Welsh darts legend admits he's 'skint' in bluntly honest post-match interview

Wales Online

30-06-2025

Welsh darts legend admits he's 'skint' in bluntly honest post-match interview
Richie Burnett, the former world darts champion, reached the semi-finals of the Modus Super Series on the World Seniors Darts tour this past weekend - and he had a very honest reason for his return
Richie Burnett made it to the semi-finals of the Modus Super Series
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Richie Burnett admitted his motivation for returning to the oche was financial, stating he was "skint" after making it to the semi-finals of the Modus Super Series.
The darts star, nicknamed the 'Prince of Wales', featured in the World Seniors Darts tour over the last weekend, as fans enjoyed his return to the televised event.
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The 58-year-old's most recent success in darts was at the 2023 UK Open, where he overcame the then-world number two Peter Wright to advance to the quarter-finals. His appearances on the tours have been sporadic since then, but his victory in the PDC Challenge Tour in 2024 was momentous.
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This past weekend, the former world champion competed in the Super Series event, where he defeated Simon Whitlock and John Henderson to reach the semi-final. During his post-match interview, Burnett revealed the stark reality that propelled his competitive return.
He said: "Yeah, I mean look, it's hard. You're going to have good legs and bad legs, but I'm digging in there and I want to win because I'm skint, you know. I need to win."
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His frank admission evoked some laughter from the audience, even as the seasoned star downplayed his own successful performance en route to the semis.
Burnett added: "Like I say you know, years go past and you should get better as the tournament goes on but I'm not saying nothing. I'll leave it at that please, thank you."
The Welsh darts legend has returned to televised darts
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Sadly, the Welsh darts icon was knocked out in the semi-final by Richie Howson, with a 6-4 defeat seeing the Englishman progress to the final against eventual champion Ross Montgomery.
Burnett's participation in the World Seniors Darts tour would have been a welcome sight for many supporters who have followed his career over the past 27 years.
Throughout his nearly three-decade-long darts career, Burnett has competed across various tours, clinching victories at the World Masters and Dutch Open in 1994 under the British Darts Organisation banner.
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A year later, the 'Prince of Wales' became the King, winning the World Championship title with a 6-3 victory over Raymond van Barneveld in the final.
Richie Burnett returned to televised darts this weekend
(Image: Tom Shaw/ALLSPORT )
In 1999, Burnett transitioned from BDO to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where he spent the remainder of his career.
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During this period, he triumphed in several tournaments, including the Challenge Tour and the Players Championship, and also participated in the World Darts Federation tour.