Phil Taylor plans darts return with Adrian Lewis at November pairs event
The 16-time world champion is set to partner his former England teammate at the MODUS Super Series International Pairs Tournament in Portsmouth from 23 to 28 November.
Phil Taylor plans to return to competitive darts in Portsmouth this November, partnering Adrian Lewis at the MODUS Super Series International Pairs Tournament from 23 to 28 November 2026. The announcement, reported on 29 September, brings the 16-time world champion back for a specific pairs event after he retired from professional play in 2018. Taylor and Lewis previously won four World Cup of Darts titles together for England.
Taylor, 66, said the chance to play alongside Lewis was the reason he accepted another invitation to compete. ‘I’ve been asked plenty of times about coming back, but it would have to be for the right reason,’ he said in the MODUS announcement. ‘Adrian is one of the very few people I’d come out of retirement to play alongside.’ He added that the MODUS Super Series was where he wanted to make that return.
When and where will Taylor and Lewis play?
The International Pairs Tournament is scheduled for 23 to 28 November at the MODUS Super Series studio in Portsmouth. MODUS says it will stream the event live and free on its Pluto TV channel. The announcement establishes a planned appearance at that tournament; it does not set out a broader return to regular professional tour competition for Taylor.
The full field has yet to be named. MODUS says it will reveal the International Pairs line-up live on its channel on 10 October, leaving Taylor and Lewis’s opponents unconfirmed for now. Its announcement describes a pairs event involving international players, but does not provide a complete match schedule or detailed competition format. Those details will matter to anyone planning to follow the pair through the tournament.
Chris Murphy, MODUS Super Series chief executive and executive producer, described Taylor’s return as ‘a huge moment for darts’ and said the series was proud he had chosen its event. Murphy also welcomed the reunion with Lewis. His comments were part of the organiser’s announcement, rather than a result or assessment of how the pair will perform in November.
Why the Taylor–Lewis partnership matters
Taylor and Lewis have an established record together for England. BBC Sport describes them as the most successful pairing in the PDC World Cup of Darts: they won four titles in six outings as a team. MODUS also points to those four World Cup victories in announcing the reunion. The November appearance will put that partnership back in competition, although the field they will face has not yet been disclosed.
Their history also includes matches on opposite sides of the oche. According to BBC Sport, Taylor and Lewis met in five PDC major finals, with Taylor winning each one. Taylor said they know each other’s games ‘inside out’ and that he is looking forward to playing with Lewis again. His remarks explain why this particular partnership prompted his return.
Lewis, 41, said playing with Taylor again was special because of the moments they had shared as a team. ‘We know what it takes to win as a pair and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together,’ he said in the MODUS announcement. His comment expresses an ambition for the event, not a prediction of its result.
What Taylor and Lewis have played since stepping back
Taylor’s professional career ended in 2018, but his November appearance would not be his first time on a competitive stage since then. BBC Sport reports that he played at the World Seniors Darts Championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The distinction matters: the announcement concerns his return for a named MODUS tournament, rather than an uninterrupted eight-year absence from all competitive darts.
BBC Sport calls Taylor the most decorated player in darts. Beyond his 16 world championships, it credits him with 214 professional tournament wins and a record 87 major titles between 1987 and 2018. That record gives the planned appearance significance beyond a one-off reunion, even though the announcement says nothing about a permanent change to his playing schedule.
Lewis won the PDC World Darts Championship in consecutive years, 2011 and 2012. BBC Sport says he has not played professionally on the PDC circuit since April 2023, when he announced a break from darts. He did appear in the 2025 MODUS International Pairs Tournament alongside Steve Beaton, according to the BBC. His participation in November therefore also comes with recent experience of this event.
What remains to be confirmed before November
The next announced milestone is MODUS’s 10 October line-up reveal. Until the organisers name the other pairs and publish further match details, the confirmed news is Taylor and Lewis’s planned partnership, the Portsmouth venue, the 23–28 November dates and MODUS’s stated streaming arrangement. The tournament has not yet taken place, so the announcement cannot establish whether the pair will win matches or how far they might progress.
Sources and context
- Phil Taylor to come out of retirement and reunite with Adrian LewisBBC Sport
- Phil Taylor ends eight-year retirement as he announces shock darts returnThe Independent
- Phil Taylor’s MODUS Super Series ComebackDarts World / MODUS Super Series
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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