Big News in 2022: A New Era for 8-Ball is Coming…

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The English Pool Association and Ultimate Pool have teamed up in a new collaboration with hopes it will help the sport break out in 2022 and beyond.

The news came out over the weekend as the Ultimate Pool Group has now been recognized as the professional body of the sport and the hopes are that the already rapid growth in the Ultimate Pool scene will continue to expand and thrive as the focus turns to the grassroots and amateur side of growing the game.

SnookerZone will help do as much promotion as we possibly can as we love the games of snooker and pool and cue sports.

The EPA and Ultimate Pool began talks last year – and in a meeting in Stoke – it has been agreed that this is the way forward alongside Ultimate Pool.

Barbara Taylor, from the EPA, said: “Pool players of all standards across the world have been watching the advancement and growth of Ultimate Pool with great intrigue over the past year. We are very excited about working in partnership with Ultimate Pool to shape the direction and the future of the sport we love. Many of our members, players we have grown up with in the EPA structure, have already performed extremely well in Ultimate Pool competitions, finishing as winner.”

Now is a great time to be a pool player as plans to engage schools and youth clubs into the sport are in the pipeline, according to Taylor.

Mark Quirk, Ultimate Pool’s Chairman, added: “We both share the view that this is a big sport waiting to break out. England is a hotbed for 8-ball pool with well over 100,000 people playing in EPA recognised leagues or events each year, and this doesn’t take into account many more that play the sport recreationally.

In SnookerZone’s EXCLUSIVE interview with Simon Webb, Ultimate Pool’s broadcaster/pundit, he also said that the development and growth of 8-Ball under Ultimate Pool would take time.

Catch that interview if you missed it…

But added: “I have faith in what Ultimate Pool are doing.”

SnookerZone is sure there will be more reaction to the news on the new development as Monday night sees Group 7 of the Vinny Ultimate Pool Champions League on Freesports as usual with 6 times World Champion Mick Hill in action.

Another great @ultimatepool_ Monday night on @FreeSports_TV

Who are we all tipping to make it through? https://t.co/FbzJVrenfi

— Simon Webb (@Simontwebb) March 20, 2022