Piers Morgan has slammed the Ultimate Pool Group after two transgender women contested the final of a professional women’s event in Wigan on Sunday night, calling the situation ‘preposterous’ and accusing the sport of ‘cheating bulls***’.
The broadcaster’s comments came after Harriet Haynes defeated Lucy Smith 8-6 in the final of a Women’s Pro Series event, one of eight events on the Ultimate Pool Group’s 2025 women’s circuit.
Both players are transgender, resulting in a wave of criticism on social media – most notably from former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who described the event as ‘b****y ridiculous and grossly wrong in every way’ and said sports ‘hate their female players to do this’.
Sharing an X post from Reduxx Magazine, which claimed ‘two men’ were facing each other ‘for a women’s championship title’, Morgan added: ‘Why anyone supports this cheating bulls*** is utterly beyond me.’
The tournament, held at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, was streamed live on UltimatePool.tv and across social media.
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.
Harriet Haynes (pictured) won an Ultimate Pool Womens Pro Series event in Wigan on Sunday
Piers Morgan posted on X: ‘Why anyone supports this cheating bulls*** is utterly beyond me’
This is not the first time Haynes has been at the centre of controversy.
In November 2023, she was handed a walkover victory in the Women’s Champion of Champions final in Prestatyn after opponent Lynne Pinches refused to play, citing fairness concerns.
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, 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.’
The incident at Prestatyn, which saw Pinches forfeit the match after the opening lag shot, drew international headlines and provoked fierce debate.
Former Team GB Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies described the event as ‘b****y ridiculous’
Haynes later revealed she was inundated with abuse online, describing it as a ‘cess-pool of awfulness’ and saying: ‘It was unreal… horrific. A lot of vile abuse.’
Haynes, who transitioned over a decade ago, has repeatedly defended her right to compete in the women’s category.
‘Trans women are not a threat to pool,’ she told the BBC. ‘We’re not coming over in droves… there’s nothing to fear.’
Governing bodies have struggled to settle on a consistent policy. In August 2023, the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) and Ultimate Pool Group issued a statement saying ‘only naturally born women would be eligible’ to compete in the women’s series, but that ruling was later reversed.
The WEPF later clarified: ‘Providing regulatory conditions are met… transgender and non-binary players will be able to participate in the women’s series.’
That U-turn disappointed players like Pinches, but Haynes defended the change, insisting she would step away from women’s pool if there was clear evidence of an unfair advantage: ‘If the rules were changing and there was categoric evidence that I had a massive advantage over someone else, I would stop. But there isn’t.’
The next Women’s Pro Series events will take place in May at the home of Bolton Wanderers.
