JACK CAME, HE SAW AND HE CONQUERED!!
On your marks, get set, ready… Jack!!! All is well that ends well, what a weekend of fantastic pool and entertainment. The IPA contingent didn’t disappoint, Kevin Barton, Craig Marsh (Marsh Mellow), Jack Whelan, Harry Irwin, Mark Farnsworth and Chris Bowron thank you very much for the memories. The road was bumpy, muddy at times[…]
WELL DONE TEAM BPL!!
What a day, what a match, the IPA contingent went head to head with their South African counterparts in Johannesburg in what was a match made in pool heaven, a dream come true for many a pool fan and local promoters. The BPL (Billiard Premier League) team was taking no prisoners and they wanted to[…]
CRAIG MARSH MARCHES TO A STUNNING WIN!!
The first Semi-final was more of a ‘test the water’ water type of match, both players treaded carefully as the playing conditions seemed to work against the Europeans. The table, the cloth and the balls were all new and the white skid a lot much to the athletes’ dismay. Mark was the more composed of[…]
IPA World Series at TimeOut!!
Brace yourself South Africa, something big is lurking in the shadows. It will be the first weekend of spring in the City of Gold and the people will still be hung over or rather recovering from the recent local government elections and the Olympics, most notably the 400m World record has been broken by a[…]
ACE JOU LEKKER DING, WESTERN VAT ALLES
The 2016 BPL Final Showdown Champion – Yazeed “Ace” Salie Congratulations to Ace for holding his own and being crowned the eventual winner of the 2016 BPL knockout cup at the Arnold Classic. Yulan didn’t come to the party at all in the final, he made many uncharacteristic mistakes and allowed Ace to shine and[…]
PROMOTION AND RELEGATION BATTLES DONE AND DUSTED
Promotion and Relegation 2016 at the Arnold Classic Nsovo vs Deon For the second year running Deon Daniels found himself having to swim against the tide in a bid to get promoted to the Premier Division, last year he had to battle Yazeed but this year Nsovo Mathonsi was the stumbling block for the Special[…]
HAWKEYE GOVENDER WITH PERHAPS THE BEST COMEBACK TO DATE
After losing the first set 4-0 to Charl Jonck who didn’t seem like he could miss anything, many would have written Yulan off but little would they have known that the cart was about to lose all four wheels. In that first set Charl asked Yulan ‘WHICH PART OF A PIG IS THE BACON’ and[…]
CHARL VS YULAN WHO IS YOUR MONEY ON?
Once again it is amazing to see how dominant the coastal players have been in the BPL and I am seriously starting to think that it has something to do with sea-water and perhaps the breeze. I think I need to order 20L of sea-water, soak myself in it and hopefully immediately thereafter I will[…]
THE BIG BOYS ARE SLOWLY PEELING OFF THE PACK
Charl Jonck is still on track to defend the BPL Knockout title, in fact he is going for double-double. If you remember very well, Charl was crowned the inaugural BPL champion and he went on to win the Knockout competition. Last year Yulan won the league title but Charl still managed to defend the Knockout[…]
NSOVO VERSUS ADEN WHO’S WHO
Day 2 and the tension is getting thicker with each minute, the last 16 athletes are busy warming up but it is the excitement of finally meeting the Terminator himself that maybe consuming the players, at the timing of writing we had just been told that Arnold Schwarzenegger himself will come through to spend a[…]
KEVIN DEFIES THE STATUS QUO
What goes up must come down but what’s down stays down I suppose and if you play for a lower tier then you cannot win against a higher division player… well that’s according to our version of the FA cup except for Kevin ‘Shushu’ Seseane who went against the grain an pulled off a mountain[…]
BPL Arnold Classic…NO UPSETS YET
BPL Arnold Classic…top Half of the last 32 done and dusted… The cork did crow in the morning, the cows came home, and the sun did set in the west… no upsets yet at the BPL Arnold Classic and we look like we are in for a humdinger of an event. The first round of[…]
IT’S SHOWTIME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
Arnold Classic Africa 2016 The biggest and most lucrative pool spectacle is unfolding now in the city of gold, at the most expensive square mile. Sandton Convention Centre at the Arnold Classic is where the BPL is happening. Thirty one Billiard League players from across the three divisions will be battling it out for top[…]
BPL RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE LEGENDARY ARNOLD
If you we around in the 90s then maybe you can attest to the fact that there weren’t that many heroes or celebrities to look up to, of course we had the A-team, McGyver, Michael Jackson, Michael Schumacher to name but a few, but the name Arnold Schwarzenegger was and still is one of those[…]
ARNOLD CLASSIC DRAW, WHO WILL DOMINATE?
Hawk, Viper, Predator, Assassin, Hammer, Dangerous Gums, Sniper, all very dangerous names indeed but only one will be crowned King of the Land and perhaps the last man standing when the iconic BPL cueists converge at the prestigious Arnold Classic in Sandton Johannesburg on the 27th to the 29th of May 2016. At this event[…]
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE FOR SENZO, HARRY MAKES THE CUT
Too little too late, Senzo lost it in the previous round against Nizaam. He may have recovered from the downfall and won big against the man of the tournament Allister but the match itself was just a formality. 4-1 on any given Sunday would have been enough to get Senzo in a frenzy but he[…]
BASIL AND HARRY WILL HAVE TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH FOR THIRD PLACE. ALLISTER WINS IT WITH A GAME TO SPARE.
The ponytail is not just a trademark hairstyle for Uncle Baz but a friend that has been there through thick and thin and with another 4-1 win against Rishal, Basil just secured a third place duel against Harry who also won in the same margin against Nicholas Owen. Whoever wins in this last match between[…]
ALLISTER AND SENZO ARE THROUGH, THIRD PLACE STILL UP FOR GRABS
A 4-1 score line against Basil sealed an automatic qualification for Allister and left Uncle Baz on the edge of the reef. Munsamy now has 3 losses with only two matches remaining, and his next two opponents are wounded lions who will definitely give it their best to at least bow out in style. Rishal[…]
ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE, NICHOLAS OWEN SMILES AGAIN
I will not blame you if you for even a second thought that I was making this up but strange as it is, it is also true… Nicholas Owen has played four matches and the results thereof have all been the same 4-0 all the way. He lost the first one 4-0, won the second[…]
REVENGE BEST SERVED SUB-ZERO… ALLISTER SHREDS HARRY, IT IS NOT HAPPENING FOR COLA
And so they met again but maybe yesterday he wasn’t ready, Allister made no mistake and he literally left no stone unturned as he kept Harry in his chair for the better part of the game. Harry may have been the better player at the opening comp but today was a different day and when[…]
WHAT DOESN’T KILL ME MAKES ME STRONGER, I AM NICHOLAS OWEN!
How does one come back from 0-4 down to win the next match 4-0? Well I will tell you how exactly; it takes solid mental dexterity to forget about the lost that has already happened, recuperate, ricochet off the ground and press the reset button. Nicholas Owen did just that, he got slapped in the[…]
ALLISTER AND BASIL LEAD THE PACK AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF MATCHES
Jannie Muller may have failed to make the long trip to Johannesburg but that hasn’t seemed to deter Allister from strutting his stuff in grand style. The Silent ‘Alley Cat’ showed no mercy when he dismantled Nicholas Owen in the first round in record time. Right behind Fortuin was a surprise package in Basil (Uncle[…]
HARRY GETS BOOST AHEAD OF PLAYOFFS
With his pants pulled up, Harry (The Houdini) Martin set the stage alight with an outstanding performance last night to clinch the opening competition. Harry played Nizaam in the final after he had had to deal with Allister in the semis, Nizaam had maybe a trickier route to the final as he had to go[…]
ALL OR NOTHING, GLORY BECKONS FOR SUPER LEAGUE WINNERS
They labored long and hard all year long but now they may be one, maybe two steps closer to the mainstream league. Nine of the country’s super league winners will condense in Johannesburg for the long awaited playoffs and only three will advance to the next level. The top two will automatically qualify for promotion into[…]
CHARL DOES IT AGAIN…KYLE SO NEAR YET SO FAR
The final weekend’s action was enough to hand Charl the trophy again, he has become the first player to be crowned Champion twice in three years. In fact Charl is officially the BPL’s flagship player, he has been the main man since inception and he has never disappointed. If he is not winning the league, he[…]
I HAVE DONE MY PART, OVER TO YOU KYLE… CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Saturday 6pm CHARL IS IN BUT BACK DOOR NOT CLOSED YET It may have been a very tight call but Charl Jonck did exactly what he had to do to get one foot inside the winners circle and have at least one hand on the trophy. The Assassin had to beat Kyle with a 2-0[…]
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS KYLE, CHARL OR YULAN?
For every Charl there is a Kyle or a Yulan and for every Keegan there is an Azim, not everyone can be a Mabuti, we might as well hand him the trophy on Saturday in his match against Keenan. Unlike everyone else, Mbotyeni needs only four points from three matches. Did someone say Bayern Munich?[…]
THE END IS NEAR, THE END IS HERE, ARE YOU SAFE?
There are very few things in life that tell the truth or bring out the best/worst in people; yoga pants, drunk people, relegation threatened people and angry people almost always tell the truth. Well the season is seconds away from finishing and everyone is giving it their best on the homerun lap. Ace and Paul[…]
KYLE ON THE BRINK OF FAIRYTALE COMEBACK
Kyle ‘The Viper’ Akaloo is an extraordinary athlete, if you judge people based on the physical stature then you will get this one horribly wrong. This pint-sized ever smiling guy looks harmless but I have to warn you than he is anything but. They may have been referring to him when they said that[…]
CHARL CAN’T BREATHE, WILL ACE STOP THE RUNAWAY KYLE?
Charl: Ace howzit it buddy… Ace: Good and you my man, how do you do? Charl: Eish my man I need you to do a thing for me Ace: Anything man what’s up? Charl: Bro you know Sandile messed up right, I now find myself in a precarious position man. Ace: Lol Ja hey Sandile[…]
GUMEDE SHINES IN CAPE TOWN AS ANOTHER BPL STAR CALLS IT QUITS, SOME HOPE FOR ADEN…
With the season winding up and pressure mounting, it was make or break time for some of your favorite athletes and it got too hot for comfort for one athlete in particular. The mercury rose to boiling point in the league and things started shaping up rather as you had come to expect. It is[…]
READY OR NOT BRACE YOURSELF, THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU…
The BPL is back again after the festive break and there will be action across all the national divisions. It will be crunch time with some players having only about three or so games to go; relegation, promotion, winning it will be some of the common terms doing the rounds in the next few weeks[…]
KYLE IS THE REAL DEAL, IT IS NOT HAPPENING FOR SANDILE AND RANDAL
Another weekend, another successful campaign by Kyle Akaloo. The Viper has been phenomenal this season and it is not a surprise that he is currently at number two and still a hot contender for the title, I am one of those that do not believe in miracles but this certainly has some celestial influence. Kyle[…]
ONCE MORE THE TWO OCEANS MEET AND SMOKING HOT NSOVO LOOKS TO CLOSE IT OFF IN GRAND STYLE
Nsovo Mathonsi is the man of the moment, he is the current GP number one seed in the Men’s category and the number 2 seed in the U23 section respectively. The past week has seen him play non-stop pool and this has sharpened his horns to unprecedented levels. He is a regular feature in the[…]
REDEMPTION FOR MR PADAYACHEE, ANOTHER ONE BITES PARLIAMENTARY DUST!!!
Derbies are a different ball game altogether, the city comes to a standstill and the athletes want just that one win more than any other, this one match matters dearly and whoever comes out on top on the day earns himself precious bragging rights. Barcelona went over the top in the El Classico, winning was[…]
SANDILE AND THAMI PRAYED FOR RELEGATION TO FALL BUT WE GOT THE RAIN INSTEAD.
Yippee finally we got the rain! It had been long over and the heat was on the other side of the bearable scale. Johannesburg is normally not as hot but the last few weeks were something from the equator hand delivered to the city of gold. Sandile Madlala and Thami Jabavu might have had a[…]
NEW SCHOOL FRIENDLY FOES BATTLE IT OUT, THAMI SAYS #RELEGATIONMUSTFALL…
Ladies and gentlemen the BPL presents to you boys-to-men your childhood stars, a trio that has grown to become household names in the pool world. Between these three men, at least one or two of them have made the junior or senior national side every year since 2007. These guys are highly skilled, they have[…]
WILD SEVEN SATURDAY, THE ASSASSIN FLATTENS GAUTENG…
What are the odds of finding a soccer player without any tattoos? I am not sure but I’d say probably the same odds as it would take to get a few players getting 7 pointers in a BPL match. Ok before you start consulting Google, let me take you out of your misery and tell[…]
IT IS NOW OR NEVER FOR SBU AND VISH, UP TO YOU DONOVAN…
A positive milieu is the difference between under-par performance and top drawer shows by the athletes and you the fans are responsible for creating that vibe. These players need you to rally them on and give them that little nudge in the right direction. As we march towards the finish line, you don’t want to[…]
SATURDAY BELONGETH TO THE HOSTS; NELSON TURNS THE PARLIAMENT INTO A GRAVEYARD…
It was a very sombre Saturday for the visiting athletes across the divisions, not even a single one of them registered a win, and the hosts joined forces and formed a formidable movement aimed at capsizing the guests’ ship #visitorsmustfall. In Cape Town Rushin Bowers hammered Nico Erasmus 4-1, 4-1. The number one seed was[…]
THAMI TOOK A HUGE LEAP OF FAITH LET’S SEE IF THE GAMBLE WILL PAY OFF, YOUR TIME STARTS NOW… TIK TOK TIK TOK…
With the continental games happening in Lesotho, there will not be any Premier league matches happening this weekend, so Paul and Ace have a breather as some of the league’s players will be carrying out national duty. Thamsanqa Jabavu is flying without wings and his faith will be put to the test starting this weekend.[…]
BRACE YOURSELF CAPE TOWN, WIND, THUNDER AND LIGHTNING TO HIT NICKS AND THE PENTHOUSE THIS WEEKEND…
Cape Town is not a good place to be this weekend and more so if your name is Paul Bennett or Yazeed Salie and Deon Daniels, you Are under siege and the enemy is lurking in the shadows and there is only one solution to this predicament; fight to the death! A thunderous Keegan Pillay,[…]
PE MAKES IT A CLEAN SWEEP, SNOOKER BOYS BELLOW THE LOUDEST…
We did what we do best like we were doing it for TV. TimeOut Sports bar was a hive of activity this weekend and the atmosphere was conducive as well as it was terrific. Live on StreamIT360.tv Aden was the first to grace our screens at 1pm on Saturday when he squared up against former[…]
LIGHTS, CAMERA AND ACTION, WE ARE LIVE. SANDILE WILL LOVE THIS!
Planet BPL is sometimes like a restaurant and the weak are always on the menu and the likes of Aden and Sandile have been high on the list of many a player’s favorite cuisines. A petition is circulating as a desperate measure to stop the consumption of endangered species. Shilolo, Legacy and the Wonderkid are[…]
FROM ZERO TO 100 IN 2 SEASONS, KYLE IS THE NEW FASHION, RIAESH TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE
If you have been following the BPL since its inception then you would know how Kyle has evolved, his spoor is not an ordinary one, and his story must have been created and directed for a sequel of the transformers fame. He is the man to beat this season, he is so consistent it takes[…]
SBU PAPA WAG VIR JOU, THAMI WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT #2 ON THE LOG.
Hawkeye did not have a smooth first round in this campaign and Sbu pioneered that ugly trail and it sure left a sour taste in Yulan’s mouth but perhaps it was one of those bitter sweet moments when the student unleashes one of those moves that the master never taught him. Many Moley fans quickly[…]
RIAESH FINALLY KILLS THE DUCK! DONOVAN LAYS DOWN THE LAW..
Riaesh is working against the tide, time is ticking away and he is under pressure just to survive and survival being the operative word. His situation can be likened to that of a man underwater, clutching on straws and wanting nothing but just a breath of air, forget about fresh air, at the moment any[…]
BACK TO THE GRIND, WE MISSED YOU TOO.. ROUND 2 FIGHT!!
Just like that ladies and gentlemen we are back, the BPL continues this weekend and the Free State will be the centre of attraction as the replacement Killer Riaesh Pillay continues his search for that elusive first win. Taking over from Shameel has not been the easiest of tasks and Riaesh will be on the[…]
TAKE A BOW PAUL, NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO, THE KID HAS GOT YOUR NUMBER…
It was a very fruitful weekend for the youngest ever BPL Premier Division athlete as he took out both Paul and Vish and honestly it feels like a lifetime ago when Aden Joseph last had a memorable BPL weekend, the top flight league has converted the once feared Wonderkid into everyone’s whooping boy. The first[…]
THIS IS IT, PAUL VERSUS ADEN ROUND 2, REVENGE, PAYBACK?
Paul is on fire and Aden has been crying and perhaps he has cried a bucketful to put out Mr Bennett’s fire. The assignment that Paul has is a very tricky one that is deeply rooted in his heart and emotional vault as he sets out on a journey to the Freestate to take on[…]
PAUL IN THE ZONE, MADLALA STUCK IN RELEGATION, ALMOST A DOUBLE FOR BIRTHDAY BOY!
If you had asked Nsovo on Friday what he’d want for his 21st birthday this year, the answer would have easily been ‘A win in both my matches in Cape Town this weekend and to get out of the red-zone’, ok Nsovo the tooth-fairy heard you but you have got to throw more than just[…]
AND SO THEY MEET AGAIN, LEGACY WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED LAST SUMMER..
Who can forget what happened last summer when Paul and Sandile went head to head in the BPL, in fact every time these two stalwarts meet, it’s never pretty. On one of the occasions at Ballbreakers Cresta, the meeting between them yielded an unprecedented 8 apples. Like a nude statue, Sandile is not shy at[…]
KEVIN HITS A BRICK WALL, MABUTI’S WINGS PLUCKED, MISSING CAR KEYS PUTS VISHEN AND ADEN’S MATCH ON ICE…
We had one of those rare weekends where everything was a bit laid back in the National leagues, all the action was at The Glen Mall in Johannesburg. The BPL team had a crazy weekend marketing the game and interacting with the crowds and lovers of the game. Special thanks to everyone that aided to[…]
ALL EYES ON ADEN JOSEPH, THE CHAMPION THAT ALMOST DIDN’T WIN ANY…
If you wish for peace prepare for war, and war is what Vishen will get in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Playing against a wounded lion is the last thing any player wants to deal with seeing that the fight is never an ordinary one. His heart might be in his boots at this moment but hope[…]
SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT COMING FOR TO CARRY ADEN HOME! CHARL CREAMING IT..
What sorcery is this, what have they done to you Aden Joseph, week in week out the agony continues for the 18 year old maestro who dominated everything cue-sports related in the last 12 months or so. What could have possibly gone wrong, is the Premier League too much for him, is Aden too young[…]
ALMOST HALFWAY THERE, IS YOUR HORSE STILL IN THE RACE?
It is Sir Alex Ferguson time once again as we slowly approach the halfway mark in the 2015/16 season and many points will be lost or picked up in these final two or three weekends before the season break. Vishen Jagdev did prove last season that every game counts and anyone can turn the corner[…]
WAITING TO EXHALE ADEN JOSEPH FINALLY BREAKS THE ICE, HE ALMOST ‘BLUE IT’, GOOD BYE YACOOB…
Yulan Govender is regarded by many as a triton among minnows and at Swerve he is no Good Samaritan but he had a horror of a weekend as he suffered back to back defeats at the hands of none other than the Assassin and kideo. Something had to give and someone had to bend backwards[…]
LIKE SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE, ADEN AND CHARL TAKE ON KZN
Alyson: Aden! Aden: Mom (Yawning)… Alyson: Wake up son I had a dream and in the dream you went to KZN and came back a champion, you won convincingly against Yulan and Kyle and we were all very proud of you, go on son, go out there and show them whose son you are. Aden:[…]
NO JANE NO GAME FOR THE VIPER, MET Y’S JA, DIE KAAP WAS N BIETJIE SWAAR VIR KZN MENSE
Chelsea 0-3 Man City, Hawkeye 2-0 Paul (4-1, 4-0), Yacoob 0-2 Mabuti (4-0, 4-0), well it is mid-August and even the weather is confused. Some call it change of season or something along those lines but maybe the public protector needs to open an inquest. Did Paul’s hopes of winning the BPL just go up[…]
No snakes allowed in aeroplanes, will Kyle Survive Cape Town without Jane?
Kyle ‘The Viper’ Akaloo is in terrific form at the moment and he has transformed himself into a worthy opponent and a lethal marksman. He has played 5 matches losing only to “father and son” Yulan and Sbu and winning against Vishen, Nsovo and Sandile. The Viper has however also become known for notoriously scaring[…]
About Us
Blackball Premier Leagues (aka BPL) is an independent pool league consisting of the nation's most electrifying and talented cueists and is the highest form of pool in the country! Every detail of the BPL has been carefully thought out by some of the country's most influential individuals who proudly boast over 50 years of experience in all aspects of the game we love, most notably, the marketing and promotion of the most played sport in the world. Sparing nothing, we have ensured that the fans will be as involved in the league as the players where players will be followed by their admirers nationwide! The 2015/16 season introduces the BPL Super Supporters Comp (aka SSC) where each National Division BPL player's qualifying Super Supporter will accompany him to the 2016 K/O Championship!! Not to mention the massive pot prize waiting for him / her there!!! Who will be this seasons BPL SSC CHAMPION!!?? Follow us online and subscribe to our newsletter for exciting updates and weekly match reviews!
Premier division
National League
First Division
National League
Second Division
National League
Super Leagues
Provincial Leagues
BPL DIVISIONS
"League of Champions"
Premier Division
This is the highest and most prestigious division in the BPL. It is every player’s ultimate goal to reach Premier level which features the top 10 ranked players in the country
First Division
This is the second highest division of the BPL. There are also 10 players that battle it out in this division for promotion to Premier division or relegation to second division
Second Division
This is the next level after conquering the Super Leagues. Being the entry level National league, the 10 players in this division combat their way up to the Premier Division from here.
Super Leagues
Any player of any age or gender can qualify to participate in these leagues s their first step to BPL fame! These are 9 provincial super-leagues of 10 players each.