THERE was plenty for Jersey to celebrate at the 2022 CI International, with the hosts claiming both the men’s and ladies team titles.
Sides from Portugal, Yeovil and the Isle of Wight flocked to Planet Pool & Snooker to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the competition and the standard of play did not disappoint.
Jersey A won the men’s team final in scintillating style, dispatching Portugal A 8-0, while on the ladies side ‘Trevor’s Golden Girls’ defeated Highland Terriers 9-7 in the final to secure a Caesarean sweep.
Islander Ryan Shaw was back in action for Jersey A after six years away from the table, but ‘the buzz from winning’ was just as strong for him.
He said: ‘I haven’t played competitively in so long, so to be back in that environment was brilliant.
‘We have so much strength in depth and there were several players in the Jersey B team who would not be out of place in the A team.’
The former De La Salle student was quick to praise fellow team member Danny Brannan, who enjoyed a deep run in the singles draw.
‘It was great to see Danny do so well in the singles,’ he said.
‘I don’t think he has been that far before and getting to the semi-finals is a brilliant achievement.’
Brannan was knocked out of the singles by eventual winner Russell Burgess, in a deciding rack.
Burgess would go to defeat fellow Islander Dave Snell in the final.
In recent years the event has struggled to attract the number of teams they did prior to the pandemic, but there is a strong possibility that numbers will rise again in 2023 as reintegration in sport continues.
Yeovil, who sent one team over for the event, have stated that they intend to enter several more teams for the next tournament.
On the ladies side, Gemma Corfield played an important role for the Golden Girls, collecting the player of the match award, in the process She said: ‘It was a great event. I was feeling pretty confident heading into it as I have put a lot of work into my game this year.
‘Last year I tried to play a style that wasn’t suited to me and was disappointed with the way the week went. But this time, I played within myself and more importantly, set out to have fun and enjoy myself.
‘I think with it being the 20th anniversary and in memory of key figures lost in Island pool [Trevor Jenkinson and Sandra Reed], it helps put things in perspective.
‘You realise why you love the sport and the camaraderie between the teams is what makes the occasion so special.’
Corfield’s team-mate Linda Maider is the most decorated female player in the history of the event.
After winning eight previous singles titles, she had to settle for a runners-up finish this year.
