Gerwyn Price has admitted he would never have pursued a PDC Tour Card if he had known the financial realities of life on tour. In an interview on the podcast 'Tops & Tales' with PDC referee Huw Ware, the Welshman reflected on his accidental entry into professional darts, stating: "If I'd known at the time that we had to pay to enter Pro Tours—which was a hundred quid plus a fiver for markers—and pay to enter the European Tours, so a weekend with the hotel could cost me a grand, if I knew that I wouldn't have come." Price, a former rugby professional and world champion, went to Q School only after being persuaded by Barrie Bates over two years, with no expectations of success. He was the only one in his group to earn a Tour Card, and now says: "Looking back, I'm glad I didn't know."
Price's darts journey began casually. He first met Bates in the George pub in Aberbargoed after playing darts for only six months while still focused on rugby. "I used to go around all the local tournaments—£300, £400, £500 for the winner—and I used to win the majority of them," he recalled. When they played, Price won comfortably, with Bates joking: "Why don't you f*** off back to rugby?" Despite that, Bates kept pushing him toward Q School, but Price resisted, saying: "I'm a rugby player—no, it's not for me." His progression included Friday night leagues and Super League, but county darts was tricky due to rugby commitments. However, Gwent once "chucked me straight into the A team," where he won his only county game with an 84 average against Tony O'Shea.
Now 40, Price has evolved his approach to touring. He described his early days: "At the beginning, when I first started playing, you might go to Barnsley or somewhere and have a night out." Today, he's more disciplined: "But now I'm in bed early, I'm up in the gym, and I'm just… boring." He emphasized this routine is personal, not prescriptive, comparing players to greyhounds: "Some dogs need walking every day, others can run straight off the bed and perform their best." Away from the oche, Price describes himself as introverted: "If there's 30 people in the room, I'm probably the last one you're going to hear. I'll be sat at the back." He credits his partner, Bethan, whom he met at 17 while working at Markham Rugby Club, for vital support, noting: "Every time she comes with me, I seem to play a lot better."
Price is also busy with business ventures, including darts academies, a fish and chip shop, and a farm. He finds the farm work challenging, especially when away, but values privacy: "I've always wanted just a bit of a smallholding, something out of the way a little bit." As for retirement, it's not imminent. He confirmed: "I've just signed with Red Dragon for the next ten years. I'm with them until I'm 50, so I'm definitely playing for another ten years." He might eventually scale back, saying: "I might give up Pro Tours or Europeans one day and just try to stay in the top 16 and play TV events as long as possible." Despite the World Championship's £1 million top prize, Price remains unfazed: "It is a lot of money, but it wouldn't change anything about me. It would just go into the pot." He believes the same for other elites like Luke and Michael, calling it "a good bonus" that doesn't change who you are.
