'It's the best': Snooker stars describe why they love competing at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre as first week of World Championships continues

This year marks the 46th successive year that the tournament has been held at Sheffield’s world-famous Crucible Theatre, and stars of the sport have revealed just why it is such a special venue to compete in.

In a video posted by Sheffield Council on Twitter, Shaun Murphy; Stuart Bingham and Barry Hawkins are among the returning players who have paid tribute to The Crucible, revealing what competing in the venue means to them.

This year's tournament marks the first time it has been held in front of full crowds at The Crucible since 2019, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former snooker World Champion Shaun Murphy, who lost out to Mark Selby in last year’s final, described the Crucible as a ‘great venue’.

He said: "Well, it’s the best. You know, we play in bigger arenas, we play in bigger cities around the world.

"But, you know, if you go to Hong Kong and you say the word ‘Sheffield’ to someone on the street, they’ll say: ‘steel and snooker’.

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"And snooker and Sheffield go hand-in-hand. They are synonymous with eachother around the world.

“This is the 46th year that this tournament has been in this great venue, and I’m sure there will be many, many more to come because we all love coming back to Sheffield.”

He added: “And really, you know, really looking forward to the challenge that is The Crucible.”

"It’s created some real big stories over the years, and yeah, I can’t wait to kick off and be involved again.”

Former world and masters champion, Stuart Bingham added: “It’s a privilege to be here, it’s the home of snooker. Obviously, the golf you’ve got The Open...you’ve got Wembley for football. But yeah, for us snooker players it’s this [The Crucible].”

Barry Hawkins, who has made his 17th consecutive appearance at the World Championships this year – following his debut at The Crucible in 2006, said: “It’s just an amazing venue, an amazing atmosphere every time you walk out there.”

"It just feels like a massive tournament, and I think it helps me sometimes, you know, focus the mind a bit better in these big ones. So maybe that’s why I’ve had a few good runs over the years. It’s exciting to be part of.”