Exclusive: Ronnie O’Sullivan Plots Pathway to Find the Next British Snooker Icon

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan believes the launch of an innovative new TV channel can be exactly what the UK needs to develop the next generation of stars.

The Rocket is part of the famous Class of ’92 alongside John Higgins (four) and Mark Williams (three) who have won 14 World Championships between them. 

But the landscape of the sport is chalk and cheese compared to what it was over three decades ago. Back then there was a thriving amateur circuit which acted as a breeding ground for up-and-coming potters like that esteemed trio.

Sadly, snooker clubs have closed down at an alarming rate over the past 20 years and now the most exciting talent in the world is emanating from China, which will only be boosted by Zhao Xintong becoming the country’s first world champion in May.

Pluto Snooker 900 is launching on October 6 with over £600,000 pledged in prize money in its first year for amateur, women’s and disability snooker. 

“It’s brilliant to have a snooker channel,” O’Sullivan told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

“It’s great for the amateurs, the juniors, ladies’ snooker, disability snooker. It’s great for everyone. To have a dedicated snooker channel, there will be loads of opportunities for everyone to have a go. I’m really excited.”

“We want to have a system where people are fighting to get into the events we’re putting on. It's about grassroots and this is an incentive for all players to work towards.”

“We want it to be fun, exciting and engaging for snooker fans.”

Pluto Snooker 900 will begin by showing 18 hours of live coverage per week starting with Legends’ Week on Monday, which will include the likes of Jimmy White and Ken Doherty.

The rest of the schedule will be filled up of classic matches from the archives and O’Sullivan’s own coaching series The Rocket Method.

Birth of a New Star?

The Rocket’s dream is to unearth the next big British snooker star.

He added: “Someone like a Kyren Wilson, that’s the kind of modern-day player I want to produce.”

“If I look at all the players on the tour Kyren, for me, has the best all round ability at everything. There are players around him who are equally as talented or stronger in certain areas but Kyren ticks every box really.”

“He reminds me of a modern-day John Higgins. John Higgins was the best all-round player I’d ever seen and most snooker players would say the same thing.”

“I’d like to create one who was as strong as them in all departments, but even a bit more aggressive. That’s the sort of player I’d love to create.”

“It's about experience and playing top players as regularly as you can so when you turn pro you feel like you’re used to the intensity. It’s a different level.”

O’Sullivan will go down in the history books as the greatest player to ever pick up a cue.

He boasts the records for most major Triple Crown titles (23), most ranking crowns (41), most maximum 147s (17) and is the only player to make over 1300 century breaks.

His seven world titles is a record he jointly holds with Stephen Hendry. 

And the world No.4 fondly remembers his TV debut where he played at the 1990 Thames Classic as a freshly-faced 14-year-old.

When asked how it felt, he recalled: “It was probably the most excited I ever was. I was winning junior tournaments, pro-ams which were massive achievements.”

“The Thames Classic was just the one frame so it was a bit of a lottery really, but that feeling of putting a suit on, cameras there, it was a professional set up it was live my dream to play on TV.”

“It was the most exciting moment of my amateur career by a long, long way. I won bigger tournaments, beat much better players, but nothing was as exciting as playing in that at the time.”

“I was so gutted when I lost in the semi-final. I was absolutely devastated because I would have loved to have played in that final. That killed me really."

“It was always the dream to play on TV, play Stephen Hendry, play at the big tournaments. I was always hungry for it," he concluded.