Toby Clack is an Eight Ball athlete who was awarded a Tier 3 Scholarship within the Sport Australia Hall of Fame 2026 Scholarship and Mentoring Program.
For as long as he can remember, Toby has been immersed in the world of Eight Ball through his father, Paull — whose storied and illustrious career as one of Australia’s greatest leaders and competitors in the sport inspired Toby to pick up a cue at just 11 years old in 2016. Paull’s legacy has been the foundation of Toby’s own dreams and aspirations within Eight Ball.
In his very first tournament, Toby was crowned the Victorian Under 12 champion, earning a spot in the state side which travelled to Darwin for his first Australian Championships, where he took 2nd place in the singles, and helped lift his team to an Australian teams title in his first year of competition with an unbeaten 100% win record.
Toby’s rapid rise in the junior Eight Ball scene continued with four successive Victorian Championships and a first Australian Singles title in Launceston, 2019. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was selected as the youngest ever Victorian captain, a role which he has reprised in the years since, and in 2025 he was selected as the Australian U23 Captain for the World Championships in Ennis, Ireland, travelling as the current Australian U23 Champion.
Toby’s fierce desire for competition success has seen him compete with the world’s best in five World Championships and on the English professional tour, with his defining achievement coming in 2023 where he was crowned a World Champion in the singles division, a feat which only five Australians have ever achieved, and which saw him recognised as the Ballarat Junior Sportsperson of the Year.
Currently, Toby has managed to balance his sporting and academic life; he is currently 1st in the National U23 rankings whilst achieving high distinctions in a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. He hopes that this continued balance will allow him to remain competitive at both a National and International level, whilst remaining dedicated to his studies.
Toby hopes that after completing his degree in 2026 he will be able to complete Honours/Masters and a PhD in microbiology and immunology, specialising in disease research. He hopes to be able to dedicate his career to discovering new treatment options or developing new vaccines and cures which can have a positive impact on human health.
“It is an honour to be recognised as a SAHOF Scholarship recipient, and it means the world to me to know that I am recognised and supported by the many successful and inspirational sportspeople that Australia has to offer. Receiving this SAHOF scholarship has given me the opportunity and means to continue competing at the highest levels of cue sports, and interact and engage with the thriving sporting community in Australia. I hope that my recognition as a 2026 SAHOF scholar helps spark interest and inspiration in other young cue sport competitors.” – Toby Clack on being selected as a 2026 Scholarship Holder.
Honours & Achievements
- 2023 World Eight Ball Championships – Crowned World U18 Singles Champion
- 2024 Australian Eight Ball Championships – Crowned Australian U23 Singles Champion
- 2024 Australian Eight Ball Championships – Open Plate – Australian Runner Up
- 2023 World Eight Ball Championships – Doubles – World Runner Up
- 2024 World Eight Ball Championships – U23 4th Place
Social Links | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/toby.clack.315
