The primary rating occasion of the 2026/27 snooker season is ongoing with Championship League Snooker returning to Leicester.
Whereas a batch of qualifying matches for the China Open and Wuhan Open have already been staged, this can signify the primary alternative for gamers to seize silverware within the new marketing campaign.
The rating model of Championship League Snooker has change into a well-recognized curtain raiser in recent times, providing rivals an early probability to achieve momentum earlier than the season correctly gathers tempo.
It’s on no account the flashiest strategy to launch a recent time period, however the occasion does present followers with loads of motion as 128 gamers start their quests for glory.
Who’s within the 2026 Championship League Snooker draw?
As has typically been the case in current seasons, numerous the game’s main stars have chosen to not enter and as a substitute prolong their summer time breaks forward of a busy marketing campaign.
That presents a possibility for others to make an early mark, with a number of established ranking-event winners and a number of formidable lower-ranked rivals that includes within the area.
World quantity three Zhao Xintong is the top-ranked participant, one among solely 4 members from the highest 16 concerned in 2026, with Kyren Wilson, Chris Wakelin, and Si Jiahui representing the others.
The match additionally affords an opportunity for newcomers and up to date tour graduates to achieve priceless expertise in an expert atmosphere.
A handful of gamers arrive in Leicester carrying constructive kind from the opening batch of qualifiers for the China Open and Wuhan Open.
Amongst them is Yao Pengcheng, who boasts an ideal six wins from six matches to this point this season.
Stephen Maguire will return because the defending champion after the Scot beat Joe O’Connor in final yr’s ultimate to seize his seventh profession rating crown.
The prize cash stays unchanged, with the general winner set to gather £33,000 in whole.
There may be additionally a coveted place within the Champion of Champions invitational match later this yr at stake for whoever lifts the trophy.
The knowledge for the Championship League Snooker draw, together with the dates for Stage One, is beneath.
2026 Championship League Snooker Draw
Stage One
| Group | Date | Gamers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 9 | Zhao Xintong, David Grace, Gao Yang, Simon Blackwell |
| 2 | June 23 | |
| 3 | June 22 | |
| 4 | July 3 | Iulian Boiko, |
| 5 | July 1 | Chris Wakelin, |
| 6 | July 7 | Si Jiahui, Marco Fu, Xu Yichen, Sean Maddocks |
| 7 | July 8 | Jack Lisowski, Liam Highfield, Zhao Hanyang, Jack Bradford |
| 8 | June 27 | |
| 9 | June 30 | Elliot Slessor, |
| 10 | June 24 | Zhang Anda, |
| 11 | July 6 | Stuart Bingham, Jordan Brown, Mateusz Baranowski, Mark Joyce |
| 12 | July 4 | Ali Carter, |
| 13 | July 6 | Zhou Yuelong, Ben Mertens, Liam Graham, Allan Taylor |
| 14 | June 26 | Gary Wilson, |
| 15 | June 27 | Pang Junxu, |
| 16 | July 1 | Lei Peifan, |
| 17 | July 2 | |
| 18 | June 29 | Hossein Vafaei, |
| 19 | July 4 | Stephen Maguire, |
| 20 | June 25 | |
| 21 | June 25 | David Gilbert, |
| 22 | July 3 | Jak Jones, |
| 23 | June 30 | Jimmy Robertson, |
| 24 | June 22 | Xu Si, |
| 25 | June 24 | Jackson Web page, |
| 26 | July 7 | Tom Ford, Ashley Carty, Matthew Stevens, Cheung Ka Wai |
| 27 | June 23 | |
| 28 | June 26 | |
| 29 | June 29 | |
| 30 | July 2 | Stan Moody, |
| 31 | July 8 | Aaron Hill, Deng Haohui, Luca Brecel, Mitchell Mann |
| 32 | July 9 | Zak Surety, Gong Chenzhi, Matthew Selt, Andrew Higginson |
Stage Two
| Group | Date | Gamers |
|---|---|---|
| A | TBC | Lei Peifan, Liu Hongyu, TBC, TBC |
| B | TBC | Ian Burns, Pang Junxu, Hossein Vafaei, TBC |
| C | TBC | Gary Wilson, Stephen Maguire, Stan Moody, Dylan Emery |
| D | TBC | Iulian Boiko, Scott Donaldson, Noppon Saengkham, TBC |
| E | TBC | Chris Wakelin, Ali Carter, David Gilbert, He Guoqiang |
| F | TBC | Jak Jones, Chang Bingyu, TBC, TBC |
| G | TBC | Zhang Anda, Jimmy Robertson, TBC, TBC |
| H | TBC | Elliot Slessor, Xu Si, Jackson Web page, Dean Younger |
How does the format work?
For Stage One, the 128-player area has been divided into 32 teams comprising 4 gamers every.
Each participant will face the opposite members of their group as soon as, with three factors awarded for a win and one level for a draw.
Solely the group winners will advance to Stage Two, which takes place from July tenth to July 14th.
The remaining 32 gamers will then be break up into eight extra teams of 4, with the winners progressing to Stage Three on July fifteenth.
Stage Three options two ultimate teams of 4 gamers, and the respective group winners will contest the ultimate in a while the identical day.
Championship League Snooker prize cash
The prize cash is unchanged from final season, with the eventual champion incomes a complete of £33,000.
The breakdown is as follows:
Stage One
- Group Winner: £3,000
- Runner-up: £2,000
- Third Place: £1,000
Stage Two
- Group Winner: £4,000
- Runner-up: £3,000
- Third Place: £2,000
- Fourth Place: £1,000
Stage Three
- Group Winner: £6,000
- Runner-up: £4,000
- Third Place: £2,000
- Fourth Place: £1,000
Remaining
- Winner: £20,000
- Runner-up: £10,000
Along with the prize cash on supply, the champion may even safe a spot within the Champion of Champions invitational match later this yr.
How one can watch Championship League Snooker
Stay protection of Championship League Snooker can be out there on quite a lot of platforms relying in your location.
In accordance with the official Championship League Snooker web site, Desk 1 protection can be out there by the match’s worldwide broadcast companions.
Desk 2 matches can be streamed stay on the Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube channel and WNT TV.
Followers within the UK and Eire, or in international locations and not using a listed broadcaster, can watch Desk 1 motion stay on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel and WNT TV.
Worldwide Broadcast Choices
- AMC Community – Hungary
- BG Pathum – Thailand
- Canal Plus – Poland
- Fox Sports activities – Australia
- Eurasian Broadcasting – Ukraine and CIS
- Nova – Czechia & Slovakia
- Rigour – China
- Sky Community – New Zealand
- Sportscast – Chinese language Taipei
- TV3 – Baltics
- Viaplay – Iceland
- Viaplay – Netherlands
- Viasat – Scandinavia
Featured picture credit score: WST
