Snooker star whose wife is World Championship referee gets new job away from the table

 Ben Woollaston, who caused one of the biggest upsets at the 2025 World Championship by knocking out fellow Leicester star Mark Selby, has landed a new role with snooker's governing body

Snooker star Ben Woollaston, the husband of a leading referee, has secured a new role after achieving his best-ever result at the World Championship.

The Leicester potter reached the second round after pulling off a major upset by defeating Mark Selby before being eliminated by Si Jiahui in a 13-10 loss. Woollaston's wife, Tatiana, refereed at the Crucible this year, having made her debut at snooker's premier event in 2020.

She also took charge of last season's UK Championship final in York. Naturally, she is not permitted to officiate her husband's matches, not that she would want. She said last year: "I don't spend time with Ben while he's practising to help me refereeing-wise.

"He's on the circuit as a player, I'm on the circuit as a referee. We've never really mix that. I'm obviously not allowed to referee his games and I wouldn't want to, to be fair."

Away from snooker, Tatiana works as a merchandiser at the head office of clothing retailer Next. Meanwhile, her husband has also taken on a new role away from the table, having been appointed to the WPBSA's governance board.

The sport's governing body announced on Wednesday that Woollaston had been appointed as a non-executive director with immediate effect. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are pleased to welcome Ben to the WPBSA board, which follows his election to the board of WPBSA players last December.

Tatiana Woollaston, wife of Ben, is one of snooker's leading referees

"A professional for over 20 years, Ben has just enjoyed arguably the best season of his career, highlighted by his memorable victory against four-time world champion Mark Selby at the World Championship. Ben is ideally suited to this new role, as a player of great integrity and who is well thought of by his peers.

"It has been positive to see him take a keen interest in coaching in recent years, becoming one of our WPBSA 1st4sport Level 2 Coaches and sharing his knowledge with aspiring players of all levels."

Meanwhile, Woollaston, 38, said: "I am pleased to join the board of WPBSA Governance and be able to provide representation for player issues at the highest level of our sport.

Ben Woollaston is relishing his new role

"As a professional snooker player for over 20 years, I have been privileged to see first-hand the development of our sport during that time and to live the highs and lows of competing on the World Snooker Tour.

"I look forward to sharing my experience with the team at the WPBSA and to helping shape the future development of our sport, from grassroots level to the professional circuit."

The governance board is chiefly tasked with the overall direction and management of the WPBSA, the global governing body for snooker and billiards.

Woollaston joins the board as the second player-director alongside Mark Davis, who was appointed in January. The duo will work in tandem with Ferguson, vice-chairman and director Nigel Mawer and governance director Nigel Oldfield.