Gerwyn Price Questions England’s Team Ethic After World Cup of Darts Exit “The only two players that didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team”
Gerwyn Price Questions England’s Team Ethic After World Cup of Darts Exit “The only two players that didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team”
Gerwyn Price has launched a frank assessment of England’s disappointing exit from the 2025 World Cup of Darts, questioning whether Luke Littler and Luke Humphries even functioned as a team.
The Welshman, who lost this year’s final alongside Jonny Clayton to the Northern Ireland pair of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, has long championed the importance of unity and camaraderie in the pairs format, suggested that England’s early downfall was a direct result of a lack of chemistry both on and off the oche.
Speaking after defeat against Northern Ireland in the final, Price didn’t hold back in his critique of England’s approach, although he stopped short of naming names.
“I think you need a connection,” Price said. “You need to have that camaraderie off the stage and have that connection.
“When we all first turned up on the first day, the only two players that didn’t turn up together, didn’t sit together, didn’t play as a team..
I’m not saying who they are, but they didn’t win their first game.”
Although he didn’t specifically mention England, the implication was clear, especially in light of the performance in their round two defeat to Germany. The team, which entered the competition with high expectations due to their individual pedigree, failed to find any real rhythm and were unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament.
“You need it,” Price continued. “You need to turn up together, be as a team. You practice together, you sit together—it’s a team ethic. And it didn’t show with England, and it showed on the board.”
Price then went on to name England as team mate Jonny Clayton laughed, “I thought you weren’t going to name them.”
Gerwyn Price Questions England’s Team Ethic After World Cup of Darts Exit
The Iceman, who won the 2020 and 2023 editions of this event alongside The Ferret, highlighted how vital cohesion is in a format that requires pairs to not only perform well individually but to trust and feed off each other.
“They’re great players individually,” he admitted, “but you need to be a team.”
Littler and Humphries possessed some of the strongest individual talent in the field, their apparent disconnect and lack of shared purpose was evident from the outset. In contrast, other teams arrived with visible unity, entering the venue together, practising together, and sharing tactical input throughout.
Price made clear that his criticism was not rooted in rivalry or personal bias, but in genuine disappointment at seeing a top-tier nation underperform.
“I wanted them to do well,” he said. “But they didn’t. No, I did! So I’m not just saying that because I want to make some fans or anything. But I did want them to do well… but they were rubbish.”
It was a brutally honest take from the 2021 World Champion, but one that will likely resonate with many darts fans who were equally baffled by England’s subdued display. In a format that demands unity and mutual trust, body language and behaviour can sometimes say as much as the darts themselves.
Price’s remarks also reinforce what has become a growing theme at the World Cup of Darts in recent years: that success often hinges less on rankings or averages and more on chemistry and togetherness. The tournament has consistently thrown up surprises, with teams boasting strong partnerships frequently outperforming those made up of elite individuals with little shared experience or rapport.
For Price and Team Wales, the importance of unity has never been in question. “We always make sure we’re on the same page,” Price said in earlier interviews. “We’re there for each other. That’s how you win.”
