World Seniors Snooker Championship 2026: Order of play, how to watch and what time Ronnie O'Sullivan is on
The Rocket is making his seniors snooker debut
Snooker fan, the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2026 is well underway, and Ronnie O’Sullivan is making his debut today.
Last year, Zhao Xintong made history as the first-ever Chinese winner at the World Snooker Championship.
He may not have been able to overcome the Crucible curse, but China has claimed another victory thanks to the 22-year-old Wu Yize.
It was the big, climactic competition of the 2025-26 season, but there’s one more to go: the World Seniors Snooker Championship.
What time is Ronnie O’Sullivan playing today?
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s first match at the World Seniors Snooker Championship is scheduled for 2pm on Friday, May 8.
He’s set to compete against Ken Doherty.
World Seniors Snooker Championship 2026 schedule and order of play
Friday, May 8
12pm
- Stuart Bingham v Peter Lines
- Nigel Bond v Craig Steadman
2pm
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- Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ken Doherty
- Joe Perry v Aaron Canavan
7pm
- Igor Figueiredo v Robert Milkins
- Nigel Bond / Craig cSteadman v Ali Carter
9pm
- Stuart Bingham / Peter Lines v Ronnie O’Sullivan / Ken Doherty
- Matthew Stevens v Joe Perry / Aaron Canavan
Saturday, May 9
12pm
- Semi-final (TBC)
7pm
- Semi-final (TBC)
Sunday, May 10
12pm
- Final (TBC)
7pm
- Final (TBC)
This year’s World Seniors Snooker Championship officially began on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, just two days after the end of the World Championship.
It’s been 35 years since the first seniors championship. Back in 1991, Cliff Wilson was its inaugural champion, beating Eddie Charlton 5-4.
However, it took a long hiatus until 2010, returning with just nine players in Bradford. It’s been a bit spotty since then, with all sorts of rules introduced and rescinded over the past 16 years.
Crucially, the contest moved to the Crucible (the home of snooker) in 2019.
How to watch the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship
Coverage of this year’s World Seniors Snooker Championship is exclusively available via Channel 5 and Pluto TV.
While you’ll be able to catch many of the matches on TV via Channel 5, you’ll always be able to stream the tournament on the broadcaster’s website.
Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming service, so don’t worry about having to pay anything. As long as you’re okay with a few adverts now and again, you can watch the whole championship for free.
You can access Pluto TV through its smart TV app, on iOS and Android, and via web browsers on desktop.
Why is Ronnie O’Sullivan taking part?
Ronnie O’Sullivan is currently ranked 14th in the world, and he’s 50 years old.
That means he’s eligible to compete in the World Seniors Snooker Championship, thanks to a rule change that allows anyone aged 45 and over and inside the top 64 to compete.
Speaking to 24/7 Bet, Barry Hawkins admitted it was “unusual” that the Rocket was playing. “But I reckon he must be getting paid quite a lot of money to be there,” he said.
“He’s obviously been invited there to promote it, so I’m sure he’ll be getting a nice appearance fee. I was a bit surprised to see him get involved because he’s got such a big build-up for the World Championship.
“He’ll have been putting himself through the wringer with the practice for that, and it’s another thing he’ll have to dedicate his time to.”
All rounds up to and including the quarter-finals will be played over the best of seven frames. The semi-finals will be played over the best of 11 frames, and the final will be contested over the best of 15 frames.
Read more: Live football on TV today and this week
