The official is without doubt one of the most extremely considered referees within the sport
Tatiana Woollaston is considered one of many best referees within the sport (Picture: Getty) This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks, we’ll obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra
Tatiana Woollaston, one of the crucial well-respected referees on the World Snooker Championship, is definitely prohibited from officiating matches involving one specific participant – her husband. Belarus-born and Leicester-based Woollaston has taken cost of matches that includes many of the sport’s main stars, with the notable exception of her important different, Ben. The pair, who had been married in 2011 and share two youngsters, insist on sustaining clear skilled boundaries.
Earlier than the 2024 UK Championship, she defined: “He is on the circuit as a participant, I am on the circuit as a referee. We have by no means actually blended that. I am clearly not allowed to referee his video games and I would not wish to, to be truthful.” Each have labored and competed on the similar tournaments, together with the World Championship. Nonetheless, Woollaston will not have the fear of maintaining a tally of Ben’s video games this yr, with the star not making the lower for the Worlds, which is at present ongoing.
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Elaborating on protecting their boundaries in place, she added: “Ben’s profession is immensely essential, however he would by no means say no to me going to any snooker occasions as a result of he is aware of how a lot I find it irresistible.”
“If he is out of the occasion, he’ll take over doing college pick-ups and homework. We work round one another whereas Ben’s mum performs an enormous position serving to us with the youngsters.”
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Woollaston’s talents as an official are extremely regarded. She has even earned acclaim from seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. “[She’s the] greatest ref on the planet by a mile,” O’Sullivan stated over the last World Championship, with fellow snooker star Reanne Evans agreeing.
“She’s a high ref,” she stated. “I actually fee her, she’s an amazing lady as properly. She deserves the ultimate. She’s high class and I hope she does get the ultimate subsequent yr.”
Tatiana Woollaston cannot officiate video games that includes her husband (Picture: Getty)
Nonetheless, whereas she has gained accolades throughout the game, the official has maintained her position at excessive avenue retailer, Subsequent, for greater than a decade.
Talking in 2024, she stated: “It is an amazing firm to work for they usually’re very supportive of my refereeing profession. I have been with the corporate for over 10 years now. They’re actually enthusiastic about me refereeing and actually supportive. They let me have the break day.
“They have been versatile with giving me break day after I have to go away or I generally work from lodge rooms moderately than come into the workplace. They’re actually proud to see me on TV.”
Nonetheless, her old flame is snooker after she fell for the sport after first watching it on Russian-language Eurosport as a baby. She recalled: “It was again when there have been simply 5 – 6 occasions a yr. Each time an occasion completed, it was like, ‘Oh my god, it is three or 4 months till the subsequent one!’ Me and my dad by no means missed a match.”
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