By Ben Smith – Legal Insurrection
Women Protest All-Male Final Championship at Women’s Pool Tournament
An all-men’s final stole the spotlight at the 2025 Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 in Wigan, UK, on Sunday.
An all-men’s final stole the spotlight at the 2025 Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 in Wigan, UK, on Sunday.
Yes, you read that right—both finalists, Harriet Hayes and Lucy Smith, are transgender men.
Two men will face each other for a women’s championship title at the Ultimate Pool Women’s Pro Series Event 2 tonight in Wigan, UK.
Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, both trans-identified males, beat all female competitors to take the spots in the women’s final event. pic.twitter.com/CNrfPuWEB7
— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) April 6, 2025
The outcome sparked a wave of outrage and mockery across Twitter:
My God. They did it, they actually did it. And it’s perfect. https://t.co/vZErC7tTqK
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) April 6, 2025
Preposterous. Why anyone supports this cheating bullsh*t is utterly beyond me. https://t.co/8V4Cqts7wz
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 6, 2025
This is bloody ridiculous 👇🏼 & grossly wrong in every way. These sports hate their female players to do this https://t.co/DGbZCMUqQI
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) April 6, 2025
HAHAHA both finalists for the Women’s Pro Pool Series are dudes pic.twitter.com/ACRt6bvZfU
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 6, 2025
Two men will compete for a woman’s title. If anyone still thinks this is OK you need help https://t.co/PmwL3EmX1R
— Tracy Edwards (@TracyEdwardsMBE) April 6, 2025
The event also drew in-person protests from several UK-based Women’s Rights groups with one of their main activists, Jean Hatchet, attending the event to protest the players during practice and was removed from the venue.
We are with @PinchesLynne at Ultimate Pool. All thrown out now. More to follow. The man walked off the game because he didn’t like the truth. #HesAMan#SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/r4ZS4zn4pi
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) April 6, 2025
Being thrown out because they need to defend the man Harriet Haynes, not the women objecting to him playing in women’s sport. We had to go not him. #IStandWithLynnePinches pic.twitter.com/jVrjXwcVKg
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) April 6, 2025
She later shared the moment they confronted eventual winner Harriet Hayes:
At Ultimate Pool women’s pro series. The moment we made sure Harriet Haynes (a man pretending to be a woman) left the pool tournament because he couldn’t stand women from @WRN_Manchester and @twelve0fiveUK telling him he’s a man and shouldn’t be playing. #HesAMan… pic.twitter.com/MedX6qCGq1
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) April 6, 2025
Despite being removed from the venue, Jean Hatchet held her ground—even in the face of angry fans and alleged abuse from security.
A man beside us today watching the pool when we stood up to support @PinchesLynne shouted,
“can’t someone throw them out?” as though we were the misguided pricks.
I challenged him and said “why are you ok with a man playing in the women’s comp?” He said “well she’s earned it,… pic.twitter.com/TcOvGXtI3M
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) April 6, 2025
Hatchet was joined by Lynne Pinches, a respected veteran of the game and matriarch of a pool-playing family. Pinches made headlines in 2023 when she walked out of the Women’s Pro Series final rather than compete against Harriet Hayes, the same transgender man who won Sunday’s final.
2 Men in the final AGAIN!! @sharrond62 @Martina @SexMattersOrg @WomensRightsNet @Glinner @gina_auria @roseveniceallan pic.twitter.com/bfnwrDOKYb
— Lynne Pinches (@PinchesLynne) April 6, 2025
Thanks so much 🙏 @WomensRightsNet . I needed that hug so badly 🫂 . Love you all and everything you do for women’s rights ❤️ absolute warriors https://t.co/ZTHLkvyftz
— Lynne Pinches (@PinchesLynne) April 6, 2025
While they didn’t stop the event, Pinches and her supporters say this is just the beginning—and they plan to take their fight to the media.
Would love to talk to @piersmorgan one day 🙏. The effect this has had on women’s mental health needs to be talked about. This has changed me as a person. I’ll never be the same @Glinner @WomensRightsNet @SexMattersOrg @roseveniceallan @Lea_Christina4 @Riley_Gaines_ @sharrond62 https://t.co/H8Djh1jGVm
— Lynne Pinches (@PinchesLynne) April 6, 2025
And as pro-trans, anti-” hate speech” as the UK has become, they’re going to need all the support they can get.