Besides Ronnie O’Sullivan’s seemingly unstoppable surge towards a record eighth title, two separate narratives have been dominating the headlines during the first week of the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield.
Comments by O’Sullivan and the sport’s predominant power-broker Barry Hearn have fuelled speculation that the tournament could be taken away from the Crucible – while in a separate development, details are emerging of a potential rival tour based in China.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at the two developing stories and what they might mean for the future of snooker.
So, is snooker leaving the Crucible?
The venue’s current deal expires in 2027 – coincidentally, its 50th anniversary of staging the World Championships. Hearn has effectively delivered an ultimatum to Sheffield City Council to improve or rebuild the venue, or see the tournament taken away. Whilst there is a growing feeling that the Crucible’s facilities and capacity are not compatible with the sport’s ambitious future plans, many maintain that such concerns are trumped by tradition.
What are the favoured options?
Money talks as far as Hearn is concerned, and he insists he would not think twice about signing a lucrative deal to stage the World Championship in Saudi Arabia or the Far East. Another mooted possibility is rotating the tournament around a series of global venues. But his comments caused a significant backlash, with former world champions Shaun Murphy and Ken Doherty calling criticism of the Crucible “sacrilege”, and insisting the tournament would lose much of its uniqueness if it was staged elsewhere.
Surely it’ll end up in Saudi Arabia?
The Saudis are becoming increasingly big players in snooker, having staged the World Masters of Snooker – complete with golden ball – last year, and preparing to stage the first ranking tournament in the kingdom in August. Ronnie O’Sullivan has also signed an ambassadorial deal with the Saudis. If Hearn holds true to his talk that money is all that matters, there is no doubt the Saudis carry the biggest clout of all.
Presumably the Saudis are behind this proposed rival tour?
Funnily enough, no. The Saudis have thrown their lot in with Hearn and the World Snooker Tour. The rival tour is understood to emanate from China. Exact details remain sketchy, but a number of top players have admitted having been approached. They have been offered guaranteed six-figure sums to sign up to a new circuit which would effectively preclude them from also competing on the existing tour – and thus their ability to compete in the prestigious ‘triple crown’ events.
Who is likely to jump ship?
It’s perhaps more pertinent to point out those who won’t: O’Sullivan has effectively committed to the WST by signing up with the Saudis, while Judd Trump has dismissed the prospective rival event out of hand. Without O’Sullivan or Trump, unquestionably the sport’s two biggest stars, it is hard to see how any rival tour could carry any kind of legitimacy at all. Some players, including Kyren Wilson, have indicated their willingness to consider their options. But it would seem a remarkably self-destructive career move to quit the main tour – just as Saudi money begins to roll in – in favour of a series of glorified exhibitions on the other side of the world.
Fast forward to 2028 – what is the state of play?
Right now it’s all too easy to envisage a World Championship in Riyadh, and even the possibility of a rival event taking place in China. But one would hope the reality is rather different. Saudi involvement may not please everybody but it will probably satisfy most players’ financial demands, which in turn may make them more amenable to the idea of continuing at the Crucible. Even its biggest critics must admit that a World Championship away from its famous home would lose much of its lustre. With enough vocal backers to drown out the money men, all is not necessarily lost.