Red Lodge snooker player Rochy Woods makes British Open debut

She may have only recently taken up snooker, but Rochy Woods has some lofty ambitions.

Having grown up playing billiards, the Red Lodge-based potting ace turned to the most popular cue sport after finding opportunities limited for female players.

And earlier this month she made her debut in a World Women’s Snooker event as she travelled to Leicester for the British Open.

“I started playing pool at seven and then I started billiards at nine after having a taster session at a fête,” said Woods.

“It was different, it intrigued me and after giving it a go I was hooked. But I’ve started to dedicate myself to snooker because women’s billiards is pretty much non-existent.

“There was no entries for the World Open and there was just six at the last one.

“There are not many competitions to play in so taking snooker more seriously felt like a no-brainer.”

Woods more than held her own at the 27th staging of the British Women’s Open, which featured some of the game’s biggest names, including the likes of Reanne Evans, Rebecca Kenna, Maria Catalano and eventual champion Nutcharut Wongharuthai.

The 23-year-old debutant triumphed in two of her group matches before losing a preliminary round encounter to Jasmine Bolsover, which had she won would have seen her advance through to the knockout stages.

Nevertheless, it was a performance that moved Woods up to 99th in the world rankings and she is determined to bring that further down during the coming weeks and months.

“I was one down in that preliminary match and she annihilated me a bit, but then I came back and won the second frame,” said Woods, who trains at a variety of venues in Newmarket, King’s Lynn, Cambridge and Norwich.

“In the third frame she got me in a couple of snookers and that won her the game. I was a bit devastated at the time, but having seen the standard I felt comfortable.

“Obviously the top 10 are very good but I feel like if I keep dedicating myself to it then I can move myself right up there.

“I’m really lucky to have a great support network around me. My partner, my parents, my friends and family are all right behind me and that is driving me on.”

Next on Woods’ agenda is the Belgian Open in Bruges, which highlights the finances that will be required as she aims to progress within the sport.

There will be much more travelling involved, as well as the cost of tournament entry, accommodation and table practice time.

As a result, Woods is hoping to attract a sponsor to help fulfil her potential.

She explained: “To improve you need to play the best players in the best tournaments and that means doing a lot of travelling.

“It’s all a learning curve and you learn more from some of the defeats against the top players compared to some of the wins.

“It obviously all costs money and if there was somebody out there able to support me that would be really amazing.

“I actually think it would make me even more determined than I am now, to know that somebody is backing me like that, I wouldn’t want to let anyone down.”

* Anyone interested in sponsoring Woods can contact rochyjadewoods7@gmail.com for more information.