Were women really disallowed to play billiard games in fear they would tear up the table’s cloth? This ancient billiards fact, or myth, is still alive in many billiards halls across the globe. Stockport in the UK and Southampton in New Hampshire, are two recent examples that things haven’t change that much in the last couple of centuries, at least not regarding women and billiards. 

Suzie Opacic, Snooker Ladies’ World Junior Champion had planned to take part in the Southampton Social Club league match at the local snooker Netley Central. But since the club rules forbid women of playing snooker, and her snooker team had to play without her. And on the other side of the Atlantic, members of the Great Moor snooker club in Stockport voted against changing the 68 years old ban on participation of women in the club’s snooker activities.

In a recent interview, Rona Bareket, Play89’s new protégé had stated that as opposed to what’s expected of her, she doesn’t plan to quit snooker in favor of pool. In other words, she says that the big money offered to women pool players will not tempt her to replace snooker with 9-ball.

Rona Bareket’s statement raises two questions. First, you must wonder why winning in pool tournaments is more profitable than in snooker. Secondly, we all know that the world’s top ranked men snooker players make millions of pounds, how come the world’s top ladies snooker players have to cross the continent to play pool?

Let’s take a look at Allison Fisher as an example. She won the first World Ladies Snooker Championship at 17 and even came in the Male Snooker ranking, but since her progression in snooker, she left her homeland of England to blend in the American 9-ball pool scene. As a pool player, Fisher aka The Duchess of Doom quickly became one of the highest earning players in the field, regardless to her sex. Where would she be now if stayed in the English snooker circuit?

Play89 is proud to introduce, and at the same opportunity to sponsor, the most promising snooker talent in Israel - Rona Bareket. The 22 years old snooker player is ranked at number 9 (!) in the World’s Ladies Snooker Players, after making it to the Knockout Stage at the recent 2007 IBSF World Ladies Snooker Championship.

Although she made her first snooker tournament appearance only 4 years ago, Rona Bareket is the great white hope of the Israeli billiards scene. Before Bareket, no Israeli snooker player has ever arrived to such amazing achievements at such a short time.

In order to provide Bareket with the financial stability that will allow her to devote her time to her snooker training and to promote excellency in the snooker game, Play89 decide to adopt the snooker champion to be and to become Rona Bareket official sponsor.

Wait for updates on Rona Bareket snooker tours around the world.