Gerwyn Price’s unexplained withdrawal from the 2026 World Cup of Darts has left Wales without the partnership that has shaped their modern history in the event, with DartsNews Podcast cohosts and expert analysts Kieran Wood and Nicolas Gayer questioning what his absence now means for Jonny Clayton and the nation’s title hopes.
Price and Clayton are not just a dangerous Welsh pairing. They are one of the great World Cup teams of recent years. Together they won Wales’ first title in 2020, reached another final in 2022, reclaimed the crown in 2023 and finished runners-up again in 2025 after a deciding-leg defeat to Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney. That record is why Price’s latest absence has landed so heavily. Wales are not simply losing a high-profile name. They are losing half of a proven World Cup formula, and Clayton is again being asked to adjust his tournament plans without the partner alongside whom he has produced his best moments in the competition.
The uncertainty is sharpened by Price’s own clarification that his withdrawal is not due to health reasons. The former world champion has had well-documented issues with illness and fitness across recent months, but that explanation has been ruled out by Price himself, leaving the wider darts world still waiting for a fuller reason. Speaking during the Hotseat segment of the latest DartsNews Podcast, Gayer asked Wood, as a Welsh darts follower, whether Price’s withdrawal felt like Wales had been denied another serious chance at World Cup success. Wood’s answer was not one of entitlement, but of confusion over the lack of clarity. “I don't know if I feel robbed of a title, but I'm certainly intrigued as to why he's not playing,” Wood said. “Both from a Welsh fan's perspective and from a journalistic perspective. I think his battles with health and illness have been well documented recently. But with him coming out on his Instagram story and saying very clearly that he's not pulled out for medical reasons, it does raise the questions of, well, why did you pull out then?”
Gayer admitted that, before the withdrawal was confirmed, he saw Wales as one of the most obvious contenders for the title. “To be honest, from the outset, I thought this year, there would be no way or nothing stopping Wales winning that title with Jonny Clayton playing the darts of his life and Gerwyn Price in really good shape as well,” said Gayer. Wood shared that view, arguing that Wales’ established pairing deserved to be spoken about alongside any team in the field, even with England set to feature Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. “I don't think it's me being biased to say that, even though Littler and Humphries, obviously for England, that Price and Clayton for Wales is the best team,” Wood said. “Whenever they play, they always seem to get at least a final, don't they? Like last year as well.”
Nick Kenny will now partner Clayton, giving Wales another experienced stage player and a man capable of producing strong darts under pressure. Kenny is not the issue. The issue is the size of the role he is being asked to fill. For Wood, the strongest feeling is sympathy for Clayton, who has once again seen his World Cup campaign reshaped by circumstances outside his control. “The overriding emotion for me really, though, is just I feel sorry for Jonny Clayton,” he said. “He loves playing for Wales. He loves representing his nation in the World Cup of Darts. And through things not really inside his control, for the second time in three years, he's been left with not really much chance, has he? With all due respect to Kenny.” Earlier in the episode, Wood also made clear that the Welsh replacement debate should not be mistaken for the bigger point. Robert Owen’s recent form may have put him into the conversation, but the ideal scenario for Wales was obvious. “I mean, there's no question Owen's in better form than Kenny at the moment,” Wood said. “But if I'm being brutally honest, I would prefer Gerwyn Price to be there.” Asked what Price’s absence meant for his expectations, Wood added: “I don't fancy our chances, if I'm being honest.”
