Gerwyn Price will not be throwing for Wales at the World Cup of Darts this summer after making himself unavailable for the tournament, which takes place in Frankfurt on 11 June.
The withdrawal is a significant blow to Wales’s chances. Price, ranked eighth in the PDC world rankings, had been expected to partner Llanelli’s Jonny Clayton — who has been in superb form this season, leading the Premier League table for much of the campaign after stunning Luke Littler on his way to winning Night Three.
Together they would have gone into the World Cup as third seeds. Instead, world number 60 Nick Kenny has been called up in Price’s place, with Wales dropping to seventh seed and now facing the group-round qualifiers.
The 41-year-old from Caerphilly made no secret of his health struggles last week after a Premier League defeat to Clayton in Leeds.
“My focus is there, it’s just health-wise I am not in a great place at the moment. But I am battling on and searching for some results,” he said. “Hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will come and they will put me at ease. Then I will be able to enjoy darts again.”
He added: “Frustrating times. Time to rely on Lady Luck and see what happens over the next two weeks. Sometimes things happen you can’t control.”
It is the second time in three years the 2021 world champion has missed the World Cup — he also pulled out of a previous edition with Jim Williams stepping in to replace him.
Price and Clayton reached the World Cup final in 2025, battling past the Philippines, Hong Kong and the Netherlands before being beaten in the showpiece by Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney.
The defeat denied Wales a third World Cup title since the competition was established 16 years ago — and Price’s absence this time around makes a fourth look a distant prospect.
England go into this year’s tournament as heavy favourites, with Luke Littler and Luke Humphries eager to make amends after a disappointing showing in Germany last year.
Scotland get a seeding boost from Wales’s drop — Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies take the fourth seed spot vacated by Price and Clayton.
Despite his World Cup withdrawal, Price has had bright moments this Premier League season and is still in contention for a play-off place at the O2. He has 21 points with two games of the regular campaign remaining, though Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen are all close behind.
Price is next in action on Thursday night in Birmingham — the penultimate week of the regular season before the O2 play-offs.
Clayton, meanwhile, remains in fine form heading into the business end of the Premier League and will be hoping to guide a weakened Wales side through the qualifiers at the World Cup.
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