EPSB Tournament Calendar 2023/24

The English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards (EPSB) is today excited to announce its provisional calendar of snooker events and competitions structure for the 2023/24 season.

• View the calendar (WPBSA SnookerScores)
• View the calendar (EPSB website)
• Buy your 2023/24 EPSB membership
• View our updated Standard Conditions of Entry

Set to begin with the first event of the flagship English Amateur Tour at the start of September, the calendar is once again set to offer regular competitive snooker across all age groups through to next April.

The EPSB aims to build upon a successful past 12 months which has seen new and repeat winners crowned across the country, whilst also adapting to the needs and feedback of its members during that time.

Please note that Open Series, English Billiards and Women’s events are to follow.

Below we provide a summary of the key changes:

National Championships

The prestigious English Amateur Championship won this spring by Paul Deaville is once again set to represent the jewel in the crown, with nine titles set to be contested in total.

In a change to last season’s format, both the Under-18 and Under-21 Championships will begin with a group stage format, as opposed to straight knockout last season, to guarantee more matches for all players.

It has also been confirmed that the Seniors Championship will be restored to a standalone two-day tournament open to all eligible players, after being run as an eight-player event last season.

National Tours

Alongside its national championships, the calendar will also include key Tour events, which are set to take centre stage during the opening half of the season.

The flagship English Amateur Tour will once again carry international qualification and will this season be held at some of the most prestigious venues in the country, with the Landywood Snooker Club and Northern Snooker Centre set to host events.

Please note that the dress code for the English Amateur Tour will be updated to EPSB Level 3 i.e. waistcoat (tie to remain optional), from its previous Level 2 status.

There is a format change for the English Seniors Tour, which having seen a significant increase in entries last season, will revert to the proven two-day format used by the English Amateur Tour, to ensure that events can be completed in a timely manner. All matches, up to and including the last 16 will be completed on the Saturday, followed by the quarter-finals onwards on Sundays.

The EPSB is also excited to announce the creation of the all-new English Junior Tour which will launch next season in place of the previous Under-21 Premier Development Tour.

For the first time, the Tour will provide opportunities for all junior players to compete together nationally, whilst also facilitating an elite performance programme for our outstanding junior talent.

Format

The English Junior Tour will comprise five two-day weekend events throughout the season, to be open to all age-eligible players as follows:

• Five two-day tournaments
• Saturday: First Group stage to produce eight qualifiers, who will join eight players seeded straight to the Sunday
• Sunday: Second Group stage, followed by KO rounds (QF, SF, F).

The eight players seeded through to the second stage will be selected based upon the final 2022/23 Under-21 Premier Development Tour rankings and be the first players who will form part of the new EPSB Junior Elite Performance Programme.

For the first time, this initiative will aim to prepare the best junior players in the country for their snooker careers and will potentially include high performance training camps, educational workshops and more.

These players will be required to commit and enter all five tournaments at the start of the season.

As with the English Amateur Tour, the dress code for the English Junior Tour will be also be updated to EPSB Level 3 i.e. waistcoat (tie to remain optional), from its previous Level 2 status.

Alongside the new English Junior Tour, the Under-16 Junior Series, first introduced last season, will return to provide additional playing opportunities for Under-16 players.

Further information

For more information about each competition to be staged next season visit our Tournaments page, with entry already open to EPSB members via WPBSA SnookerScores.