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Alex Higgins pictured at a bar in Belfast

Alex Higgins in 1999 at his friend Ollie Reeds funeral in County Cork

Alex Higgins Deeply and sincerely mourned by fellow masters of the sport

Alex Higgins pictured at a bar in Belfast where he spoke about his his autobiography Alex Higgins

Alex Higgins pictured in the mid 1980s

Oliver Reid Reg Presley Alex Higgins

17-05-1982 World Snooker Champion Alex Higgins is saluted by his baby daughter Lauren with his wife

𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐆𝐎 — 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇-𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐁𝐂 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 — 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝟕𝟗. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐄
📅 Date: February 2026 | United Kingdom | Snooker Mourns a Giant
Before the opening session at the Crucible, players and broadcasters led the audience in a minute's applause to commemorate professional player and commentator John Virgo, who had died in February at age 79.
John Virgo — 1979 UK Champion, beloved BBC trick shot artist, and one of the most recognisable voices and faces in the history of snooker broadcasting — died in February 2026 at the age of 79. For decades, Virgo's trick shot exhibitions had introduced millions of new fans to the sport. His warmth, his humour, and his extraordinary cue ball control made him a figure of genuine affection across the entire snooker world.
The Crucible Theatre — where Virgo had competed as a player and worked as a broadcaster — observed a minute's applause before the opening session of the 2026 Halo World Championship. The entire snooker family, gathered in Sheffield for the sport's greatest event, paused together to remember one of its most beloved figures.

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊-𝐓𝐎-𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒 — 𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐔𝐈 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐙𝐇𝐀𝐎 𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐔 𝐘𝐈𝐙𝐄
📅 Date: May 4–5, 2026 | Sheffield → China | The Dawn of Chinese Dominance
Wu's victory follows Zhao Xintong's 2025 success, giving China back-to-back World Championship titles. Following Wu's victory, Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong congratulated him on social media. Ding wrote: "From Zhao Xintong to Wu Yize, Chinese players have stood atop the World Championship podium for two years in a row."
Snooker was introduced to China in the 1930s. The transformation began in 2005 when Ding Junhui — the first Chinese player to reach the World Championship final — brought national attention to the game. The country's annual calendar has since grown from a single event to six professional tournaments by 2026 — including the Shanghai Masters, Wuhan Open, and International Championship — accounting for roughly a third of all global events.
Ding Junhui opened the door in 2005. Zhao Xintong walked through it in 2025. Wu Yize followed in 2026. And the sport that British officers invented in India in the 1870s — that Dennis Taylor won at midnight in 1985 before 18.5 million BBC viewers — now has its greatest champions coming from the Gansu province of northwestern China. The world of snooker has changed forever.

𝐖𝐔 𝐘𝐈𝐙𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟎 — 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐌
📅 Date: May 4, 2026 | Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield | 2026 World Championship Final
Wu is the second-youngest winner of the championship and the first born after 2000 to do so. At the Crucible, the crowd chanted his name with a single, unrelenting cry: "Wuuuu… Wuuuu…" At first, Wu misunderstood — he thought people were booing him. But as the match went on, it became clear the crowd was on his side. Yahoo!
The deciding frame arrived with the sporting world holding its breath. Wu, faced with a genuinely difficult red to the centre pocket, didn't flinch. He dropped it into the heart of the pocket with the kind of audacity you simply cannot teach, and the rest was history. Wu produced a closing break of 85 to clinch 18-17. Encyclopedia Britannica
Wu said: "I have been trying to go for this for ages. For the past few months, I have been living the same life. I'm so happy that I could play well today." Snookerhq
A boy who shared a windowless room with his father. Who thought a packed Crucible crowd was booing him. Who potted an audacious red in the deciding frame with the entire world watching. The first World Champion born in the 21st century. Wu Yize — world number four, 22 years old, and already the answer to a snooker pub quiz question that will last for the rest of time.