The Championship League Snooker has reached its final day after more than three weeks of competition, with the first ranking event winner of the season to be crowned on Wednesday. The tournament, which began on June 22, has seen 128 players reduced to just eight over 24 days.
Format and Prize Money
The second stage concluded on Tuesday, leaving two groups of four to be played on Wednesday. The two group winners will then face each other in a final on the same evening. The champion will claim the £33,000 top prize, providing an ideal start to the season with the first title of the campaign.
All eight remaining players have already secured £7,000 for topping their first two groups. In stage three, the two group winners will add £6,000 to that total, while the runners-up receive £4,000, third place £2,000, and fourth £1,000. The finalist picks up £20,000, bringing their tournament total to £33,000, while the runner-up gets £10,000 for a total of £23,000.
Contenders and First-Time Title Chances
There is a strong possibility of a first-time ranking titlist on Wednesday, as four of the eight players are still searching for their first piece of silverware. In Group One, Elliot Slessor and Noppon Saengkham are aiming for their first ranking title, while Dylan Emery and Jak Jones in Group Two are also hunting down the same. Lei Peifan, former champion Dave Gilbert, Zhang Anda, and Hossein Vafaei complete the field, each with just one ranking title to their names.
Most of the biggest names in the sport chose not to enter the Championship League this summer, but four members of the world's top 16 did participate: Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Chris Wakelin, and Si Jiahui. However, none remain, meaning the highest-ranked player left is world number 19 Slessor. Wilson can count himself unfortunate, having been forced to withdraw after his house was burgled while he played his opening group.
Stage Three Schedule
Group One (from 11am): Elliot Slessor vs Noppon Saengkham, Lei Peifan vs David Gilbert, Lei Peifan vs Noppon Saengkham. From 4.30pm: Elliot Slessor vs David Gilbert, David Gilbert vs Noppon Saengkham, Elliot Slessor vs Lei Peifan.
Group Two (from 11am): Zhang Anda vs Dylan Emery, Hossein Vafaei vs Jak Jones, Hossein Vafaei vs Dylan Emery. From 4.30pm: Zhang Anda vs Jak Jones, Jak Jones vs Dylan Emery, Zhang Anda vs Hossein Vafaei.
Performances So Far
None of the final eight won all three matches in their Stage Two groups, so no one is absolutely flying into Wednesday. However, Vafaei, Zhang, Slessor, and Emery are all yet to lose across the two group stages. Both Zhang and Slessor, along with Jak Jones, have four centuries to their names, with no one managing more.
How to Watch
In the UK, Table One is shown on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel, and Table Two is on Matchroom Multi Sport's YouTube channel.
Previous Winners
Previous Championship League Snooker (Ranking) winners include: 2020 – Kyren Wilson, 2021 – Dave Gilbert, 2022 – Luca Brecel, 2023 – Shaun Murphy, 2024 – Ali Carter, 2025 – Stephen Maguire.
