World Eight-Ball Pool Championships 2025: Albany’s Andy Barnett to play for Australia at top event in Ireland

Albany’s Andy Barnett has flown to Ireland to represent Australia in the World Eight-Ball Pool Championships, which start in Ennis, County Clare on Tuesday. Barnett, ranked 14th globally, is the top-rated individual in an Australian team ranked fifth in the world and which last won the championships in 2016. Australia will begin their campaign on August 27 when they face New Zealand, Scotland, India and Malta before tackling 10 other nations in a round-robin campaign which goes to September 3. The biggest challenges for the eight-man team will be their contests against the sides ranked above them — England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Malta. If they can finish in the pool’s top two, they will earn direct entry to the semifinals. Nations who finish in spots three to six will face each other in knockout matches with two semifinal berths at stake. All matches are the best of 21 frames with the final on September 5. Barnett posted on social media that he was looking forward to the challenge. “So excited to see what this team can achieve,” he wrote. “It’s a great group of guys, packed full of talent and ready to give the eight-ball world a little shake-up.” He also thanked everyone who helped with fundraising so the team could get to Ireland. The others in the Australian side are Ben Foster, Josh Gorski, Jakk Phillips, Luke Foster, Cale Barrett, Rob Bowen and Nathan McMahon.