The Story of Rocky Lane and Cue Sports
Even as the excitement of the Summer Olympics blazed onto our screens, a world class pool star in Whitianga continued to hope he would see Cue Sports on the Olympic podium in the near future.
Retired lawyer and international pool player, Royce (Rocky) Lane has lobbied for the sport to be recognised in the Olympic arena since the 80s, saying Cue Sports is in the World Games, so why not the Olympics.
“The game had a bad image in the past because players hustled for money, leaving a stigma over this professional sport. The name came from the pooling of money before a match in those very early days. Abraham Lincoln had a pool table, indicating how old the game is.
“But the stigma’s gone and my dream is to see Cue Sports accepted into the Olympics,” says Rocky as he relaxes in his home beside many trophies, including his Bronze Medal from the NZ Master Games held in Dunedin in 2006.
Fijian born and a NZ citizen for 73 years, he recently returned to his roots on the Coromandel after working in Asia and playing pool on the international circuit for 34 years. The eldest of seven, he has fond memories of growing up on a dairy farm close to Hot Water Beach in an impoverished upbringing that reminds him of ‘The Walton’s’. He attended Whenuakite School when there was only one classroom and a sports field.
“I buggered my big toe up because we could not afford shoes, but still had to kick rugby goals barefooted. I was almost able to kick just short of the halfway line, but not as good as Daniel Carter!”
When his Dad’s share-milking contract ended, the family moved to Auckland. Rocky recalls the challenge of the large family living in a tent and caravan for six months in the middle of winter because the house they were moving to was not finished. Chronic asthma caused him to miss some of his schooling. But that didn’t stop him achieving in sport and a notable career in law enforcement and practice.
Marbles
You could say that it was the humble game of marbles that changed his life and led him to become a Cue Sports icon.
“As a boy I was always fascinated by marbles and the mystery of why they went in different directions. I’ve gone through life dreaming of that mystery. I remember that my Mum was not impressed when I played marbles on our dining table. I decided to tape the side of the table with ti-tree sticks to stop them rolling off, and she was not impressed with that either!”
But Rocky’s obsession with marbles would lead to sports achievements that his Mum would be proud of today. He left college on his 15th birthday to work in his Dad’s business, Auckland Landscaping Services (ALS) Ltd, which has become a large earthmoving conglomerate. Then he was drafted into the military, followed by 15 years with the Ministry of Transport and NZ Police Force. He became NZ 8-Ball Champion in 1976 and National B Grade Snooker Champion three years later. Then he took a break from Cue Sports to study and focus on a law enforcement and legal career.
Moved to Asia
After receiving sponsorship for a Cue Sport world tour in 1989, Rocky moved to Asia, which was central to the tournaments he played in. (New Zealand’s geographical location left it out of key tournaments.) In Asia, he earned the nickname Rocky because Chinese found it hard to pronounce ‘Royce’, but could say Ro-ce, hence ‘Rocky’. His long list of achievements includes world titles in 2005 and 2013, and fastest time ever in Speed Jump Shooting, clearing the pool table in 11.29 seconds. The Rocky Lane 9-ball Cup, in his honour, inspired promising young pool stars in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, the Macau Government honoured him by featuring him on a National Post Office stamp. When practising law in Asia, Rocky was involved in some scary courtroom dramas, earning the nickname ‘The Bulldog Lawyer’. “I was Chief General Counsel and travelled a lot on the job. When my contract finished in 2005, I went on pro tour in America, Europe and Asia and in 2010 I switched to Macau.”
But it was while previously playing in Hong Kong that he met his future wife, Addie, after spotting her in the crowd across a pool table. When he asked her out to dinner, he didn’t expect her to say yes. When she did, he admitted that he was short of cash and asked if she would agree to McDonalds. “Yes,” she said again, adding, “I’m a McDonalds’ member so we’ll get a discount!” The couple enjoyed an eight-year courtship, married in 2015, and have celebrated their wedding anniversary every year since at McDonalds.
So what’s the difference between Billiards, Snooker and Pool? They’re all Cue Sports because balls are hit with a cue and are also grouped under the term Billiards. Snooker is played with 22 balls in seven different colours. Pool players need to hit harder and it’s not about potting the ball, it’s about getting it where you want it to be. Billiards is a different game altogether involving three balls.
Rocky says because the games are so different, the world’s best ever Pool player, Efren Reyes, will never be a world champion in Snooker, and the world’s best Snooker Player ever, Ronnie O’Sullivan, will never be a world champion in Pool.
Rocky’s sports achievements can be viewed here.
Caption: Macau government issued a national post office stamp honouring Royce ‘Rocky’ Lane.
Words by Pamela Ferla
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