Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price have built one of the defining partnerships in World Cup of Darts history, but their next meeting will come from opposite sides of the oche. Just days before Clayton heads to Frankfurt with Nick Kenny as his new Wales team-mate, he will face Price in the quarter-finals of the Nordic Darts Masters after both Welshmen came through their opening matches in Copenhagen.
Clayton produced the cleaner start of the two. The former Premier League champion whitewashed Andreas Harrysson 6-0 with a 104.86 average, while Price survived a deciding-leg scare against Darius Labanauskas. Their reward is another all-Welsh battle, this time with added context after Price’s withdrawal from Wales’ World Cup line-up brought an end to their latest run as a pair. “We’re great mates, but we’re great on the stage when we play against each other because it’s a rugby background,” Clayton said after his win. “It’s like friends behind the scenes, but we want to absolutely batter each other on that stage. That’s a rugby background and hopefully I can win that as well.”
Clayton’s own performance left little room for drama. Harrysson had arrived with enough danger to make the first round awkward, but Clayton settled quickly, controlled the match and never allowed the Swede a route back into the contest. “That’s all you ask for,” Clayton said. “I know what Andreas can play like, so yeah, great start. Hopefully we can carry on.” The result continued a strong recent spell for Clayton, who has looked during the 2026 Premier League Darts season. His mood in Copenhagen matched the level of his darts. “I’m enjoying the game,” he said. “I always say, if there’s a smile on my face, it means I’m enjoying it. I’ve got a big smile on my face and hopefully it carries on for quite a bit again.”
The Price meeting arrives at a notable moment for Welsh darts. Clayton and Price have twice won the World Cup together, in 2020 and 2023, and reached the final again in 2025 before losing a last-leg thriller to Northern Ireland. That partnership will not continue in 2026, with Price absent from the Welsh team and Kenny stepping in alongside Clayton. “I played in the same team as Nick Kenny back in the BDO days, so I know what Nick is all about,” Clayton said. “He will play with passion, with pride, and that’s what we Welsh do. When we put our jersey on, we play for our country. I know Nick won’t let me down and I’m going to try not to let him down. I’m looking forward to that.” Clayton was also clear that Wales’ target does not change, even without Price alongside him. “Not at all,” he said when asked whether the expectation is different compared to playing with Price. “We’re there to win a tournament. Whoever you play with, you’re there to win a tournament and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”
Clayton’s Copenhagen win also gave him an immediate response after the end of his Premier League campaign. He admitted there was disappointment after Finals Night, but he did not sound like a player dwelling on it. “There’s nothing you can do about that. It was last week,” he said. “You look ahead, and today I started pretty good. Hopefully it carries on.” While some Premier League players took the chance for a longer break, Clayton kept things simple. He went home to Wales, then returned to competition at the Pro Tours in Milton Keynes before heading to Denmark. “I didn’t have a massive holiday,” he said. “Obviously I went back home and then I played the Pro Tours in Milton Keynes. It’s back to normal now, back to work.”
