WD-40 has signed world number three darts player James Wade as the new face of the multi-use product.

Wade is stepping up to the oche with the new sponsorship deal which will last until at least the end of 2010 for a significant five-figure sum.

Following the sponsorship announcement James said: “This is the first sponsorship deal I have had that has not been related to the traditional sponsors in darts and marks a new era for the sport. I regularly used WD-40 when I was a mechanic and can’t believe it’s now on my shirt.”

European managing director for WD-40, Bill Noble, added “We felt that darts was the perfect sport to link up with as it fits well with our target audience and has the second highest viewing figures for sport after Premiership football.

The 26 year old from Cobham has climbed the Professional Darts Corporation world rankings year after year and in 2008 he became the first player to beat Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in the Premier League since the event started in 2005.

The sponsorship begins at the Grand Slam of Darts on Saturday 14 November in Wolverhampton as James hopes to add the title to the Premier League he won in
May.