I'm not a fan but like to watch on tv. The 'World' championships seem to consist of UK players and the odd chinese or australian player.

Do other countries play the game or are we keeping it a secret so that Britain can be first at something?

Ray.

Thinking back, I've seen Canadian (Cliff Thorburn), Australian (Eddie Charlton), Maltese (can't remember the name).

This year, Neil Robertson (Australia) has just been beaten by Ronnie O'Sullivan.

But I agree, mainly UK.

Cheers

GG

Mainly UK but changing rapidly as the promoter Barry Hearn takes the game to where the money is - Asia. There's a growing contingent from China who compete in the UK. It's also slowly developing in continental Europe (there was a Belgian lad in the early rounds this year).

Tony Drago is from Malta. The Republic of Ireland has produced several world-class players. I don't know if the South African Perry Mans ever competed in the world championships.

The Canadian presence seems to be a thing of the past.

I don't know if the South African Perry Mans ever competed in the world championships.

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I'm sure I remember him in the early rounds......

Yes, fair play to him, he did better than I remembered.

His career peaked in 1978, when he reached the final of the world championships, losing 25–18 to Ray Reardon. During that championship he defeated reigning Champion John Spencer 13–8, before achieving wins over Graham Miles (13–7) and Fred Davis (18–16). In the final, he never led Reardon, but held him to 18–17, before Reardon pulled away.[7] He reached number two in the world rankings as a result; at that time rankings were based purely on the world championships of the three previous seasons.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrie_Mans

Cheers

GG

Do other countries play the game or are we keeping it a secret

Hardly a secret, events are held throughout the world. The UK is (like cricket) the spiritual home of Snooker, but (again, like Cricket) being overttaken and beaten at times by the rest of the world, in particular China.

2011:
July 18-24, Australian Goldfields Open
Sept. 5-11, Shanghai Masters, China
Dec. 3-11, UK Championship, York
2012:
Feb. 1-5, German Masters, Tempodrom, Berlin
Feb. 13-19 Welsh Open, Newport Centre
27 Feb to March 4, Haikou World Open, Haikou, China
26 March - 1 April, China Open, Beijing, China
21 April - 7 May, Betfred.com World Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

And those are just the ones that count in the World Rankings. Non-ranking events are held in Ireland and Brasil and Thailand.
http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/Tournaments/FullCalendar

Bree.

And of course we have our own Barry Pinches from Norfolk which, as everyone knows, is about as divorced from the rest of the UK as possible.

Tony

Thanks to all who replied. You have doubled my snooker knowledge.

Cheers,
Ray.