Riley Powell

Riley Powell
Born (2008-08-27) 27 August 2008[1]
Tredegar, Wales
Sport country Wales

Riley Powell (born 27 August 2008) is a Welsh snooker player. In 2025, he won the Six-red World Championship.

Early life

Powell was raised in Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, with his mum Emma, dad Stephen, and his brother and sister. He attended Tredegar Comprehensive School. He began to practise snooker at the nearby Mark Williams' Snooker Club at the age of seven years-old and he would have to wear polystyrene shoes to help him reach parts of the table. He practises regularly with Williams and fellow Welsh professional player Jackson Page.[2][3]

Career

2022-23

Powell reached the last 16 of the World Under-18 Championship in 2022.[4] Aged 14 years-old, Powell defeated world number eight Kyren Wilson in the Snooker Shoot Out in January 2023.[5][6][7] He became the second youngest player to win a match at the tournament after fellow 14 year-old, Vladislav Gradinari, of Moldova.[8][9] He was defeated in the last-64 by Tom Ford.[10] Powell won the Welsh under-16 title in May 2023.[11]

2023-24

In November 2023, Powell was granted a place at the 2023 UK Championship held at the York Barbican where he lost in the first round of qualifying to professional Rory Thor.[12][13] In March 2024, he was runner-up at the 2024 European Under 16 Championship after facing Vladislav Gradinari in the final.[14]

Powell entered Q School in May 2024.[15] In the first event, he recorded a victory over Peter Lines, 39 years his senior,[16][17] but was defeated in the next round by Alex Clenshaw.[18] At the second event he was defeated by the experienced James Cahill.[19]

2024-25

In October 2024, he was awarded a wildcard to compete at the Snooker Shoot Out where he recorded a win over fellow youngster Stan Moody with a dramatic late pot.[20][21] He reached the quarter-final of the WSF Junior Snooker World Championship in Morocco in January 2025.[22]

He competed at Q school in May 2025 where he was defeated in the second event by former professional Andrew Pagett.[23] In July 2025, he was runner-up in the U17 Six Red Championships.[24] The following week, he won the senior Six-red World Championship with a win over Pankaj Advani in the final.[25]

2025-26

On 11 December he recorded a win against Daniel Wells at the 2025 Snooker Shoot Out.[26][27] In January 2026, he was a quarter-finalist again at the WSF Junior Snooker Championship, in Bulgaria.[28] In March 2026, Powell was runner-up to Ukrainian Anton Kazakov in the final of the EBSA U21 Championships.[29] In May 2026, he entered Q School with his performances including a 4-0 win over Velian Dimitrov and 4-2 over Kaylan Patel. In event two he defeated Neal Jones and former professionals Robbie McGuigan, and Haydon Pinhey before losing the penultimate round to Yadan Bodor.[30][31][32][33]

References

  1. ^ "Riley Powell". Snooker.org. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  2. ^ Hill, Jonathon (5 February 2023). "Meet the 14-year-old snooker star who trains with world champions and wins matches on TV". Walesonline. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. ^ Hartley, Alexandra (9 February 2023). "Meet the Tredegar teenager who is already taking the snooker world by storm". ITV.com. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  4. ^ Alderman, Elgan (26 January 2023). "Vladislav Gradinari, 14, makes snooker history – then Riley Powell, 49 days older, wins too". The Times. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  5. ^ van Wijk, Jim (26 January 2023). "Youngster Riley Powell shocks Kyren Wilson in Snooker Shoot Out". Independent. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  6. ^ Goddard, Benjamin (29 January 2023). "14-year-old snooker prodigy from Wales beats former world number two more than twice his age". Walesonline. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  7. ^ "World champion' - Riley Powell dreams big after Shoot Out heroics". TNT Sports. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  8. ^ Walker-Roberts, James (26 January 2023). "RILEY POWELL, 14, SHOCKS KYREN WILSON IN ANOTHER SNOOKER SHOOT OUT UPSET AFTER VLADISLAV GRADINARI WIN". Eurosport.
  9. ^ Mehtar, Amar (26 January 2023). "Riley Powell becomes second 14-year-old to win at Snooker Shoot Out after Vladislav Gradinari becomes youngest player to win a TV snooker match". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Snooker Shoot Out: Vladislav Gradinari, 14, into last 32 after beating Victor Sarkis". BBC Sport. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  11. ^ "EXCELLENT EVANS COMPLETES WELSH CHAMPIONSHIP HAT-TRICK". WPBSA. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  12. ^ "WPBSA QUALIFIERS ANNOUNCED FOR MRQ UK CHAMPIONSHIP". World Snooker. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  13. ^ Caulfield, David (20 November 2023). "UK Championship qualifiers: 2023 draw, schedule, results, how to watch". Snooker HQ. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. ^ Kiely, Derek (13 March 2024). "Vladislav Gradinari is the 2024 European Under 16 Champion". ebsa.tv. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  15. ^ https://www.wst.tv/matches/8d8f9a76-3262-434b-8e2f-44b4169ae331?tab=1
  16. ^ Kane, Desmond (24 March 2024). "RILEY POWELL WINS 39-YEAR GENERATION GAME AT Q SCHOOL TO KEEP PROFESSIONAL SNOOKER DREAM ALIVE – 'IT FEELS AMAZING'". Eurosport. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  17. ^ "STUDENT DEAVILLE AIMING FOR Q SCHOOL GRADUATION". wst.tv. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  18. ^ "UKRAINIAN TEENAGER IULIAN BOIKO STAYS ON COURSE TO RETURN TO WORLD SNOOKER TOUR CIRCUIT VIA Q SCHOOL". Eurosport. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  19. ^ "FAMOUS CRUCIBLE FIGURES ADVANCE AT Q SCHOOL IN BID TO CLAIM COVETED PLACE ON MAIN SNOOKER TOUR". Eurosport. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  20. ^ "WPBSA NOMINATIONS FOR SHOOT OUT". wst.tv. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  21. ^ Caulfield, David (6 December 2024). "Bai Yulu advances in Snooker Shoot Out draw". Snooker HQ. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  22. ^ "PATEL AND CROWLEY SET UP 2025 WSF JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL". World Snooker Federation. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  23. ^ "Cahill progresses at Q School". wst.tv. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  24. ^ Oliver Salomon, Patrick (25 July 2025). "Powell and Milewski crowned champions". GDN online. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  25. ^ "World 6-red snooker c'ships: Powell spoils Advani's party". newindianexpress.com. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  26. ^ "SHOOT OUT DAY TWO AFTERNOON". wst.tv. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  27. ^ "Snooker Shoot Out recap - Luca Brecel and Shaun Murphy to meet in round two after day of shocks saw Zhao Xintong, Mark Allen and Jimmy White beaten". TNT Sports. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  28. ^ "JUNIOR SEMIS SET IN SOFIA". worldsnookerfederation.org. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  29. ^ Kiely, erek (8 March 2026). "Anton Kazakov is the European U21 Champion". EBSA.tv. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  30. ^ "STRONG START FOR POWELL AT Q SCHOOL". wst.tv. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  31. ^ "O'NEILL RECOVERS WITH OPENING ROUND WIN". wst.tv. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  32. ^ "CARRINGTON OVERCOMES CHANDLER". WST. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  33. ^ "TAYLOR ONE WIN FROM TOUR RETURN". wst. 30 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
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