Stephen Hendry Ronnie O'sullivan Dispute: Hendry backs ban on Triangle Chalk

Stephen Hendry did not push back on the stephen hendry ronnie o'sullivan dispute over Ronnie O'Sullivan's Triangle Chalk. The seven-time world snooker champion said he would not disagree with calls to ban it and argued that it spoils the game as a spectacle.

"I don't disagree with if I'm honest," Hendry said during an episode of his Cue Tips series. He added: "I think it spoils the game as a spectacle."

Hendry joins Robertson

Hendry's view lined up with Neil Robertson, who had already said he would prefer to face John Higgins rather than deal with the chalk O'Sullivan uses. Robertson went further and said the chalk "should be banned from the game."

That criticism came after Robertson beat Chris Wakelin in the round of 16, when he said: "All the players hate it, it just destroys it. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute mess of the table." He also said: "I don't know how you are allowed to even use it."

Robertson had said: "I would prefer to play John so I don't have to contend with the chalk that Ronnie uses, which should be banned from the game." He later added: "He is about the only player left on tour that uses that chalk - hopefully they bring in a ban."

John Higgins beats O'Sullivan

The issue came into focus when O'Sullivan used the Triangle Chalk at the Crucible this year and then lost 13-12 to John Higgins in the second round. Higgins' win sent him into a quarter-final against Robertson, keeping the dispute tied to the table rather than letting it fade into a side argument.

Robertson also said of O'Sullivan: "I know he (O'Sullivan) is friends with [artist] Damien Hirst, but it's like he is making artwork with the chalk all over the cloth." He added: "I don't think he does it to put anyone off, he is not that way inclined at all."

Crucible rules and choice

A World Snooker Tour spokesperson said players have a free choice over the chalk they use. That leaves the row in a narrow but practical place: top players are publicly calling for a ban, while the sport's rules still allow the equipment choice that sparked the complaints.

O'Sullivan has now returned to the Crucible to make his debut in the World Seniors Championship after the rules were changed. The event had previously excluded players in the top 64 in the world rankings, so the change opened the door for his inclusion.

For players still at the Crucible, the argument is no longer just about one piece of chalk. It is now about whether a minority equipment choice should stay legal when two of the game's biggest names have already said it hurts the spectacle.