ROBBO EYES £1M CRU CUT

Aussie says Worlds must move to hit big money

- BY SHANE MacDERMOTT

NEIL ROBERTSON believes the World Championship will have to leave the Crucible in order to crown snooker's first £1m world champion.

The sport's crown jewel has been held at its spiritual Sheffield home since 1977.

The current deal between World Snooker Tour and Sheffield City Council runs until next year, which would coincide with 50 years of the event at the Crucible and the centenary of the tournament.

An update regarding the tournament's future is expected imminently.

Supremo Barry Hearn, whose company Matchroom runs both snooker and darts, has said he needs to double the £500,000 winner's cheque handed to Zhao Xintong last year to appease the players.

Darts sensation Luke Littler banked £1m for defending his PDC world title earlier this month.