Champions Celebrated at University Snooker Championships

The University of Manchester won their first ever snooker team championship at the 2021/2022 BUCS-UPC University Snooker Championships in June 2022.

As announced here, the Universities Pool Council – recognised by British Universities and Colleges Sport as the governing body for university cue sports –affiliated with the EPSB in 2020. These championships are run every academic year with any person who is studying at a higher education institution affiliated to BUCS, doing at least a part-time degree, eligible to enter.

The 2021/2022 University Snooker Championship was held 18-21 June 2022 at Cueball Derby, which pitted 104 players from 19 different universities across the UK. Following four days of action, the top Team Championship title went to the University of Manchester, who won their first ever snooker top tier title, while Lennard Cripps from the University of Kent successfully retained his Individual Championship title.

University of Manchester – 2021/2022 BUCS-UPC Team Snooker Champions. Players (L to R): Matei Rosca, Taylor Martin, Shihao Song (c), Yuanhao Luo, Hanlin Qin, Daniel Johnson

Team Competitions

Following the group phase of the Team Championship containing 15 different universities across the UK, the final morning began with drama as the University of Leeds got the better of the University of Warwick in the Team Championship semi-final, which was decided via a re-spotted black ball shoot-out after their encounter finished level after ten frames. The other semi-final, however, was more one-sided, with the University of Manchester beating the University of Nottingham 6-1, with both of those teams coming through dramatic re-spotted black ball shoot-outs on the previous evening in their quarter-finals.

The final proved to be a quick affair, with the University of Manchester winning 6-1 in a high quality match where all five members of the Manchester team contributed frames. This is the first time the University of Manchester has won the highest team title in UK university snooker, a competition which has been running since 1983/84.

The Team Trophy – for teams who did not qualify for the main Team Championship – was won by the University of Cambridge, who defeated the University of Warwick second team 6-2 in the final.

The 2021/2022 BUCS-UPC Individual Snooker Championship final between Matei Rosca (University of Manchester) and Lennard Cripps (University of Kent). Referee: Julian Bell

Individual Competitions

In the Individual Championship, defending champion Lennard Cripps (University of Kent) retained the title he won back in 2020. He faced number two seed Matei Rosca (University of Manchester) in the final, who initially took the upper hand by winning the first frame and being over 30 points up in the second. However, Lennard made an important contribution of 48 in the second frame, and carried the momentum to eventually win 3-1, also contributing a 46 in the final frame.

The Universities Pool Council wishes to thank Cueball in Derby for all of their hospitality during the event to the players, as well as the tournament referee Julian Bell. For more information about the UPC, please visit their website here.