Ronnie O'Sullivan will operate from Dublin during the World Snooker Championship while maintaining a Dubai home, balancing tax planning, training and family life
The snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has confirmed that he will be using Dublin as his operational base for the duration of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible. Although the 50-year-old and his wife, Laila Rouass, relocated to Dubai last year to prioritise wellbeing and access to international events, O’Sullivan will fly in and out of the UK from Ireland during the tournament.
His opening match is scheduled against He Guoqiang at the Crucible, with the champion chasing a record-breaking eighth world title, a quarter of a century after his first success in 2001.
O’Sullivan has explained that the arrangement helps him manage the physical demands of tour life alongside financial considerations.
He reports spending considerable time living in Ireland—”I mean I live here quite a lot now, I spend three months a year here”—and believes this rhythm supports both performance and family life. While based overseas, he continues to contend with jet lag and travel fatigue but values the improved practice environment and logistical advantages offered by Dubai for events in the Middle East and China.
Why Dublin, Dubai and the “midnight rule” matter
The decision to commute daily from Ireland during UK tournaments is partly driven by tax planning. Under the arrangement often referred to as the Midnight Rule, a day counts towards UK tax residency only if a person remains in the country at midnight. By returning to Ireland before midnight, O’Sullivan is able to play full days in the UK while limiting the number of days recorded against his residency threshold. This tactic can protect earnings from lucrative international sponsorship and exhibition work, especially in Asia and the Middle East where a large share of his income is generated.
How residency thresholds affect elite players
Because O’Sullivan spent most of his life as a UK resident, he likely has a number of ties—family, property and other connections—that determine how many days he can lawfully be in the UK without becoming resident for tax purposes. Depending on those ties, limits commonly quoted are fewer than 46 or 91 days a year. For a 17-day event such as the World Championship, careful timing of departures can mean tournaments register zero days against that allowed total, a practical approach many international athletes use when balancing competing commitments.
Preparation, performance and life on tour
O’Sullivan says the move to Dubai offered a modern practice base and easier travel routes to Asia, which suits the calendar of many professional tournaments. He emphasised that wellbeing influenced the relocation: chronic jet lag left him in a diminished state for parts of the year and he tracks how travel affects his form. Despite the physical toll, his recent results underline that age has not dimmed his shot-making; at the World Open in China he compiled a recorded professional high of a 153 break, an unusual tally generated after benefitting from an early snooker and a free ball.
Chasing history at the Crucible
O’Sullivan already holds seven world titles (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2026 and 2026) and remains one of the most decorated players in modern snooker. At 50 he is among the oldest competitors in the draw, yet his contemporaries acknowledge that when he finds form he can still dominate. The tournament itself looks competitive: reigning champion Zhao Xintong arrives in strong form and bookmakers have him among the favourites, while a deep international field and young qualifiers add unpredictability to the event.
Personal factors and public profile
Personal life has also played a role in O’Sullivan’s relocation decisions. He and Laila Rouass married last summer after reconnecting years earlier; Rouass appeared as Ayesha Siddhu in EastEnders in August 2026. The pair reportedly discussed options that would suit family life and practice needs—choices that led them to prefer Dubai over a move to Sheffield or Spain. While some critics note that top players sometimes miss promotional commitments, O’Sullivan’s decisions reflect a priority on physical and mental readiness for high-stakes events.
In short, O’Sullivan’s strategy combines a Dubai-based training hub with tactical use of Dublin for UK spellings to balance competition, tax planning and wellbeing. As he prepares for his Crucible campaign and the match with He Guoqiang, his approach underlines how modern elite athletes manage global schedules, personal needs and financial realities while still chasing sporting milestones.
