Ronnie O'Sullivan has a radical masterplan to save snooker in Britain — by launching academies alongside fellow Class of 92 greats John Higgins and Mark Williams.

The Rocket, 49, is leading the charge to keep the Chinese revolution at bay as he bids to land a record eighth World Championship this year.

Ten Chinese players qualified for the sport's showpiece with six reaching the last 16, which matches the previous record of players they had at the Crucible.

It is a sign of things to come with more and more young talent emerging from the country and it seems only a matter of time before there is a Chinese world champion.

The Rocket is ready to take action to help find the next generation of British snooker stars. Under O’Sullivan's manifesto he would front one in England, with John Higgins and Mark Williams doing the same in Scotland and Wales.

And he has called for funding to help unearth the next batch of home-grown talent.

“I think we need to put some academies in place here,” stressed O’Sullivan. I'd love to see one in Wales, one in Scotland, one in England and one in Ireland.

“I'd love to get behind it, I'd love to support it, put my name to it, along with John Higgins and Mark Williams, Ken Doherty in Ireland.

“I've seen what they do in China, I've seen what the runners do in Kenya, it's about time we do something in this country to give the kids a chance.

“The game's growing, it's getting bigger, it's an exciting sport. Life's tough in the UK for everybody, so it's a good chance for youngsters to come to a place where they can be in a safe place, learn a trade - that's what snooker is - and we can do what China's doing which is churning out champions.

“It might take ten, fifteen, twenty years, but I think we can do it. We just have to somehow find some funding.”

Snooker clubs have shut down at an alarming rate over the past two decades and funding is desperately needed at grassroots level to compete with the Chinese conveyor belt.

Over the years snooker has received very little funding compared to other major sports.

The WPBSA, the sport's governing body, have been pushing for the game to be recognised as an Olympic sport to open up better access to funding in this country.

There are only two British players under the age of 30 in the world’s top 50 compared to ten from China, with a number of those already tournament winners.

Fifth seed O’Sullivan, who faces 27-year-old Pang Junxu in the last 16 tomorrow, has his own academy in Saudi Arabia and wants to leave a lasting legacy on home soil too.

He added: “I know in China the government gets behind it and the same in Saudi Arabia but I'm sure there's ways we can. It doesn't take a fortune, it's not a fortune to hire a venue, get some tables.

“We're really not looking at millions of pounds, we're looking at maybe a few hundred thousand. Just pay the rent, maybe ten tables, nice building where you've got enough space to do that and pay a few coaches to go there.”

Sport England currently have a £160million Movement Fund open for projects that encourage active lifestyles.

And a UK Sport spokesperson said: “Our strategic investments aim to maximise the performance of UK athletes in sports that are on the Olympic and Paralympic programmes — a remit set by government.”