VRI Billiards & Snooker Club Bendigo

Well done John

Well done John

Steve Mifsud has won the inaugural Community Bank Buninyong Ballarat Open Billiards Championship making breaks of 195, 205 and 235 and defeating John Schenck 551 - 234 in the 90 minute final. Steve was in superb form throughout the championship but faced his toughest challenge in the semifinal against former Australian Billiards Champion David Collins. With half an hour to play Steve and Dave were level on scores before Steve rallied to win the match 430 - 316.

Bendigo’s John Schenck reached the final by defeating Kevin Rogers from Mildura 349 - 249 in the quarter final and Simon Scerri 372 - 307 in the semifinal.

In a truly regional event a full field of thirty two players from Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Gippsland and Melbourne competed over consecutive Sundays. The Ballarat Association billiard room with its six newly recovered tables proved an outstanding championship match venue. Players were hugely complimentary of the venue and of the event.

Congratulations to the Ballarat Billiards and Snooker Association for staging the event, with special thanks to the organising committee Mick Williams, John Lewis, Neville Harty, Rohan Liston, Don Richter and Simon Fortune.

The Championship was very generously sponsored by the Bendigo Bank Community Bank Buningyong, the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council, the Victorian Government, the Ballarat Billiards and Snooker Association and the Victorian Billiards and Snooker Association. Total prize money of $3,000 saw a winners prize of $700 and special prizes of $375 to the two best performing regional players John Schenck and David Collins to support their entries into the Walter Lindrum Open and National Billiards Championships this month.

Thanks also to Tournament Director Paul Cosgriff and to VBSA referees Larry Eforgan, Neville Ingels, Chris Coyne and Paul who refereed all the matches on the final Sunday.

The Championships, the biggest billiards or snooker event in regional Victoria for many years, was hailed as a huge success by all the participants and by the many spectators. The Ballarat Association billiards room established itself a perfect venue for championship events and planning is now underway for the Community Bank Buninyong Ballarat 2026 Open Billiards Championship.

We still have a limited supply of GA tickets available.

Only 10 days left to secure your spot to see the best Snooker player Australia has ever produced right here in Melbourne.

https://www.vbsa.org.au/vbsa_shop/shop_cart.php

Well done John.

Alcocks congratulates Melbourne's Steve Mifsud who has won his fourth Australian National Billiards Championship at the Yarraville Club in Melbourne. Steve won the championship with a convincing 1362-911 win over 25yo Joshua Burns (Tasmania), following an equally dominant 1403-580 semi-final win against NSW veteran Joe Minici. Steve made a 330 break in the final and a tournament high break of 335 in the semi-final, alongside three double centuries and 18 other centuries over the course of the tournament.

Joshua Burns had an excellent tournament, reaching his first National final after topping his round robin group then going on to beat the very experienced Michael Pearson (NSW) 656-590 in a tight semi-final. With youth on his side, Joshua has a very bright future in billiards.

Steve, who previously won the title in 2003, 2012 and 2022, has now won 23 Australian Championships, comprising nine Australian National Snooker Championships, seven Australian Open Snooker Championships, four Australian National Billiards Championships, and three Australian Open Billiards Championships, as well as the 2002 IBSF World Snooker Championship in Cairo, Egypt.

Steve's own table is an Alcock & Co Squatters Favourite model in Blackwood dating from the 1860s. Steve shows no sign of slowing down, in fact there is no doubt that he has been playing the best billiards of his career over the last twelve months. Well done Steve.

Congratulations to John Schenck.
Awarded the VRI sportsperson of the year.
Commenced playing at the VRI as a 15 year old in the 1970s practised regularly & learnt to play top of the table. At present there is no other player with this skill in Bendigo.
John has won the Bendigo singles championship in Billiards & Snooker 29 times.
JOHN HAS ACHIEVED BILLIARD BREAKS IN THE MID 300’s & TABLE CLEARENCES OF OVER 100 IN SNOOKER THESE ARE SCORES OF WORLD STANDARD, this makes him the most outstanding player ever to play in Bendigo even greater than Phil Tarrant, Bob Reicter, Bill Friswill, Len Roy or Frank Tully all 100 break players or Mark Hammer who was Johns fierce competitor for years, of these players only Phil Tarrent learnt to play top of the table.
John also was Bendigo sports star some years ago and he was Victorian Billiards Champion on 4 separate occasions.
John is always ready to help players who ask & is renowned as a great sportsman.
Congratulations again John on this award & I hope you continue to play for years to come
Presenting the award was David Matthews VRI president of Victoria.
Alcocks Billiard Table Manufacturers
Victorian Railways Institute
Golden Square Working Men's Club
Eaglehawk Billiards and Snooker Club
Bendigo Billiard & Snooker Association
Victorian Billiards & Snooker Association (VBSA)

Photo taken in the same spot about 100 years apart.

https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/7743005/victorian-railways-institute-blue-wins-2022-billiards-championship/?cs=81

Victorian Railways Institute Blue wins 2022 billiards championship Victorian Railways Institute Blue has taken out the 2022 Bendigo Billiard Championship in fine form after defeating reigning...