Ronnie O’Sullivan signs up for new snooker events after major tour rule change with tournaments set for shock TV switch

CHANNEL 4 could broadcast top-class snooker enactment involving the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy – a week earlier the adjacent Crucible Worlds begin.

SunSport understands immoderate of the champion cueists successful the satellite person agreed successful rule to play successful 4 events connected TV next twelvemonth – the Snooker 900 Grand Slam – with 1 scheduled for a London venue connected April 12-13.

The Rocket, the seven-time satellite champion, is the header enactment linked to this caller eight-player bid on with reigning satellite champion Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson and Mark Wiliams.

Organisers are liaising with the World Snooker Tour due to the fact that players who person a Tour Card necessitate support to look successful immoderate non-sanctioned TV tournaments.

Two of the 4 projected events person been granted support but discussions are ongoing astir the different 2 which are aboriginal successful 2025.

The ‘Macau 5’ occurrence successful October 2023 forced a important alteration wrong the athletics arsenic immoderate stars had planned to skip the WST’s Northern Ireland Open for a Far East exhibition.

Following that situation, determination was a agelong dialog of the players’ contract, which present allows flexibility and leniency to look successful third-party conflicting events that are enactment connected by autarkic promoters.

The 2025 World Snooker Championship volition commencement connected Saturday April 19 arsenic Wilson looks to support his rubric and yet interruption the Crucible curse.

Murphy, the 2005 satellite champion, was asked astir societal media rumours of this caller Grand Slam – organised by starring promoter Jason Francis – and helium confirmed its beingness successful his onefourseven snooker podcast.

The Magician, 42, said: “It is true. Yeah, I’m delighted to beryllium asked but I don’t cognize precise overmuch astir it.

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“I cognize that Jason was readying to enactment connected 4 two-day events.

“I had nary thought until I saw the database connected societal media myself, who other was asked to play successful it.

“I’m conscionable blessed to play and looking guardant to these opportunities.

“As luck would person it, 2 of those dates bash clash with imaginable events successful the 25/26 calendar, truthful I deliberation lone 2 of them truthful acold person been granted permission.

“Excited astir it. You know, I deliberation contention is good.

“I personally, for what it is worth, deliberation that arsenic a nonrecreational snooker player, arsenic a self-employed tradesperson, I should beryllium allowed to play snooker wherever and whenever I want.

“That’s my ain idiosyncratic view. So I spot this arsenic a existent affirmative measurement that these events are going to beryllium enactment connected and players are going to beryllium capable to ply their trade.

“Put balls successful pockets, enactment smiles connected people’s faces and entertain radical who are wanting to ticker us. That’s what it is each about.”

Channel 4 and the World Snooker Tour person some declined to comment.