The Home Nations Series is a
snooker tournament series in the four
home nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on context. Politically it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). In sport, if a sport is g ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. It began in the
2016–17 snooker season
The 2016–17 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 5 May 2016 and 1 May 2017.
The number of ranking events was increased in 2016/17, with a target of 20 ranking events for 2017/18. ...
, combining two existing tournaments, the
Scottish Open and
Welsh Open, with two newly created tournaments, the
English Open
The English Open was a professional golf tournament held in England. First played in 1988, it was an annual event on the European Tour until 2002. After several aborted attempts at reviving the tournament, it returned to the tour schedule in 20 ...
and
Northern Ireland Open.
History
On 29 April 2015,
Barry Hearn, chairman of
World Snooker
The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of approximately 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. The World Snooker Tour is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial ar ...
announced that from the
2016–17 snooker season
The 2016–17 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 5 May 2016 and 1 May 2017.
The number of ranking events was increased in 2016/17, with a target of 20 ranking events for 2017/18. ...
, a "Home Nations Series" would be added to the season's calendar. The Home Nations Series includes the tournaments of the four individual countries of the home of snooker, the
English Open
The English Open was a professional golf tournament held in England. First played in 1988, it was an annual event on the European Tour until 2002. After several aborted attempts at reviving the tournament, it returned to the tour schedule in 20 ...
, the
Northern Ireland Open, the
Scottish Open, and the
Welsh Open. A player who wins all four tournaments in the same season receives a special bonus of £1 million. So far, the highest number of tournaments won in the same season is two, with
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby (born 19 June 1983) is an English professional snooker player, who is a four-time World Snooker Champion. Ranked world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 21 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the ...
winning the English and the Scottish Open in the
2019–20 season, and
Judd Trump
Judd Trump (born 20 August 1989) is an English professional snooker player, a former world champion and former world number one. Widely regarded as one of the sport's most talented players, he is currently sixth on the list of all-time ranki ...
winning the English and the Northern Ireland Open in the
2020–21 season. The Home Nations Series awards two wildcards to amateur players. The four national governing bodies select the wildcard players according to criteria that they have previously agreed with the WPBSA.
The first round of the Home Nations was changed for the
2021-22 season, whereby the first round is now a qualification round for all players not in the top 16. However, the top 16 would play their qualification round at the venue instead of elsewhere.
Events and trophies
The cups of the individual tournaments are named after well-known snooker players of the respective countries:
* At the
English Open
The English Open was a professional golf tournament held in England. First played in 1988, it was an annual event on the European Tour until 2002. After several aborted attempts at reviving the tournament, it returned to the tour schedule in 20 ...
: after
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a commentator, musician, DJ, and author. He is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he reached eight World S ...
, the Davis Trophy
* At the
Northern Ireland Open: after
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon Higgins (18 March 1949 – 24 July 2010) was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who is remembered as one of the most iconic figures in the game. Nicknamed "Hurricane Higgins" because of his fast play, he was Worl ...
, the Higgins Trophy
* At the
Scottish Open: after
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry (born 13 January 1969) is a Scottish professional snooker player who dominated the sport during the 1990s, becoming one of the most successful players in its history. After turning professional in 1985 at age 16, Hendry ...
, the Hendry Trophy
* At the
Welsh Open: after
Ray Reardon
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
, the Reardon Trophy
Format
All tournaments are ranking tournaments of the
World Snooker Tour
The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of approximately 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. The World Snooker Tour is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial ar ...
and are played with 128 players. After first nominating all professional players, the wildcard players will be nominated and finally top-up players from the
Q School order of merit. Up to and including the last 16, the matches are played as best-of-seven frames, in the quarter-finals as best-of-nine, semi-finals as best-of-eleven frames, and in the final best-of-seventeen. As of the
2021-22 season, the last 128 round has been changed to a qualifying round, where players outside of the top 16 have to win a match in order to play at the final venue. The top 16 still play in the qualifying round, however, their matches are held over to be played at the final venue.
Results
Statistics
Champions
References
{{Snooker tournaments
Snooker competitions in the United Kingdom
*
Snooker tours and series