A woman has won a British pool championship after a “phenomenal comeback” against a trans-identified male in the final, who had played another trans-identified man in his semi-final.
Over the weekend, the Ultimate Pool Group hosted a Mini Series tournament in the UK. On the women’s side, 64 entrants entered the competition, including two trans-identified males – Harriet Haynes, formerly Chris, and Lucy Smith. By the time of the semi-finals, Haynes and Smith ended up playing off against each other, meaning that there was an all male semi-final in a woman’s sport.
Lynne Pinches, a professional pool player, who refused to compete against Haynes in the Women’s Champion of Champions final to a round of applause from spectators in November 2023, declared that it was an “absolute embarrassment” for pool to have two trans-identified males playing against each other. Round-the-world sailor and women’s sport advocate Tracy Edwards also slammed Ultimate Pool, decrying them as “spineless wimps” for allowing such a situation to happen in the first place.
According to the rules of both the English Pool Association and World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF), the governing bodies of the Ultimate Pool Group, trans-identified athletes are allowed to compete in the sport with absolutely no restrictions. According to their website, the current transgender bylaws for the EPA have been under review since December 2023.
Haynes eventually won the semi-final by 5 frames to 3, and went into the final against Welsh player Kirsty-Lee Davies. Despite initially dominating the match, with at one point leading 5 frames to 2, and only one more needed to win, Haynes lost to Davies after she won four frames in a row, in a comeback described by Pinches as nothing short of “phenomenal.”
The Women’s Rights Network applauded Davies for her victory, writing: “Despite the best efforts of the pool authorities to scupper her chances by allowing two males to compete in the female category.” However, the WRN also pointed out that both Haynes and Smith, for making it all the way to the final and semi-final respectively, will pick up prize money that “rightfully belongs to a woman.”
Last year, two more female pool players refused to play against Haynes, just one week after the initial protest from Pinches.
In August 2023, the WEPF announced an update to their guidelines regarding transgender and non-binary players, saying that only those who were “born female” would be permitted to play in the sport.
“We understand that this decision may prompt questions and discussions within our sport. We want to emphasise that our commitment to upholding the values of sportsmanship, inclusivity, and adherence to regulatory standards remains unwavering,” the WEPF said at the time. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure the continued growth and development of the sport we all love, while maintaining a harmonious balance between inclusivity and the integrity of competition. We recognise the importance of fostering an environment where everyone can participate and thrive, and we remain dedicated to upholding these principles to the best of our ability.”
However, in October that year, the WEPF reversed the decision, reducing their guidelines to instead only require the entrants to identify as female for a minimum of four years, and further submit proof of lowered testosterone levels for as long as they compete in the Women’s Series. This decision kicked off the protests by Pinches and others, which developed into a lawsuit filed in January.
In February this year, Pinches revealed that she turned down a professional contract with the Ultimate Pool Tour over their transgender policy. “I’m absolutely gutted that I’ve dropped out, my heart wants to be on the Ultimate Pool Tour,” Pinches told BBC Sport at the time.
“I feel excluded even though I’ve self-excluded. I took my £200 deposit back. I’m sticking to my principles. I don’t want to face the transgender players who would be on that tour. I don’t think it’s fair. I’m doing this because I want to fight for the future of young people who are saying they want to quit (playing pool) before they even start,” she added.