Taom Billiards Signs Three-Year Global Partnership with the World Seniors Snooker Tour
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that Taom Billiards as the official global chalk partner of the World Seniors Snooker Tour in a new three-year deal.
Finnish sensation Taom Billiards are the makers of the world’s most innovative snooker chalk, which has hailed by World Champion Shaun Murphy as “the best thing that has happened to this sport”.
The partnership will see the brand showcased across every WSS event, including the World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Since launching in 2017, Taom has become the chalk of choice for the majority of the world’s professionals – setting a new standard in cue sports with its unique formula designed to reduce kicks and miscues and deliver a cleaner contact. The innovation has been nothing short of transformative.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis explains: “As a sport now celebrating its 150th year, we’ve not been very good at innovation. In many cases, we’re still using the same equipment we had over a century ago. For Taom to arrive in 2017 and totally revolutionise the chalk element of the game – and to be adopted so widely – is remarkable. We look forward to helping bring their products to an even bigger global audience.”
Toni Ursin, CEO of Taomtips Ltd., said: “We’re delighted to partner with the World Seniors Snooker Tour. From the very beginning, Taom has been about pushing the sport forward with products that make a real difference to players. To now see our chalk trusted by professionals and showcased on such iconic stages as the Crucible is a tremendous honour. We look forward to working with the Tour to share our passion for the game with an even wider audience.”
The deal cements Taom’s place at the heart of professional snooker, bringing its game-changing chalk and accessories to the biggest stages of the sport and ensuring players compete with the very best equipment available.
This is the type of association snooker really needs, much better in my views than the omnipresent association with the “betting business”. I’ve never heard about someone taking their own life about a chalk make, I have lost three colleagues along the years, taking their own life over betting addiction.
Stuart Bingham Completes British Seniors Open Line-Up
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that the 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham will complete the field for the British Seniors Open at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December 2025 which will be shown live on Channel 5.
Known as ‘Ballrun’, the former world champion makes his WSS Tour debut alongside Matthew Stevens and Anthony Hamilton who join Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Joe Perry, Dominic Dale and reigning World Seniors champion Alfie Burden.
Bingham said “It is a great privilege to be invited to play in the British Seniors Open. I am really looking forward to being one of the youngest playing for a change and not one of the oldest! It is a fresh direction playing in Derby and having Channel 5 broadcasting the event. Exciting times ahead!”
Jason Francis, WSS Chairman, said “It is exciting times for seniors snooker with three decorated players making their debuts in Derby. Stuart is a former world and Masters champion who was number two in the world as recently as 2017, so he will come into this event as one of the favourites for sure”
In a way that may surprise many, the fact that WST and WSS couldn’t come to an agreement means that professionals who meet the “age criteria” are now free to compete in the Seniors Tour events provided that there is no “calendar clash” with the Main Tour events. This is why we are seing “new faces” in Seniors events, which is very welcome. Those players, who are still competing on the main tour, play at a very high standard, of course, and we are going to see very high quality matches on the Seniors tour as a result.
Anthony Hamilton Joins British Seniors Open Line-Up
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that former ranking event winner Anthony Hamilton is the latest player to join the field for the 2025 British Seniors Open.
‘The Sheriff of Pottingham’ was on the World Snooker Tour (WST) for an unbroken 34-year spell, spending 15 years inside the top 32.
Between 2002 and 2007, Hamilton reached the quarter finals of the World Championship on four occasions and was a ranking event champion as recently as 2017 when he captured the German Masters crown.
Hamilton said: “The British Seniors Open sounds like a brilliant event and it is an honour to be invited to play in it and renew some old rivalries.”
Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: “Anthony only retired from the main tour in May, following three decades as a professional player. He is exactly the type of servant to the game who deserves this chance to compete in a TV event on the World Seniors Snooker Tour. I can see this announcement being very well received as he remains such a popular player in the sport.”
The British Seniors Open will take place at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December 2025 and be shown live on Channel 5.
Over time I have read so many disparaging comments about Anthony… that he’s weird, that he’s filthy, and more. None of that is true. He’s a very interesting character, he’s very clever, very knowledgeable about his sport, he’s kind1 … but a bit shy. He is a great addition to the Seniors tour.
unless you disturb him when at the table on a break 😉 ↩︎
The order of play for the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship has been confirmed following yesterday’s draw made live on Channel 5.
The event will take place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 7-11 May with 16 players from nine nations competing for the flagship title on the World Seniors Snooker tour.
Every ball will be available to watch live on Channel 5 in the UK with a new, extended format announced for the 2025 edition of the competition which sees all matches up to the semi-finals stage now being best of seven frames while the semi-finals are now best of 11 and the final contested over the best of 15 frames.
The tournament begins on Wednesday afternoon with former ranking event champions Joe Perry and Dominic Dale making their respective World Seniors Snooker bows against Brazil’s Fabio Anderson Luersen and England’s Craig Steadman.
Reigning champion Igor Figueiredo will begin the defence of his crown against Crucible debutant Wayne Townsend on Wednesday evening to be followed by fellow former World Seniors Snooker champion Aaron Canavan taking on Andrew Norman.
In what is sure to be a highly anticipated session on Thursday afternoon, four-time champion Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White meets the winner of the upcoming Golden Ticket play-off before 1997 world champion Ken Doherty goes head-to-head with African Seniors champion Charl Jonck.
The opening round then concludes on Thursday evening with Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago from Malta taking on Northern Ireland’s Gerard Green before Tony Knowles meets Australia’s Hassan Kerde.
The final will take place on Sunday 11 May.
Contrary to what happens in the WST Tour World Championship, the defending champion will not play in the opening session of the tournament. Igor will play his match in the evening session of the first day.
It’s a sensible schedule as, of course, more people are free in the evenings than in the afternoons.
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that JenningsBet will be the title sponsor for the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship.
Starting out in 1995 as ‘Jennings Racing’, they have grown from 10 Essex-based shops to become the UK’s largest independent bookmaker with over 200 shops nationwide.
The JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship will be held 7-11 May at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Defending Champion Igor Figueiredo from Brazil will join four-time champion Jimmy White, 1997 World champion Ken Doherty and ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago as well as former ranking event winners Dominic Dale and Joe Perry who make their debut in the tournament.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis said “Greg and his team at JenningsBet supported the launch of my World Seniors Darts Tour and, without them, those events which featured the return of Phil Taylor in 2022 may never have happened. It is great to team up again and showcase their brand from the home of snooker.”
Derek Somers, Sponsorship Manager at JenningsBet, said: “We at JenningsBet are proud to be sponsoring this prestigious event at an iconic sporting venue. Age is no barrier to sporting prowess and this tournament will crown a worthy champion.”
Line-Up Confirmed for 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship
Brazil’s Figueiredo made history for South American snooker 12 months ago by winning the flagship title and he will begin the defence of his crown as the top seed on the opening Wednesday afternoon session.
Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White will be aiming to win a record-extending fifth World Seniors Snooker Championship title at the sport’s most iconic venue and he gets underway on the afternoon of Thursday 8 May – as does the 1997 World champion Ken Doherty.
Former ranking event champions Joe Perry and Dominic Dale will make their World Seniors Snooker debuts at the event and they are joined as seeds by Malta’s Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago, former world number two Tony Knowles and World Seniors Snooker’s world number one Aaron Canavan – who notably won the 2018 Championship.
Canavan is one of four players to have qualified via the ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ which saw players compete across nine events to earn their spots via the rankin
gs. The man from Jersey is joined by Andrew Norman, Gerard Greene and Crucible debutant Wayne Townsend in qualifying via this route.
Additionally, Craig Steadman, Hassan Kerde, Charl Jonck and Fabio Anderson Luersen will add to the international field having earned their right via the continental Seniors Championships in the Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Americas regions respectively.
One place remains up for grabs and this will go to the winner of the ‘Golden Ticket’ Play-Off which sees 16 players competing for the spot at The Crucible Club in Reading on 19-20 April.
Among the line-up is Alfie Burden, who reached the final of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship and missed out on automatic qualification this year by just a single frame, and Rory McLeod – who famously defeated Judd Trump at the Crucible in 2017…
The draw for the last chance ‘Golden Ticket’ Play-Off for the JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship is now confirmed following the conclusion of the ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ last weekend.
Sixteen players will compete at The Crucible Club in Reading on 19-20 April with the winner earning the last remaining place at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in May.
Alfie Burden vs. Andy Lavin
Anthony Harris vs. Dean Galbally
Stuart Watson vs. Rory McLeod
Nigel Howe vs. Lee Stephens
Dharminder Lilly vs. Billy Ginn
Matt Ford vs. Gary Filtness
Neil Craycraft vs. Marc Shaw
Philip Williams vs. Tam Mustafa
The line-up is made up top eight ranked players who did not qualify automatically for the flagship event in each of the official two-year world ranking list and the one-year ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ ranking list.
What does it mean? Here is the explanation by Jason himself:
While some amateurs may not be happy with this as they might feel that their chances to “qualify” for a big seniors event have been reduced, I feel that this is a major positive evolution for the Seniors tour. Let’s not kid ourselves … the Seniors tour, like any endeavour, can only survive if it is profitable. Marketing is of essence. This agreement allows Jason to invite very big names to the Seniors events, players who are still on the main tour, still in the top 16 even, the Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie. Players who put bums on seats. This greatly enhances the marketability of those events. They will attract more viewers, making the Seniors tour more “attractive” to sponsors and broadcasters. Eventually all seniors players will benefit from it.
Andrew Norman, once a constant friendly presence at the now defunct South West Snooker Academy, behind the bar and around the table is a player I have sorely missed on tour and as a friend. Passing time and geographical distance … but hopefully I will be able to reconnect once again with him at the Crucible next May as .he just won the Race to the Crucible Event 4
Norman, who is bidding for a return to the World Seniors Championship after making his debut at the event last May, trailed 3-1 in the final but breaks of 50 and 82 helped the former professional get over the line on a dramatic final day that featured six deciders.
The 44-year-old becomes the fourth different winner of an event on the new ‘Race to the Crucible’ series, which offers direct qualification to next year’s flagship event, after AlfieBurden, Rory McLeod and Dharminder Lilly each picked up titles earlier in the season.
A heartbreaking defeat in a deciding frame to four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White earlier this year had left Norman eager to return to snooker’s most iconic venue and he made an impressive start to this latest qualification event as he fired in a break of 130, the highest of the weekend, in a whitewash victory over Nick O’Sullivan in the opening round.
Victories over David Athorn and Nigel Howe then saw him reach the quarter-finals and the concluding day of action in Berkshire.
Breaks of 67, 51 and 108 saw Norman overcome Andy Lavin with an impressive display to join a strong last four line-up that also featured 2018 World Seniors champion Aaron Canavan and former professionals Gerard Greene and Philip Williams.
Northern Ireland’s Greene was the semi-final opponent for Norman and he led 2-0 and 3-2 in the best-of-seven frame contest, but he was unable to get over the line as the Englishman took the deciding frame by a scoreline of 56-9.
Awaiting in the final was Williams after the Welshman had also come through a final frame decider against Canavan to reach the title match.
For Williams, it was a second ‘Race to the Crucible’ event final of the season having lost to McLeod in September, and he looked set to go one better on this occasion as he raced into a 3-1 lead to move one frame from glory.
Norman held his nerve, however, as two half-century breaks saw him force a deciding frame before he took the title on the final black in frame seven.
HARRIS WINS MAIDEN SUPER SENIORS CROWN
Anthony Harris defeated Karl Townsend 2-0 in the final of the latest Super Seniors event to win the title for the first time in his career.
The event is open to all cueists over the age of 55 and was held on Sunday alongside the main Race to the Crucible series event.
A total of 20 competitors took part and Harris defeated Brian Sharpe, Andrew Barrett, defending champion John Hunter and Graham Beardmore to reach the title match – where he overcame Townsend with a whitewash victory to take home the trophy.
Dharminder Lilly Lifts Third Race to the Crucible Series Title
Dharminder Lilly defeated former World Seniors champion Lee Walker 4-1 in the final of the third event of the ‘Race to the Crucible’ series at The Crucible Club in Reading.
The 49-year-old came through a field of 49 cueists, which included two former World Seniors Championship winners, to secure the victory and join Alfie Burden and Rory McLeod on this season’s roll of honour.
The Race to the Crucible series sees nine events held across the season with the top two ranked players at the conclusion of the final event earning places at the World Seniors Snooker Championship, while those who finish between third and tenth will qualify for the ‘Top 16 Shootout’ – where a further place in Sheffield will be on offer.
Four nations were represented at The Crucible Club in Reading, where the three-day event got underway on Friday afternoon. Lilly began the event in the last 32 stage and kicked off with a comfortable whitewash win over Ian Desmier.
In the last 16 he faced Steven Nevett, who had defeated Toby Pugh in a deciding frame in the previous round despite Hugh compiling a stunning tournament high break of 141 earlier in the contest.
Nevett proved no match for Lilly, however, as he ran out a 4-1 victor before defeating Anthony Harris by the same scoreline to reach the semi-finals. After sharing the first four frames of the last four meeting with Neil Craycraft, the eventual champion then pulled away to complete a 4-2 win and book his place in the final.
2022 World Seniors champion Walker was his opponent in the title match after the 48-year-old Welshman had shown tremendous form to overcome Jason Pusser, Gerard Greene, Matthew Ford and fellow former World Seniors champion Aaron Canavan to reach the final – compiling a trio of century breaks along the way.
Despite Walker scoring a half-century in the opening frame of the final, it went to way of Lilly by a 72-59 scoreline and he quickly doubled his advantage to 2-0 in the best-of-seven frame match.
Walker briefly rallied to halve the deficit, but Lilly was too strong on the day and took the next two frames to complete a 4-1 victory and secure the title in the third Race to the Crucible series event of the season.
Hunter Wins Super Seniors
John Hunter defeated Mukesh Parmar 2-1 in the final of the Super Seniors event on Sunday to win his second title of the season.
The event is open to all cueists over the age of 55 and was held on Sunday alongside the main Race to the Crucible series event.
Hunter, who won the first Super Seniors title of the season in August, furthered his position at the top of the ranking list by coming through four matches to win the tournament.
The 58-year-old Englishman dropped just a single frame in defeating Dave Moritz, Andy Booker and Dennis Tristam to set up a final meeting with fellow countryman Parmar.
Parmar took the opener of the best-of-three frame title match to move one away from victory, but Hunter hit back to force a decider before taking the decisive frame by a scoreline of 68-40 to secure the title.
Event four of the Race to the Crucible series takes place on 22-24 November at The Crucible Club in Reading. Enter now!
This was announced yesterday by Jason Francis on social media and is now reported on the WSS official site:
World Seniors Snooker Championship Shootout Qualifying Event Unveiled
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that an additional qualification place will be made available to tour players at the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship following a change in the qualifying criteria
The top two players on the official World Seniors Snooker ranking list, as well as the top two on the ‘Race to the Crucible’ one-year list will earn their places in the Crucible Theatre, as previously announced, and they will now be joined by the winner of a newly announced ‘Top 16 Shootout’ event.
The 16 players qualifying for this new event will be those ranked between 3rd and 10th on both lists with the official ranking list taking precedence at all times.
Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: “We want to be a tour that listens to its members. We have listened and we have reacted and it now the fight is not just for the top two spots on each ranking list, but also for the top ten.”
A full list of dates and venues can be found below:
2024
9-11 August (Reading)
27-29 September (Reading)
11-13 October (Reading)
22-24 November (Reading)
13-15 December (Reading)
2025
17-19 January (Newbury)
7-9 February (Reading)
7-9 March (Reading)
4-6 April (Reading)
Amateur players must be 40 on or before the first days play in each event, while professionals ranked outside the top 64 at the start of the 2024/25 season must be over 45 on or before the first days play.
Entries for all events are now open at WPBSA SnookerScores and will close seven days prior to each event.
There is no doubt that Jason is investing himself 100% to further develop the Seniors Snooker Tour, a tour that badly suffered from the covid crisis and its aftermath. In the early years the tour relied a lot on the past legends of the sport. Those players have earned the privilege and are still attracting a lot of fans. But it’s not viable as a long term strategy of course and – to make it worse – some of the oldest players on the main tour stubbornly continue to play very wel, sit at the top of the rankings and refuse to retire. The rascals! 😡😉
Points will continue to be awarded for every frame won at each of the nine events.
The official world rankings are now a two-year rolling system with players defending points from the last two seasons.
The top two ranked players on the official world rankings on 7 April 2025 will be invited to participate in the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
The Race to the Crucible series will be based purely on performances across the 2024/25 season and will encourage new tour players to join with them not thinking they are a year behind those already established.
The top two ranked players on the Race to the Crucible series ranking list on 7 April 2025 will be invited to participate in the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Should the same players sit in the top two of both rankings lists then the official world rankings would take priority.
CUT OFF DATES
On the official world ranking list, the following points will be removed in line with upcoming events:
Even 1: August 9-11, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Qualifier 1
Event 2: Sept 27–29, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Open Series 1
Event 3: Oct 11-13, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Qualifier 2
Event 4: Nov 22-24, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Open Series 2
Event 5: December 13-15, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Qualifier 3
Event 6: Jan 17-19, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 WSS Qualifier 4
Event 7: Feb 7-9, points awarded will replace those won at 2022/2023 Open Series 3
Event 8: March 7-9, no points to come off.
Event 9: April 4-6, no points to come off.
2025 World Seniors Championship: players will be defending points won at the 2023 World Seniors Championship
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 