Former two time PDC World Darts Championship winner Peter Wright admits that he does not “care about the lower ranked players” in regards to the qualification changes made to the Euro Tour this year.

Speaking ahead of the Dutch Darts Masters to Online Darts, where Wright lost 6-2 to Kevin Doets and averaged just 81, Wright believes that those outside the top 16 should put more work in.

“Don’t care about the lower ranked players. They should try harder. Try harder, you get into the top 16, and then you get punished,” said Wright, who won the World Championship in both 2020 and 2022.

During the interview, Snakebite also explained how he thought he might miss out on an invitation to this year’s Premier League, despite winning the European Championship last October.

Snakebite defends Euro Tour changes

The qualification structure for the PDC European Tour tournaments will change in 2024.

The most significant change is that the top 16 players in the world rankings will now automatically qualify for an event. However, the top-16 in the PDC Order of Merit will also be invited.

They will have to start the tournament in the first round. As a result, Tour Card holders will have fewer opportunities to earn starting berths in the qualifying tournament. This number has been cut from 24 to now just ten available positions.

Wright though, was not that bothered when asked about the changes, saying that he’s also not looking forward to having to play on a Friday straight from a Premier League venue.

“It’s darts. Get yourself up in those rankings.

“I’m not looking forward to playing on a Friday, and then back on a Saturday, so I don’t care.”

Peter Wright relieved to get picked for Premier League

Wright also revealed that he was not expecting to get picked for this year’s BetMGM Premier League, which starts on Thursday 1 February in Cardiff.

“I said to [wife] Jo I don’t think I’m in.

Chris Dobey, Joe Cullen, they’ve been performing brilliantly all year… and obviously Luke Littler getting to the [World] final as well, I thought they’ve got to pick him.

I’m glad he’s in as well. It’s going to put bums on seats, everyone’s going to tune in, we’re going to get amazing sponsors, and then we’ve got to try and bring him back down to Earth, but he’s very good.”

Snakebite also explained why he thought he would not get a place in this year’s event.

“The European Champion hasn’t been picked in the last two years. Rob Cross won it, Ross Smith, and they didn’t get picked, but The Masters person got picked and it’s not even a ranking tournament.

“We go for 13 European tournaments, going to ranking tournaments, to try and win a European and it’s all ranked, and none of those guys get picked.

“Then we go to a Mickey Mouse tournament that means nothing, there’s only 24 in it, and they get picked.”

“No disrespect to Chris Dobey, he’s a fantastic darts player. He took the Premier League by storm, and he played fantastic all this year.”

Wright will be looking to change his poor record in the roadshow event, where he didn’t win a single night outright in 2023. He’s only made Finals Night twice in the ten years that he’s played, and reached the final just once, when he squandered six match darts against Michael van Gerwen in 2017.

Watch our full interview with Peter Wright with Phill Barrs below: