Latest news with #JasonFrancis
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
World Seniors Snooker DOUBLES prize money for 2025-26 and announces major rule change making Ronnie O'Sullivan eligible
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN is eligible to play on the World Seniors Snooker Tour next season following a big rule change. The Rocket remains one of the best players in the world having reached the semi-final of the World Snooker Championship. 1 But he will now be eligible to play on the Seniors Tour, along with every other player aged 40 or over. Nine tour events will take place in the 2025/26 season. The winner's cheque will be doubled each weekend to £1,000 with prize money paid down to the last 16. Last season a prize pot of £50,000 was paid out in the World Seniors Snooker Championship, with winner Alfie Burden picking up £20,000. Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: 'This season there are a lot more players eligible to play, including a number of WST professionals, and we have pledged £27,000 in prize money across our nine events which is more than double the amount that was on offer last season. 'If you are over 40, now is the time to dust off your cue and come and enjoy some friendly but serious competition.' The first tournament of the new season takes place between August 15-17. The season runs until April, with a month's break between December 14 and January 16. A Super Seniors event will also take place on the Sunday of each weekend for players aged 55 or over.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
PDC threatened with legal action amid complaints over the way darts is broadcast
THE PDC have been threatened with legal action amid complaints over the way darts is broadcast. The controversy was sparked by last weekend's World Seniors Darts Champion of Champions event. 1 Ross Montgomery won the tournament with an 8-5 win against Richie Howson in the final. However, the presence of Raymond van Barneveld caused a ripple in the darting world. The Dutch superstar was a shock addition to the line-up before crashing out in the semis to Montgomery. That's because the tournament is part of the World Seniors Darts Tour (WSDT), with Van Gerwen holding an active PDC Tour card. PDC stars are normally only allowed to feature in competitions sanctioned by their own group. And any non-PDC tournaments that players do feature in are non-televised. But the Champion of Champions competition was shown live on PlutoTV, leading to confusion over Van Barneveld's participation. And now, WSDT promoter Jason Francis claims the PDC could be threatened with legal action over its 'monopoly' on broadcasting live darts. He believes his group should be able to show off the game's top stars if they want to play in WSDT tournaments. And with a legal challenge currently in the works over how snooker is televised, a similar one could be coming for the world of darts. Francis told the Weekly Dartscast: "The PDC have a monopoly on broadcast darts. And if Raymond van Barneveld wants to be a professional player, he has to sign a PDC contract. 'There's no negotiation, there's no option, and because of their dominant position, what other choice do players have?" "If you have more than one person competing for the services of a professional sportsman, who wins? Ultimately, the player wins and the darts fan wins. "Why is that? Because as promoters, we have to put enough prize money up to attract Raynond van Barneveld, Luke Littler or Luke Humphries to our event. 'If someone else is doing that, we then have to fight over price. Then, the ticket prices come down." "It's no different to when supermarkets compete over a loaf of bread. Competition is good because the customer gets the best deal. But there is no competition in darts. 'The PDC have a complete monopoly on darts, and it is something that, in snooker, we are legally challenging. If that is successful, I would expect that to follow on in darts as well."
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan's next tournament revealed after marrying Laila Rouass in low-key ceremony and quitting UK
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN is preparing to return to snooker after marrying Laila Rouass. The couple rekindled their relationship after months apart and tied the knot in a low-key ceremony in Shadwell, East London. 3 3 They plan to jet out to Dubai to start a new life, with O'Sullivan keen for a bit of peace and quiet according to his manager Jason Francis. The Rocket could feature at invitational event Shanghai Masters next month, says Francis, though he is likely to pick and choose which tournaments he plays. Francis told The Express: 'Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK. 'You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. Where he is, he's finding life a little bit quieter at the moment. 'Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. 'You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. 'He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition… Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. They still expect him to turn up and win everything.' O'Sullivan, 49, missed large parts of last season as he was not happy with his form and technique. He snapped his cue at the Championship League in January and did not play on tour until the World Snooker Championship in April. O'Sullivan had a rocky patch away from the table too as he moved out of the home he shared with Rouass in Chigwell, Essex. The Sun first revealed they had ended their engagement last September after his hectic work schedule pushed them apart. However, the time apart gave them time to think about what they want — and that is being together, a source told us. O'Sullivan and Rouass first began dating in 2012 and were engaged a year later. The snooker legend told fans: "We finally made it official!! Mr & Mrs O'Sullivan."
The Sun
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan quitting UK alongside actress Laila Rouass as he ‘can't go to shop without being asked for a selfie'
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has upped sticks from the UK because he couldn't get a moment's peace when he stepped out of his front door. After being dumped out of the Snooker World Championship, O'Sullivan revealed his intention to leave the UK and move to the Middle East. 3 3 'The Rocket', fresh off his reconciliation with actress Laila Rouass, has reportedly set his sights on making Dubai his permanent new home. A better quality of life is no doubt one of the reasons O'Sullivan is set to make the UAE his new home. But the ability to walk the streets without being hounded for a selfie is also one of the reasons he's decided to leave Old Blighty. His long-time manager Jason Francis told The Express: "Ronnie's moved out to the Middle East for a while. "You'll probably see him first in Shanghai. He's had a little break from the UK. 'You're talking about someone who can't go to the shop without being asked for a selfie, a photo. "Where he is, he's finding a life a little bit quieter at the moment. 'Ronnie's Ronnie. He'll decide when he wants to play and everyone knows he can come from nowhere to win a major tournament. 'I'd rather not have the snooker, just a normal family' - Inside Ronnie O'Sullivan's troubled childhood RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has enjoyed an incredible career as snooker's biggest star. But the Rocket's turbulent past has led to struggles with mental health, addiction and yo-yo weight battles. O'Sullivan's parents ran a chain of sex shops in Essex and his father was jailed for 20 years for murder when he was just 16. In the Amazon documentary The Edge of Everything, the snooker icon admitted his dad going to prison had a profound effect. He said: "I didn't want to blame everything on that situation with my dad, but I was thinking, 'I'd rather not have the snooker. just a normal family'. Because… It was a dream, but looking back, it was a nightmare." Just a year later, Ronnie became the youngest ever UK Champion, seven days before his 18th birthday. Then at 19, in 1994, he became the youngest Masters champion. But he has already begun to binge on drink and drugs and, when his mum was sent to prison for tax evasion, in 1996, he struggled to cope with looking after his eight–year-old sister alone. 'You won't see Ronnie play a full schedule [this season] but I think you'll see him try and properly prepare for the tournaments he plays in. "He'll still be the sport's most commercial player in the short-term. "Whether Zhao Xintong or [Judd] Trump can pick up that mantle now as we transition. "Ronnie will be 50 in December, people have to remember that. "They still expect him to turn up and win everything.' Reflecting on O'Sullivan's semi-final exit at the Crucible at the hands of Xintong, Francis said: "Absolutely incredible. 'He didn't even have a cue a few weeks before! But that's Ronnie for you. "He had one bad session [losing all eight frames in the second session]. 'I'm not saying he could have beaten Xintong – there was a feeling his name was on the trophy. "But apart from one bad session, he was still toe to toe with him. 'I think if he had beaten Xintong, him and Mark Williams would have been an incredible final. 3 "But it's great for snooker to have a Chinese world champion and it's for World Snooker to exploit that.' The Sun exclusively revealed O'Sullivan's reconciliation with Rouass, whom he was separated from for nine months. A source said: 'They have been back together for a while. The time apart gave them time to think about what they want and what is important to them — and that is being together. 'Ronnie is moving to the Middle East and Laila is going with him. "They've talked about living in Dubai, which is just a two-hour flight from where Ronnie has his snooker academy in Saudi Arabia. "He has spoken to people on his snooker circuit about the move and is excited about a clean break from the UK for him and Laila. 'They have had their issues in the past but Ronnie and Laila have worked through it and seem really happy again. 'The people who know them think they make a great couple and just want them to live a happy, quiet life.'
