WPBSA Qualifying Criteria Announced for 2026 UK Championship
The WPBSA and World Snooker Tour (WST) have today confirmed the official qualifying criteria for the 2026 UK Championship which will once again see 16 elite amateur players earn their places through recognised WPBSA pathways.
Won last year by Mark Selby, the UK Championship is part of the Triple Crown Series alongside the World Championship and Masters tournaments. The tournament will see the world’s elite top 16 following the International Championship seeded through to the final stages, to be held at the York Barbican from 28 November – 6 December 2026.
The remaining players will compete in the qualifying rounds in Leicester from 21-26 November, with 16 players to progress to the last 32 stage.
WPBSA Qualifiers
The field for this year’s event will again include up to 16 players to have earned their places through new pathway opportunities for elite performers through activities staged and coordinated by the WPBSA Group.
The qualifying criteria is set out below:
WPBSA Q Tour Europe
The winner from each of this season’s first three WPBSA Q Tour Europe events will automatically qualify, with former professional Sanderson Lam and Malta’s Aaron Busuttil having already confirmed their places following their wins at the opening two events:
- Sanderson Lam – WPBSA Q Tour Europe 2026/27 – Event 1 winner
- Aaron Busuttil – WPBSA Q Tour Europe 2026/27 – Event 2 winner
- TBC – WPBSA Q Tour Europe 2026/27 – Event 3 winner
WSF Championships
Eligible players from the world’s largest international amateur tournaments:
- Ryan Davies – 2026 WSF Championship semi-finalist
- Prin Ratmukda – 2026 WSF Junior Championship semi-finalist
- Daniel Boyes – 2026 WSF Junior Championship semi-finalist
EBSA European Championships
- Vladislav Gradinari – EBSA Under-18 Championship 2026 – Finalist
- Krzysztof Czapnik – EBSA Under-16 Championship 2026 – Winner
- Riley Powell – EBSA Under-21 Championship 2026 – Finalist
The remaining seven places will be allocated to the highest ranked eligible players from the WPBSA Q Tour Europe Ranking List after Event 3.
Any qualifiers listed above who do not accept their place will also be replaced by reserve players from this list.
Tickets for the UK Championship qualifiers are on sale now – don’t miss your chance to experience the tension, drama and excitement of the road to York.
