James Delahunty takes a year off pool and will miss the 2023 Pockets Pro Series, this years Pro Series 3rd place getter James Delahunty is set to spend next year on the sidelines. SA’s favourite son, who amassed $17,250 in the inaugural Pockets Pro Series said “I need some time away from pool to enjoy my, work, studies, and family. For this reason I will have to sadly withdraw my entry from the 2023 Series”

The Hitman’s commitment to excellence provided us with plenty of viewing entertainment during Year 1.

This surprise announcement from James has opened another spot for the 2023 series. There are a number of high-class players all over the country that are ready to swoop on any vacancy. Who will get the call up? Well, whoever is chosen has big boots to fill.

Pockets would like to thank James for his commitment, and we all look forward to seeing him back again in 2024 (hopefully). Pockets Director, Arthur Titus said “He is part of the first 8, the first 8 that believed in my project, the first 8 that invested their time and money into this project, the first 8 that risked more than they ever have in this industry, the first 8 that made a difference, and the first 8 that helped shape Pockets Sports to where it is today, for that I am truly grateful. I wish Dela and his family all the best during this time away from the bright lights and rigour of next level pool.”

Pockets Sports welcomes Brent Read to the Pockets Pro Series 2023 roster

Brent is a true gentleman of the game. He has a decades long history of representing at all levels, and has one of the most professional approaches to the game in Australia.

“Ready” is still at the top of his game, and he is an active supporter of the Pockets Sports concept. He is no stranger to high pressure money matches either. A Pro Series invite to the Queensland star was an easy and logical choice for the Pockets Team.

From 2022, Australasian Pool scene will never be the same again.

2022 became the year that Australian Pool embarked on it’s long road back from the tumult of Covid.

Necessity, being the mother of invention, saw online pool matches come along to help fill the lockdown void. With crisis came new thinking and fresh opportunity.

Arthur Titus and Pockets Sports.

The Pockets dream was simple, yet it reached for the stars. The plan was unveiled to the eight-ball community in late 2021; and, with the full support of all Australian Associations and the general pool communities, the Pockets Pro Series was born. This was not to be the only part of the story.

To help kick start competitive professionalism in pool, the plan needed to be sustainable. It needed to cater for and foster new growth, at all levels.

The Pockets theme would spread it’s wings to Juniors, Challengers, Masters and Ladies; ….but Pockets Sports director  Arthur Titus would not stop there. What was still missing from this Eight Ball jigsaw?

NEW ZEALAND.

The Kiwis are cue sports fanatics and were going through their own changes. NZ Pool was actively looking for its own ways to give the game more presence and professionalism. Grassroots and elite NZ players are now looking forward to much more international competition under more exciting rule sets and have wholeheartedly got behind Pockets on an individual and representative team basis.

The “Trans-Tasman Pockets Cup” has kick-started rivalry and competition with our friends from across the ditch. The New Zealand pool community are to be commended for getting right behind their boys. National pride in NZ Eightball is alive and kicking. As mentioned previously, the international banter between the players and their supporters made for some interesting reading and viewing.

So, with the weight of their respective countries on their backs, the two Test Teams lined up in the Pockets cauldron on Saturday and Sunday, for what was the final dance of this watershed year.

The Kiwis may have rightly been the underdogs, but they came to Melbourne fully prepared for the Aussie onslaught. With the classy team that they produced (and their fabulous support crew) they were always going to make their presence felt and not go down without giving it their all.

The Australian Team oozed world championship winning talent, which was ably backed by three ‘in form’ budding superstars.

The Aussies went into the match as odds-on favourites over the Kiwis, but pool can be a fifty-fifty game. It was going to come down to who made the least mistakes, and who could apply that ‘mistake inducing’ pressure.

What else would the Australians expect from a serious New Zealand Test team before a big match?

THE HAKA, of course.

Well done team NZ. The fearsome Haka was admirably performed in all its glory, and the stage was now set for the Grand Finale of the Pockets inaugural year.

Kiwi Captain, Simon Singleton put himself up first in the teams event. His dry break was immediately cleaned up and the home team had drawn first blood. The Aussies sure let the visitors know about it. The banter turned into a (friendly) sledging match, and the Kiwis were giving as good as they got. Team Australia Captain Marc Robertson was also beaten in his first up frame, and the Kiwis had grabbed the lead in the third frame.

Game on. Or so it seemed.

It is now history that the Aussies were able to wrest control of the match from the early stages. The standard was high, as we’ve come to expect; but the Kiwi lads lacked table time on the Supremes. That, and the time clock pressure had the NZ boys losing control of the table at crucial times. The Aussies capitalised and gradually edged ahead.

The result was a lot closer than the score line shows. Each and every entertaining frame was played with conviction, regardless of what the points score was.  Congratulations to the Australians, the team held firm throughout. A well earned victory. The Trans Tasman Pockets Cup will spend year one firmly planted in Melbourne.

To the NZ Team; you gave it your all and can hold your heads high. Kudos also, to the vibrant supporters of Team NZ. The Australian pool community has nothing but admiration and respect for you. Competition between our countries has taken a new direction.

As the sun sets on inaugural season 2022, next year’s massive plans for the Pockets Sports have been laid out. 2023 is going to be even better.

Attention now switches to the 2022 AEBF’s Australian Championships in one week’s time. The Pockets team wishes all representative players at Nationals the very best of luck, and we would also like to thank the entire Australasian pool community for its continued support.

See you in 2023

The stage is set…. literally. Two days out and Pockets is a hot-bed of red carpet and bright lights. It’s time for the Grand Finale of the Pockets Sports inaugural season.

And what a feast we have in store.

National pride will be on the line; where players will be putting the hopes of a country on their backs, and their hearts out on the table.

The Pocket Sports Trans Tasman Cup will re-ignite the historic Eight Ball rivalry between Australia & New Zealand.

The Kiwis have arrived en masse. Six of their very best, plus a manager, support staff; and a massive cheer squad that would match the Barmy Army.

The Kiwis will also start as self declared underdogs, but the Aussies aren’t having any of it. The Australians know that NZ is pumped and practiced. In short, the Aussies are ready.

The online media pages in both countries have been buzzing in anticipation. The banter and rivalry between the opposing teams’ players and their supporters has had social media followers in stitches. Words have been said, and challenges laid down, but the time is  nigh to lay that aside. This is serious business.

Who will win?

Well, it’s a test match and it’s sport…. the best prepared, and the team that wants this the most will win.

Your teams for the weekend are:

AUSTRALIA

• Marc Robertson (Capt)
• Michael Scerri
• John Wheeler
• Ian Craig
• Nathan McMahon
• Sean Dempsey

NEW ZEALAND

• Simon Singleton (Capt)
• Adam Shaw
• Adam Lilley
• Des Wilcox
• Healey White
• Bayden Jackson

This weekend’s action starts with an opening ceremony at 2:30pm and games commence at 3pm Melbourne time on both days. 

So, whatever you are doing, keep your device handy, or your TV tuned in, and watch this spectacular event unfold. It will be worth it.

For lucky locals, tickets are available on the website at just $20.

Full weekend Live-stream passes are just $12.

Another young gun has signed onto the Pockets Pro Series roster! Xavier has come off the back of winning the world junior blackball championships as well as being an Under 18’s and Under 21’s Australian Snooker and Billiards Champion!

Arthur Titus Pockets Director says “I’ve watched Xavier play over the last 12 months, and I must admit he is a very exciting player to watch, the confidence he has in his cueing will make him stand out next year! Congratulations Xavier!”

There is no doubt Arthur and the Pockets team have big plans for these Juniors by keeping them in the system especially when aging out. Xavier is due to age out of the Pockets Junior program at the end of this year, so the team has chosen to retain Xavier on the senior roster.

We wish Xavier all the best and look forward to seeing him out there next year!

Congratulations Luke Anglesey on your wildcard entry into the Pockets Pro Series 2023. Luke has won 6 of the last 10 major comps in WA including the last 2 state titles, the last 2 LP Cues Open, 1 Perth Open and 1 West Coast Open.

Luke is trending in success and top form, and it is evident that he’d be the perfect fit for the big stage! Well done Luke and we can’t wait to see you out there; we are sure you will do WA proud!

Six Pockets Juniors recently travelled to Albi France to compete in the 2022 World Blackball Championships. Sean Dempsey (captain), Xavier Daw, Jayden Dinga, Joshua Hands, Trent Boes and Joseph Evans were accompanied by Chris Jeffery (team manager) and represented Australia in the U18 division.  The World Titles had almost 600 players from 13 countries attend for the week-long event.  Once again, the Pockets Juniors rose to the challenge with the U18 team winning bronze after only missing out on the grand final match by one frame to eventual gold medal winners England.

Pockets Junior Series winners Sean Dempsey and Jayden Dinga paired up to compete in the doubles event. Typically, competitors, the boys formed a solid pair and walked away from the competition with a silver medal.

Most notable achievement had to have come from Xavier Daw who has gone into the history books becoming Australia’s first ever gold medal winner in a Blackball World Championship.  Xavier played consistently well all week taking out the U18 Singles World Title allowing the Aussies to hear our National Anthem for the first time.

A huge congratulations to the Pockets Juniors for all your achievements and we look forward to seeing you all back in the Series in 2023!

Pockets Sports are proud to announce an extended 2-year contract with onboard sportswear. Onboard have undoubtedly played a big role in the growth of Pockets Sports here in Australia. Supplying players, match officials, members of staff and fans a range of apparel. Onboard supplied jerseys and midlayers for the Pockets Pro Series, Pockets Junior Series, Pockets Challenger Event, and the recent Australian Jerseys for the Trans-Tasman Clash early next month.

In 2023 the contract will see a new range of designs for the bigger & better Pockets Pro Series, Challenger Series, Australian Open of Pool, Junior and women’s series.

Ceri Morris and Ben Davies (Onboard Co-Founders) invested in us when we had only just started out, at that time not many people knew about Pockets nor believed in the Project. For this belief I am proud to announce a partnership of 2 years with the high possibility of even longer. I value loyalty and will honour their belief in us for many years to come.”

Onboard have stamped their mark in the European and US market supplying apparel to leading pool promotion companies like Matchroom Pool (Nineball) and IPA (Blackball) and have made it very clear that the Australian market is on their high priority list. So watch their space.

Thank you onboard!

You can order products from their website whether a Pockets range or custom made for your local sports league. Email support@onboardsportswear.com for further enquires.

Adam Lilley New Zealand’s recently crowned Champion will make his debut at the Pockets Pro Series 2023 early next February. The 24-year-old kiwi is one of the best products to come out of New Zealand’s pool/snooker system and Pockets Sports was not going to waste any time scooping him up for the big stage.

The New Zealand champ says, “opportunities like this are hard to come by in cue sports, count me in!” He is also considering a move to Melbourne temporarily for the series.

“Adam Lilley is the present & future of New Zealand Pool, DO NOT underestimate him,” these were the only words Arthur Titus Pockets Sports Director had to say about Adams inclusion into the Series.

Lightning as he goes by will also be part of the Trans-Tasman Pockets Cup clash between New Zealand and Australia held at Pockets Bar in Melbourne on November 5^th & 6^th.

Tickets or livestream can be found at www.pockets.com.au

Trans-Tasman rivalry; it is as old as convicts and missionaries. At the same time, the strong historical bond between Australia and New Zealand has been enduring and unbreakable.

Decades have past since this rivalry and respect has been played out on the pool table. The wait is now over.

On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of November, Australia will host New Zealand in the highly anticipated Pockets Sports, Trans-Tasman Pockets Cup. Two days of pressure cooker pool at Pockets in Melbourne, where history restarts and new reputations will be forged.

A Weekend Live Stream pass is just $12, and for the lucky Victorian locals; Pockets venue admission will be just $20.

With a population of around 5 million, compared to the host country’s 25 million, you might think that our Kiwi friends could be at a wee bit of a disadvantage. However, you would be wrong.

New Zealand 8 Ball is going through a similar renaissance to Australia. There has been a switch away from solids and stripes (and NZ rules) to the red and yellow balls, and they have been playing a more attacking rule set. New Zealand 8 Ball is gaining momentum; holding new ranking events and SuperLeague competitions throughout the Land of the Long White Cloud. They have their own rivalry too, between the North and the South; and this has produced a very competitive and highly skilled group of elite cueists.

NZ 8 Ball have put together an outstanding team. Their list is a who’s who of the country’s most renowned players. A blend of youth and experience that the Kiwis describe as “perfect”.

The Trans-Tasman Test Team representatives earned their selection during  the NZ SuperLeague season, ensuring the best team possible…… and they are more than just well prepared; they are laser focused.

NZ stalwart Neil Whalley will lead a group of 6 players in a Mosconi Cup style event.

The New Zealand players include 2023 Pro Series invitees, Simon Singleton, and Des ‘The Whiz’ Wilcox. Arguably NZ’s best two, and well known to their Aussie counterparts.

Simon has been Top Dog for a number of years and Des, who hails from the North Island, is the current ‘in form’ player and current NZ SuperLeague Champion.

Well credentialed players Bayden ‘The Shot Maker’ Jackson and Adam ‘Lightning’ Lilley, together with Adam ‘Shaw Thing’ Shaw and Healey ‘The Hustler’ White, make up the balance of this all star team.

“No mercy” is the Kiwi catch-cry. The pressure on the visitors from within is ramping up. Defeat is not an acceptable option.

One wonders if the team are going to produce their intimidating  Haka, pre-event. ?

Moving across the pond, to the Australian Test Team and the home team’s prospects

The Australian Trans-Tasman Test team includes 3 of the 2022 Pockets Pro Series elite. Series winner Marc Robertson who will Captain the side, together with Michael Scerri and Rusty Wheeler require little introduction. Elite players on any stage.

The Australian supporters will expect big things from these three every time they are at the table; and with national pride at stake, you can expect 110% from them and the entire Aussie squad.

Making up the balance of the Australian Team will be none other than Queensland hot shot and Pro Challenger winner, Ian Craig.

Rusty has been singing the praises of Ian for some time, and it seems that he’s a very good judge. Challenger Series runner-up, WA potting machine Nathan McMahon, and Junior Pockets Series winner the fearless and very talented Sean Dempsey, make up the home team’s 6 representatives.

Australia’s own perfect blend of youth and experience.

The format will be similar to the famous Mosconi Cup. Below is a chart showing this exciting test format.

So there you have it, a rivalry reborn and yet another scintillating weekend of high class pool action, rounding out the inaugural Pockets Sports season 2022.

This time however, the big money is put aside: NATIONAL PRIDE and BRAGGING RIGHTS are at stake.