MAKO’S BACK FOR SARRIES EURO FIGHT
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has revealed that he snubbed the jungle this year to challenge for a record seventh UK Championship title.
The Rocket celebrated his 43rd birthday in style by racing into the quarterfinals with a 6-1 drubbing of Jack Lisowski at York’s Barbican Centre.
O’Sullivan shrugged off controversy over his threats to start a breakaway Champions League series of events to stay in contention for the £170,000 first prize.
But the world No.3 and five-time world champion could have made several times that sum by accepting an offer to go on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.
Six-time world champ Steve Davis and Jimmy White have represented the world of snooker on the ITV show.
O’Sullivan said: “I was invited to go to the jungle this year – but decided to put it on the back burner for now.
“Maybe they can move this tournament so I can do both, and come flying in to York from Australia like Tarzan with my thong on for you all.
“To be honest the money was fine, it was good and even up until the last minute my agent was calling me and asking, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to do it?’
“But just not at the moment, I’ll definitely do it but I’ve plenty of time and you only do the jungle once, one chance so the time has to be right. I’d really like to do it.
“I just still believe I can win big tournaments, and it is a time of year when there are either big events on or coming up.
“I probably shouldn’t say how much, I’m not sure ITV would be happy . . seven figures. No, I’m joking! But it was never about the money, if it was I’d have done the jungle this year.
“I always keep my eye on the prize so it won’t be a huge birthday celebration. I’ll go out for a nice meal with some good friends and watch whatever is going on in the jungle today.
“I’ve enjoyed watching it this year – Harry Redknapp, John Barrowman, Anne Hagerty . . it’s always good. It MAKO VUNIPOLA returns to action for the first time since the Battle of Glasgow with referees under fresh orders to crack down on foul play.
The prop (left) was one of six England stars injured in Saracens’ win at Scotstoun in the opening round of European Cup matches.
Brother Billy (arm), Maro Itoje and Jamie George (both nose) all would be a great life experience, everyone who’s been on it speaks very highly of it. Meet a few people, and have some fun. You could build some good bonds.
“But I won’t start saying what my worst fears would be, because I’ll be working on those before I go over there – that’s how professional I am.”
Stephen Maguire pulled off a sensational comeback to reach the quarter-finals, beating Mark Williams 6-5 after trailing 4-0. sustained breaks, whilst Mako and Nick Isiekwe suffered serious ligament sprains.
The Vunipolas missed England’s autumn campaign but ahead of Saracens’ return to the tournament, at home against Cardiff, both are on the mend.
Mako, described by forwards coach Alex Sanderson as “bigger and stronger” after his time away, plays on Sunday while No.8 Billy (right), initially ruled out until the end of January with his third broken arm in 10 months, is a fortnight ahead of schedule.
The English champions are pleased referees’ boss Joel Jutge has laid down the law to his officials ahead of the resumption of European competition.
“The Glasgow match was very dirty,” said Sanderson. “But Joel has put a directive out to all refs.”
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes (above) announced her retirement from athletics.
Luton manager Mike Newell was charged with improper conduct for comments he made about assistant referee Amy Rayner after a match against QPR. Newell had said: “This is not park football, so what are women doing here? It is tokenism, for the politically correct idiots.” He was later fined £6,500. 2008: Carl Froch won the vacant WBC supermiddleweight title with a unanimous points victory over Canadian Jean Pascal.
2009: The Scottish Premier League game between Hamilton and Hearts was marred by a post-match tunnel brawl which resulted in three players and a masseur being sent off.