This star will head back to their day job after the final (Image: Getty)
Tatiana Woollaston, who was dubbed ‘the best ref’ by , will return to her day job at Next after officiating the UK Championship final. Belarus-born and Leicester-based Woollaston is one of snooker’s most highly thought-of referees and was rewarded for her competency with not just the chance to oversee a semi-final in York but ’s second title win in Sunday’s showpiece at the York Barbican.
World No.1 Trump stormed into a 5-2 frame lead over underdog opponent Barry Hawkins on Sunday, but the sport’s leading name was made to work for his crown. Hawkins pulled the final back to 9-8 and put up a valiant fight before falling to a narrow 10-8 defeat. Yet, as the players unwind from their battle, Woollaston will be back off to work.
The 38-year-old has held a position at Next for over a decade. And, speaking before her first major final, she opened up about juggling the job and her sporting pursuits.
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“I’ve been with the company for over 10 years now,” Woollaston told Eurosport. “They’re really excited about me refereeing and really supportive. They let me have the time off, but I’ll be back at my desk tomorrow.”
It isn’t just Next that takes up her time away from the table, however, as she also shares two children with top-50 ranked player Ben Woollaston.
“My third job is a mum to two beautiful boys,” she added. “They’re here supporting me. They’re not too much into snooker, but they’re here for me.”
Woolaston may need more time off in the near future, too, as she has built up a reputation as one of the game’s premier officials, specifically being lauded by seven-time world champion O’Sullivan.
Woollaston officiated her first major final on Sunday (Image: Getty)
“[She’s the] best ref in the world by a mile,” O’Sullivan revealed during the last World Championship, with fellow snooker star Reanne Evans agreeing: “She’s a top ref. I really rate her, she’s a great girl as well. She deserves the final. She’s top class and I hope she does get the final next year.”
Some may question Woollaston’s dynamic with her player husband Ben, but in an interview for she admitted that the pair’s careers are kept separate.
“I don’t spend time with Ben while he’s practising to help me refereeing-wise,” she stated. “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.
“Ben’s career is immensely important, but he would never say no to me going to any snooker events because he knows how much I love it. If he’s out of the event, he’ll take over doing school pick-ups and homework. We work around each other while Ben’s mum plays a big role helping us with the kids.”