PLYMOUTH billiards stars Steve Brookshaw and Chris Coumbe will be heading off to Australia this autumn after securing spots at the World Championships.
The event will be played at the prestigious RACV City Club in Melbourne from October 6-12. This includes the World Open, which is a separate event being played for the first two days as a warm-up.
This is the first time the championships have been held outside the UK for several years – and it’s only the third time it has been held in Australia in the history of the event, which dates back to 1870.
It is predicted to be one of the biggest World Billiards Championships for several years in terms of the standard of play, prize money and publicity. A full field of 60 players is expected.
Brookshaw and Coumbe qualified for the championships through their positions on the World Billiards Order of Merit. Brookshaw is ranked 15th and Coumbe 18th.
Chris Coumbe, Barry Russell and Steve Brookshaw
On their way to Melbourne, the pair will stop off in Vienna to play in the Austrian Open, alongside Saltash’s Barry Russell.
Coumbe said: “We’ve played around the UK and Ireland for the last few years but this is going to be our first big overseas trip.
“It’s going to be a tough field but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been working hard on my game this year so hoping the practice will pay off.”