The debate surrounding transgender women in sports has entered a new arena—pool.
Recent decisions by the Ultimate Pool Group (UPG) have sparked significant controversy after two transgender women, Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, competed in the Women’s Pro Series Event and reached the final.
This development has resulted in a ban on transgender women competing in female categories moving forward.
The Background of the Ban
In a move prompted by legal and community concerns, UPG made changes to its eligibility rules.
The change came after the final match between Haynes and Smith, which ended in Haynes defeating Smith 8-6 at the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 in Wigan.
The controversy was further fueled by protests from female-born players and legal proceedings against UPG’s transgender participation policy.
UPG, which governs professional eight-ball pool, reviewed the issue after a ruling from the UK Supreme Court.
Their investigation concluded that biological males do have an advantage over females in the sport, as outlined by the Equality Act.
Consequently, UPG has announced that, starting from April 23, 2025, only biologically born women will be eligible to compete in women’s events under their jurisdiction.
The Review and Findings
UPG’s statement explained that the organization had been in a state of uncertainty regarding eligibility rules before receiving clear guidance.
A report commissioned by UPG confirmed that eight-ball pool is a gender-affected sport, and that transgender women retain inherent advantages due to biological differences.
These conclusions align with the Supreme Court’s ruling that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not alter a person’s legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act.
This ruling, handed down on April 16, 2025, clarified that transgender women are not eligible to compete in women’s sports.
UPG welcomed this clarification, expressing their commitment to maintaining fairness in their competitions.
Public Backlash and Support
The decision has sparked mixed reactions.
Female-born players, including Lynne Pinches, have voiced concerns about fairness, particularly when competing against transgender women.
Pinches forfeited a match against Haynes in November 2023, citing fairness issues related to biological advantages.
She later explained that playing against transgender women felt unfair, as they had physical advantages like longer reach and taller stature.
Despite the backlash, Haynes, who transitioned over a decade ago, has defended her right to compete in the women’s category.
She emphasized that transgender women are not a threat to the sport and argued that there is no mass influx of transgender competitors to cause concern.
She also noted that if there were clear evidence of an unfair advantage, she would step away from women’s competitions.
The Road Ahead
This issue has triggered widespread discussion, with public figures like Piers Morgan and Sharron Davies supporting the concerns of female-born players.
However, the governing bodies are still grappling with how to balance inclusion and fairness.
The next round of Women’s Pro Series events will take place in May at Bolton Wanderers’ home stadium, but with new rules in place, the landscape of women’s pool may be shifting dramatically.
As UPG moves forward with these changes, many wonder how this will affect the future of women’s pool and if other sports organizations will follow suit.
The debate, while not yet resolved, continues to challenge the balance between inclusion and fairness in competitive sports.