Ronnie O'Sullivan chalks up fresh furore
Ronnie O'Sullivan found himself at the centre of another controversy at the Betfred World Championship when he put chalk down on the table during the first session of his quarter-final.
www.rte.ieHere’s what’s widely reported about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s chalk as of the latest coverage:
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Neil Robertson has urged the World Snooker Tour to ban Ronnie O’Sullivan’s chalk, arguing the abrasive type used by O’Sullivan creates “kicks” and fouls that are unfair to others. This came in the context of O’Sullivan’s defeat to John Higgins at the World Championship, with Robertson describing the chalk as “hated by most professional players”. Robertson’s comments followed the Crucible match, where Higgins staged a comeback to win 13-12.[4]
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Media coverage around late April 2026 frames the controversy as “Chalkgate” or similar debates, noting discussions from multiple outlets about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s continued use of traditional triangle chalk instead of Taom chalk, which many pros have adopted. The narrative emphasizes professional players’ preference for Taom chalk due to less mess and more consistent performance at the highest level.[1][3][5]
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In broader reporting, some outlets describe the situation as part of ongoing tensions about equipment choices at the World Snooker Championship, with analysts and players weighing in on whether chalk type affects fairness or table condition.[3][1]
If you’d like, I can pull the latest articles directly and summarize each for you, or focus on a quick timeline of what happened at the Crucible and the main arguments for and against banning or standardizing chalk. I can also provide a succinct list of sources with direct quotes. Would you prefer a quick timeline or a side-by-side summary of positions?
Citations:
- Robertson calls for ban on O’Sullivan’s chalk[4]
- Chalk controversy coverage and “Chalkgate” references[5][1][3]
- Additional context on World Championship match and O’Sullivan’s status[1][4]