Qualifying for the 2026 Welsh Snooker Amateur Championship took place simultaneously across two venues on Saturday 12 April, with 63 players competing for 20 places in the championship's knockout stages. The South region, hosted at the Matchroom, sent 16 qualifiers through from a field of 48, while the North region at Amlwch Snooker Club on Anglesey confirmed its four qualifiers from a 15-player draw. All matches were played as best-of-seven frames.
South Qualifier
Matchroom
The South saw the busiest day of action, with 48 players contesting the Last 64 and Last 32 across morning and afternoon sessions. All 16 players who reached the Last 16 have qualified.
The morning's Last 64 round produced the day's standout individual display — Sam Thomas compiling a superb century of 104 — though he was unable to convert that form into a win, falling 4-2 to Joel Bullen. Don Newcombe also came through a tight one, beating Jamie Jones 4-3. Alfie Davies began what would become an impressive day's work, beating Thomas William Lancastle 4-2 with two breaks above 50. Taylor Morgan saw off Luke Vokes 4-1, Charlie Bolton dispatched Thomas Davie, Dale Hughes blanked Ronnie Allen 4-0, and Riley Powell beat Chris Collins by the same scoreline.
The afternoon's Last 32 saw several dominant performances. Darren Morgan was the standout, blanking Ashton Williams 4-0 without conceding a frame. Allan Morgan matched that scoreline against Ieuan Davies, and Jon Breeze completed the trio of whitewash victories with a 4-0 dismissal of Newcombe.
Sam Thomas compiled the South's highest break of 104
Alfie Davies continued his fine form, beating David Nicholas Jones 4-2 to finish the day with four breaks of 40 or above, including a near-century 99. Taylor Morgan ousted Mark Allen 4-2, Charlie Bolton saw off Tyler Mccaffrey-Smith, James Matthewman progressed comfortably past Twm Siôn Jones 4-1, and Gavin Colcombe received a walkover before beating Daniel Williams 4-1. Riley Powell also benefited from a walkover against Jamie Gimblett.
Several Last 32 matches went the full distance. Robert Baker edged past Matthew Reece 4-3, Brian Rees came through against Brett John by the same scoreline, and Philip Williams survived a seven-frame battle with David John to secure the final qualifying spot in the bottom half of the draw.
The 16 South Qualifiers
Joel Bullen, Philip Williams, Robert Baker, Allan Morgan, Alfie Davies, James Matthewman, Shaun Price, Darren Morgan, Brian Rees, Charlie Bolton, Taylor Morgan, Ross Jones, Jon Breeze, Riley Powell, Dale Hughes, Gavin Colcombe
North Qualifier
Amlwch Snooker Club, Anglesey
Marc Shaw — highest break of the day (107)
A smaller but no less competitive field of 15 contested the North qualifier, playing through the Last 16 and quarter-final rounds in a single session. With four qualifying places available and four semi-finalists confirmed, all four are through.
Marc Shaw delivered the day's standout individual performance across either region, compiling the tournament's highest break — a 107 century — before beating Sion Stuart 4-3 in the Last 16 and then cruising past Gareth Jones 4-1 in the quarter-finals.
Rhys Williams was equally clinical, blanking Andrew Davison 4-0 in the Last 16 before dispatching Mark Chung 4-1. He registered three breaks of 40 or above, including an 82. Gareth Edwards produced a 4-0 win over Graham Hall and then saw off Iwan Griffiths 4-2 in the quarters, while Joe Stuart came through the tightest match of the day, squeezing past Terry Williams 4-3 in the quarter-finals.
Sion Stuart was one of the day's most prolific break-builders despite exiting at the Last 16 stage, registering four breaks of 40-plus including a 63 and a 50.
The 4 North Qualifiers
Marc Shaw, Rhys Williams, Gareth Edwards, Joe Stuart
Notable Breaks — Combined (40+)
Across both qualifying events, two century breaks were recorded: Marc Shaw's 107 at Amlwch and Sam Thomas's 104 at the Matchroom.
Player
Region
Breaks
Marc Shaw
North
107
Sam Thomas
South
104, 61, 51
Alfie Davies
South
99, 56, 54, 51
Allan Morgan
South
89
Rhys Williams
North
82, 49, 40
Gareth Edwards
North
64
Sion Stuart
North
63, 50, 40, 40
Joel Bullen
South
61, 51
David John
South
54, 44
Dale Hughes
South
52
Joe Stuart
North
48
Ross Jones
South
47
Iwan Griffiths
North
46, 43
Ashton Williams
South
44
Jacob Boyle
South
41
Mark Chung
North
40
The Draw — Last 16 & Quarter-Finals
Cue Snooker Club
The draw for the next stage has been confirmed. The 20 qualifiers will converge on Cue Snooker Club, where four preliminary round matches will reduce the field to 16 before the Last 16 and quarter-final rounds.
The four North qualifiers have been spread across the draw, with Marc Shaw and Joe Stuart receiving byes while Gareth Edwards and Rhys Williams must come through the preliminary round. Darren Morgan faces a tough early test against Taylor Morgan in an all-South preliminary clash, and Allan Morgan meets Joel Bullen in the other.
Preliminary Round (Last 32)
Gareth Edwards (N)vRiley Powell (S)
Gavin Colcombe (S)vRhys Williams (N)
Darren Morgan (S)vTaylor Morgan (S)
Allan Morgan (S)vJoel Bullen (S)
Last 16
Dale HughesvGareth Edwards or Riley Powell
Ross JonesvShaun Price
Robert BakervJames Matthewman
Gavin Colcombe or Rhys WilliamsvBrian Rees
Jon BreezevDarren Morgan or Taylor Morgan
Joe Stuart (N)vCharlie Bolton
Marc Shaw (N)vPhilip Williams
Allan Morgan or Joel BullenvAlfie Davies
Looking Ahead — Semi-Finals & Final
The four quarter-final winners will advance to the semi-finals and final, to be held at Fairwater Conservative Club. The draw and schedule for that event are yet to be confirmed.
