Importance Score: 50 / 100 🔵
The World Snooker Championship features an intriguing participant this year: Tatiana Woollaston, a top-tier referee and spouse of snooker professional Ben Woollaston. Ben is set to compete in his first Crucible event in 12 years, facing off against fellow Leicester player and four-time world champion Mark Selby this Wednesday. Interestingly, Tatiana’s involvement in snooker isn’t her primary role; she balances her officiating duties with a career outside the sport.
Tatiana Woollaston: Balancing Snooker Refereeing with a Full-Time Career
Tatiana has solidified her position as a prominent official in professional snooker, having made her debut as a referee at the Crucible in 2020. Notably, she officiated the semi-final clash between Kyren Wilson and David Gilbert at the previous year’s World Championship. Earlier in the season, she presided over the UK Championship final featuring Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins. Remarkably, just a day after this significant event in York, she returned to her role as a merchandiser at Next, a company headquartered in Leicester.
Juggling Roles: Refereeing as a Passion
“It comes as a surprise to many that I have a full-time job,” Tatiana remarked. “Refereeing is genuinely my passion. Next is a fantastic company to be associated with and they provide incredible support for my refereeing endeavors.”
- Flexible Scheduling: “They’ve been accommodating by granting me leave when I need to travel, and at times, I’ve even worked from hotel rooms instead of coming into the office.”
- Company Pride: “They are genuinely proud to see me on television.”
Maintaining Professional Boundaries
As expected, Tatiana is prohibited from refereeing any of Ben’s matches, a situation she also prefers. She clarified, “I don’t spend time with Ben during his practice sessions to assist me with refereeing.”
“He operates as a player on the circuit, while I function as a referee. We’ve never really mixed this. I’m obviously not allowed to referee his games and I wouldn’t want to, to be fair.”
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Supporting Each Other’s Aspirations
The Woollastons, parents to two sons, are deeply supportive of each other’s professional paths. Tatiana, originally from Belarus, elaborated, “Ben’s career holds immense importance, but he would never object to me attending snooker events because he recognizes my passion for it.”
- Shared Responsibilities: “If he is not participating in an event, he assumes responsibilities like school pick-ups and homework. We coordinate our schedules, and Ben’s mother plays a vital role in helping us with the children.”
Discovering a Passion for Snooker
Tatiana’s fascination with snooker began during her childhood, watching it with her father on the Russian-language Eurosport channel in her native Belarus. Despite not being a player herself, she never imagined a career in the sport until she encountered an advertisement for a local competition.
An Unexpected Opportunity
“I noticed an advertisement on the underground that said, ‘Belarus Snooker Championship’,” she remembered. “I was surprised and thought, ‘Surely, there is no snooker in Belarus’.”
“However, I visited the local club, which was predominantly a Russian billiards venue. It only had three snooker tables. I observed some people refereeing who had name badges.”
“I managed to find one of the individuals on social media and inquired about the possibility of trying refereeing. They invited me to one of their refereeing meetings, and that is where it all began.”
The Rise of Female Officials in Snooker
In the era of Michaela Tabb, the sight of a female referee in a predominantly male sport was noteworthy. Fortunately, that is no longer the case, thanks to an increasing number of female officials.
Breaking Barriers and Achieving Equality
“There are several female referees from various parts of the world, including China and Eastern Europe,” Tatiana mentioned. “In the past, it might have been remarkable to see a female referee. However, now we are not perceived as female referees versus male referees; we are simply seen as officials. It’s not news anymore. As long as you excel at your job, gender is irrelevant.”