed it as their tiny boat was tossed about in the North Atlantic.
We know little of darts in Victorian times. What we do know, is that darts is essentially a twentieth century sport. And incidentally, all true enthusiasts will insist that it is a sport, and not a pastime such as cards. The important point here is that darts requires both physical and mental skill. The mental skill may be less obvious.