A women’s pool championship has been labelled as ‘preposterous’ after the final was contested by two transgender athletes.
Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan after they had defeated four female opponents each to get to the final.
The competition has come under heavy scrutiny with broadcaster Piers Morgan labelling the event as ‘‘preposterous” before accusing the sport of “cheating bulls---” on social media. Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies went on to call it “bloody ridiculous and grossly wrong in every way.”
Haynes was leading 6-3 and despite cutting her lead to just one, Haynes held on to win the Championship. Haynes’ path to the title included victories over Megan Proctor and Mary Talbot, while Smith reached the final by knocking out Kirsty-Lee Davies and Danielle Randle.
In the 2023 Women’s Champion of Champions final held in Prestatyn, Haynes was awarded the victory after her opponent, Lynne Pinches, refused to play after raising concerns over the fairness of the match.
Pinches later told TalkTV: “Whenever you play a transgender player, even if you win, it doesn’t make any difference because in your heart, you know it’s unfair.
“This is a category advantage, being biologically male and playing against females, gives you a clear category advantage.
“Every time I play a transgender player, I think about it before, during and after the match, about how unfair it is and how this is a level I can’t reach.
“I watch some of the shots they play, and I think females don’t play these shots down the rails like this and they don’t clear up like this. They have a longer reach, and a lot of them are taller than us.
“Women have been silenced because of fear of being transphobic, that is why people don’t speak out about this subject. It’s not a gender issue, this is a fairness issue.”
Haynes however has previously defended her right to compete in the female category after telling the BBC: “Transwomen are not a threat to pool,” she told the BBC. “We’re not coming over in droves… there’s nothing to fear.”
The English Pool Association and World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) currently permit transgender athletes to compete without restriction, as stated on the EPA website. However, the EPA’s bylaws regarding transgender athletes have been under review since December 2023.
