Ronnie O’Sullivan has informed snooker’s chiefs that he will retire once and for all if the sport decides to copy darts with its pageantry.
Darts is enjoying a popularity boom that snooker, among others, will be envious of thanks to Luke Littler. The razzmatazz, glitz and glamour at PDC events have further propelled the sport forward and fans have been thrilled with the addition of walk-on songs.
It has resonated with a younger audience in a way that snooker has struggled to. The number of snooker clubs across the UK is dwindling and with rumours that the World Championship could leave the Crucible in favour of a new home in Saudi Arabia, concerns are beginning to pile up.
O’Sullivan, a seven-time world champion, continues to be the main draw at events and many were disappointed when the Rocket pulled out of the British Open on the eve of the first match.
The 48-year-old wants snooker to succeed but not at the cost of introducing walk-on songs for players when they enter the stage. When asked about how he would react if darts were copied in that fashion, he told talkSPORT: “I’d probably definitely retire! I’d be like: ‘You know what? I’m out of here now’.”
This is far from the first time that O’Sullivan has threatened to walk out on snooker, but he has further explained what he plans to do with his time once a glittering professional career comes to an end.
“I would probably be spending more time playing in those events and doing exhibitions and stuff out there (in Asia),” O’Sullivan said. “I just like being out there, so any excuse to get me out there… I spend most of my time there as I can.”
He also elaborated on how different players deal with a diminishing level of success compared to their peaks, affecting how long they are prepared to stay in the game, just a day after 62-year-old Jimmy White battled Jackson Page in qualifiers to reach the Northern Ireland Open.
“It depends where you’re at with it, Stephen Hendry, he was such a winner, that when he wasn’t winning, he found it really difficult,” O’Sullivan said. “I think Steve Davis was the same, Jimmy White seemed to be like, ‘I don’t really care about winning or losing, I just love the game.’
“So if you love the sport then obviously (you can keep playing), but if it’s important to you that you’re winning and competing at the top end of the game, as you get older, inevitably these youngsters come along and they’re really fantastic players.
“So it’s hard for some of the older established players to keep going in many ways because these youngsters are very, very good.”
