John Higgins’ reply to ‘disgraceful’ claim and Ronnie O’Sullivan duel | Other | Sport
John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan will go head-to-head at the Crucible (Image: Getty)
Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins share a complex and fascinating relationship. The two snooker legends are set to clash at the Crucible on Saturday evening in a tantalising last-16 encounter. Two-thirds of the celebrated trio known as the Class of ’92 are gearing up to go head-to-head at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
O’Sullivan is a seven-time champion of the event, while Higgins has claimed the title on four occasions. It has been over 30 years since the pair first locked horns on the baize, facing one another at the 1994 Dubai Classic. Now, with a place in the world quarter-finals at stake, O’Sullivan has already begun playing mind games with his adversary.
Despite sharing more than three decades on the circuit, The Rocket and The Wizard of Wishaw have endured a complicated and turbulent relationship. Mirror Sport examines some of their most notable exchanges over recent years.
‘Not close’ admission
Speaking last week, O’Sullivan was quizzed about his friendship with Higgins and fellow Class of ’92 member Mark Williams. The 50 year old conceded that he doesn’t tend to forge particularly close bonds with anyone on the World Snooker Tour.
O’Sullivan told TNT Sports: “I think Mark and John are better friends than I am with them. I don’t really get close to anyone on the snooker circuit, because I don’t really hang around tournaments.
“No one sees me. I’d rather be down the gym or go running, or go to nice restaurants, while a lot of the players hang out with each other.”
‘Disgraceful’ remark
While O’Sullivan’s claim about his relationship with Higgins was neither here nor there, in 2021 the Scot took exception when The Rocket essentially discouraged youngsters from taking up snooker. O’Sullivan told Eurosport five years ago: “If I had a child I would not want him to play snooker, I really wouldn’t.
“I’d rather he played golf, football or tennis. Maybe 20-25 years ago it was a sexy sport but it has kind of fallen behind to other sports, somewhat.”
Higgins was far from impressed by the remarks and hit back: “I heard Ronnie, I thought it was a disgrace what he was saying. That he’d be saying to young kids, ‘Don’t play snooker’, I thought that was dreadful for someone as good as that to sit there and say that.”
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The 50-year-old has voiced deeper concerns regarding the future of the sport and the outlook for emerging talent from his homeland. He told The Sun this year: “It will be difficult to have another world champion from Scotland, I think.
Ronnie O’Sullivan says he isn’t friends with many fellow players (Image: Getty)
“It would be sad. But at the moment there just doesn’t seem to be anyone coming through pushing to qualify and things like that. I’ve gone and done a few things with the juniors, but it basically falls back onto the players and if they want it enough and are prepared to fight and scrap for it like we did in our younger years.”
Touching message
Yet, despite a degree of friction between the pair all those years ago, when O’Sullivan withdrew from the 2025 Masters on medical grounds, Higgins had nothing but warm wishes for his old rival.
“Gutted that I wasn’t playing Ronnie,” Higgins, who had been due to face his opponent in the first round, told the BBC. “We played here 30 years ago in a final so it would have been good to walk out there again with him.”
He added: “But listen, his health is more important if he is going through some tough times just now. I just hope that he gets better.”
