Who are the Greatest Welsh Snooker Players of All Time?

Ray Reardon | Six-time World Champion

The Welshman from Tredegar, also known as “Dracula”, dominated the sport in the 1970s, claiming six world titles during a prolific decade. Due to this early success, he emerged as the first real superstar and the “Godfather” of the modern game.

Reardon was known for his brilliant tactical play and unflappable demeanour around the table, never seeming to feel the pressure of the occasion in major finals. Reardon became the oldest player to win the World Championship in 1979 at the age of 45, a record that was only surpassed by Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2022.

Reardon is rated as arguably the greatest Welsh player of all time, having the Welsh Open trophy named in his honour in 2017 before passing away in 2024 at the age of 91.

Mark Williams | Three-time World Champion

As the Crucible champion in 2000, 2003, and 2018, and a seven-time Triple Crown event winner overall, Williams is often labelled as one of the best players of all-time and a member of the famed “Class of 92”.

He is notorious for his relaxed style and broad shot selection, with incredible long potting and consistent break-building. Williams completed a hat trick of World Championship titles in 2018 when he won his third at the age of 43, showing similar great longevity to compatriot Reardon.

Along with his success in major titles, Williams has amassed over 25 ranking titles and remains one of the sport’s fiercest competitors in 2025.

Terry Griffiths | 1979 World Champion

Griffiths stunned the world of snooker by winning the 1979 World Championship as a qualifier in his rookie professional season; only Alex Higgins and Shaun Murphy have also won the world title as a qualifier throughout the sport’s history.

The man from Llanelli had a knack for safety play and titanium mental resilience, which helped him pick up silverware in future tournaments like the UK Championship and the Masters.

Griffiths’ laboured but methodical style, along with exemplary sportsmanship, earned him great respect in the game, and he consequently became one of the game’s most sought-after coaches - going on to work with Stephen Hendry and fellow Welshman Mark Williams. Griffiths passed away in late 2024 at the age of 77, leaving a massive legacy in the sport.

Doug Mountjoy | Three-time Triple Crown winner

The 1978 UK Championship and 1981 Masters were won by Welsh icon Doug Mountjoy, a formidable opponent in modern snooker’s earlier days. He came close to a World Championship win in 1981, losing to a young Steve Davis in the final.

Mountjoy’s crowning moment came in the 1988 UK Championship, where he defeated Stephen Hendry at the ripe old age of 46 in the Scotsman’s first Triple Crown final. Mountjoy’s dogged, attacking style made him one of Wales’ most loved sportspeople, passing away at 78 in 2021.

Matthew Stevens | UK & Masters champion

Stevens finds himself high up the list of Welsh greats, as one of the most naturally talented players in the country’s history. The 2000 Masters winner was known for his effortless cue action and fine break-building ability, amassing 350 century breaks over three decades in the sport.

Stevens picked up a second Triple Crown title at the UK Championship in 2003, but could not complete his collection, falling short in the 2000 and 2005 Crucible finals.

Despite missing out on the sport’s biggest prize, Stevens’ peak in the early noughties placed him as one of the most dangerous players of the era.

Ryan Day | Four-time ranking event winner

With over 450 complied century breaks and four maximum breaks, Bridgend’s Ryan Day is one of Wales’ most consistent performers in recent snooker history.

Day has reached the Crucible quarter-finals four times, qualified for the Masters seven times, and reached as high as world number six in the 2009/10 season.

Arguably his greatest moment in snooker arrived in 2022 when he beat Mark Allen 10-7 in the British Open final, sealing the most prestigious of his four ranking titles.

Dominic Dale | Two-time ranking event winner

Most notable for his tournament wins at the 1997 Grand Prix and 2007 Shanghai Masters, Dale has led a steady but successful 30-year career in snooker. His eccentricity and knowledge of the game have transitioned him to becoming a popular commentator and presenter, but the “Spaceman” was also a threat on the baize.

Dale - who also won the 2014 Shoot Out - achieved two quarter-final finishes at the World Championship in 2000 and 2014 and is a very well respected player in Welsh snooker history.

Darren Morgan | Winner of several professional events

Former world number eight Morgan was the very proud captain of the Wales side that won the televised Nations Cup team event in 1999 when he played alongside Williams, Stevens and Dale.

A two-time ranking event runner-up and winner of the 1990 Shoot Out (non-ranked), Morgan famously won the Irish Masters invitational at Goffs in 1996 when he dramatically ousted record eight-time champion Steve Davis 9-8 in the final.

A world champion at both amateur and seniors levels, Morgan also claimed domestic gold with the Welsh amateur and professional titles.

Michael White | Two-time ranking event winner

Michael White's professional snooker career ended in disgrace in 2024 when he was imprisoned for two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his former partner.

White had a glittering junior and amateur career winning major international titles, before playing on the pro tour at just 16 years old. It took him a while to adapt to the new level, although he went to win two ranking events and reach the top 16.

Honourable mentions

Although he didn’t have a stellar professional career, Cliff Wilson - who didn’t turn pro until he was aged 45 - did make it into the top 16 of the world rankings.

Wilson was revered and regarded as one of the sport’s most exciting players and best-ever potters. He won the 1978 World Amateur Championship and was the 1991 World Seniors Championship winner - the first edition of that event.

Gary Owen won back-to-back World Amateur Snooker Championships - the first two to ever be held, in 1963 and 1966. What many regard as the start of snooker's 'modern-era', Owen reached the final of the 1969 World Championship where he was denied the world crown by John Spencer.

Terry Parsons was also a World Amateur Champion when he won the title in Canada in 1982.

Wilson, Owen, and Parsons passed away in 1994, 1995 and 1999 respectively.

Jak Jones has recently emerged as one of Wales’ most exciting snooker players with his memorable run to the final at the Crucible in 2024, where he narrowly lost to Kyren Wilson 18-14. As only the seventh Welsh player to ever reach a World Championship final, this feat already puts him in exclusive company.