Latest news with #EnglishBlackballPoolFederation
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pool body sued by transgender player forced to crowdfund money for defence
A pool federation being sued by a transgender player it banned from women's events is crowdfunding to pay for its defence. The English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) says the legal costs involved would 'possibly prove beyond our means'. Harriet Haynes has taken the EBPF to court after it changed its eligibility criteria in August 2023 to stop those born male playing on its female tour and in its county tournaments. The case is being heard this week at Canterbury County Court, with Haynes claiming the EBPF's move amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The EBPF launched a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for its defence on the Go Get Funding website – and had raised more than £6,600 by Wednesday morning. On a page entitled 'Help us defend our female blackball competitions from litigation', the EBPF described itself as a 'non-profit' sports federation 'wholly run by volunteers'. Stating 'the cost of defending our stance for fair play will be substantial and possibly prove beyond our means', it added of its rule change: 'We made this decision in the interests of fairness, because we believe that people who have gone through male puberty have a competitive advantage over biological women. 'As a consequence of this decision, we are being sued by the transgender player Harriet Haynes. Harriet says that the eligibility rules for the female tour are discriminatory on the grounds of gender reassignment. We say that the rules are necessary to secure fair competition and a justified means of promoting female participation in the game. 'We are disappointed that Harriet has chosen to sue an organisation made up entirely of volunteers who give up their time to promote the game of pool in England, but we stand by our decision, and we intend to defend the claim.' The crowdfunding page was created by the EBPF's chairman, Paul Thomson, and secretary, Anna Goodwin, who were in court on Tuesday defending its position. Thomson told Canterbury County Court that the governing body made its decision following an 'unreal' number of complaints from players. The court was told that about 15 to 20 anonymous written complaints had been passed to Goodwin but Thomson said many more had been raised personally with members of the EBPF's executive committee. Thomson also said that Haynes was not allowed to play in EBPF events purely because of 'the fact Harriet is a biological male'. He explained: 'I think the subject was kind of taboo to a certain degree. In this day and age, you can't come out and say what you want to say, because you get called a bigot or transphobic.' When asked by Haynes's counsel, Robin White, why he had not consulted with transgender players before changing the EBPF's rules, Thomson replied: 'What about the hundreds and hundreds of other women that it affected, am I just supposed to ignore that? 'We had loads of complaints. The amount of complaints was unreal.' He added: 'As a pool player, I know that males are far superior than what women are at playing pool.' Goodwin told the court the EBPF's men's category was made into an 'open section' to make it inclusive of all those born male. She said the decision had been made 'because we didn't think it was fair on our female players', adding: 'We didn't exclude transgender people. We made a section in the open section for them to play.' What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a transgender athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith, who is also transgender, faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match prompted protests from demonstrators who shouted, 'He's a man and we stand stand with Lynne Pinches', and held up banners saying 'Save women's sport' and 'He's a man' as Haynes walked past. Credit: X / @JeanHatchet Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban transgender women from their own events. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Transgender pool player Harriet Haynes suing governing body over ban
The transgender pool champion at the centre of angry protests over her playing in women's events is suing one of her sport's governing bodies for banning her from female-only competitions. Harriet Haynes, who on Sunday won a professional women's tournament after beating another trans player in the final, is in court this week after taking legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF). It follows an August 2023 change to the EBPF's eligibility criteria to allow only those born female to play on its ladies' tour and county tournaments, a move Haynes says amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The rule change left Haynes, who first competed in an EBPF event as a woman in 2015, unable to play for the Kent ladies' team and she is seeking damages at Canterbury County Court. What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a trans athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond, over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match drew protests from demonstrators who shouted 'He's a man and we stand with Lynne Pinches' and held up banners saying 'Save women's sport' and 'He's a man' as Haynes walked past. Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban trans women from their own events. Credit: X / @JeanHatchet The EBPF, meanwhile, argues those born male have, on average, a higher break speed than female-born players. It also claims that male-born players benefit from greater hand span, stronger fingers and longer limbs, making it easier for them to play particular shots. The governing body is represented at this week's court hearing by Sarah Crowther KC, who told the proceedings on Monday that female-born players were, on average, at a disadvantage compared to those born male when it came to physical strength, stamina or physique. She said: 'Therefore, it is commonplace for competitors to be categorised. All categories are trying to do the same thing – to group competitors by their bodily characteristics. 'The reality is that all sports are predominately male sports and there are very few where it can be said there is no sex-based advantage. Women have to fight to seek inclusion. 'If girls and women do not have their own teams, they will lack the development pathway into sports and will give up. 'All cue sports have protected women's categories because the physique of male players means that male players have an advantage over female players.' Haynes told the court that 'my success in pool in general is down to my efforts, whether in the women's section or open section' and that 'coaching helped me progress'. She also said that 'a big part of my life was playing county ladies' blackball pool'. Cross-examining Haynes, Crowther asked if she would accept the proposition that, on average, males had an advantage over females. Haynes responded that she 'wouldn't know enough about the subject', adding: 'I'm not an expert on it.' Crowther also cited the fact that Haynes was able to play on the EBPF's Open Tour, which was previously known as its men's tour but was rebranded in light of trans women being banned from female-only events. Haynes's barrister, Robin White, told the court the extent to which sports were gender-affected was on a sliding scale, saying: 'It would be easy to make the case that tennis is gender-affected, given that men are able to serve so much faster than women. 'On the other end of the spectrum is chess. I'm prepared to accept that pool is close to the boundary.' Citing the Equality Act 2010, White said: 'A 'gender-affected activity' is a sport, game or other competitive activity where the physical strength, stamina or physique of average persons of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to average persons of the other sex.' Haynes submitted expert evidence to support her case, including from an American professor who argues that as long as a player could break above a certain speed – something achievable by both sexes – there was no inherent advantage gained by a higher cue velocity. The case continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Transgender pool player suing governing body in bid to overturn ban
The transgender pool champion at the centre of angry protests over her playing in women's events is suing one of her sport's governing bodies for banning her from female-only competitions. Harriet Haynes, who on Sunday won a professional women's tournament after beating another trans player in the final, is in court this week after taking legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF). It follows an August 2023 change to the EBBF's eligibility criteria to allow only those born female to play on its ladies' tour and county tournaments, a move Haynes says amounted to discrimination that had caused her a 'loss of opportunity' and 'injured feelings'. The rule change left Haynes, who first competed in an EBPF event as a woman in 2015, unable to play for the Kent's ladies' team and she is seeking damages at Canterbury County Court. What is thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind brought by a trans athlete in the UK could prove a landmark case in pool and beyond, over rules designed to stop those born male taking part in female-only competitions. A hearing began on Monday, the day after Haynes and Lucy Smith faced off in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Sunday. Their match witnessed protests from demonstrators who shouted, 'He's a man and we stand with Lynne Pinches', and held up banners saying, 'Save women's sport', and, 'He's a man', as Haynes walked past. Pinches is the player who forfeited a 2023 final in protest at the participation of Haynes and is part of a separate legal action against the Ultimate Pool Group and World Eightball Pool Federation over their refusal to ban trans women from their own events. The EBPF, meanwhile, argues those born male have, on average, a higher break speed than female-born players. It also claims that male-born players benefit from greater hand span, stronger fingers, and longer limbs, making it easier for them to play particular shots. Governing body argue male have advantage in cue sports The governing body is represented at this week's court hearing by Sarah Crowther KC, who told the proceedings on Monday that female-born players were, on average, at a disadvantage compared to those born male when it came to physical strength, stamina or physique. She said: 'Therefore, it is commonplace for competitors to be categorised. All categories are trying to do the same thing – to group competitors by their bodily characteristics. 'The reality is that all sports are predominately male sports and there are very few where it can be said there is no sex-based advantage. Women have to fight to seek inclusion. 'If girls and women do not have their own teams, they will lack the development pathway into sports and will give up. 'All cue sports have protected women's categories because the physique of male players means that male players have an advantage over female players.' 'My success is down to my efforts' Haynes told the court that 'my success in pool in general is down to my efforts, whether in the women's section or open section' and that 'coaching helped me progress'. She also said that 'a big part of my life was playing county ladies' blackball pool'. Cross-examining Haynes, Crowther asked if she would accept the proposition that, on average, males had an advantage over females. Haynes responded that she 'wouldn't know enough about the subject', adding: 'I'm not an expert on it.' Crowther also cited the fact that Haynes was able to play on the EBPF's Open Tour, which was previously known as its men's tour but was rebranded in light of trans women being banned from female-only events. Haynes' barrister, Robin White, told the court the extent to which sports were gender-affected was on a sliding scale, saying: 'It would be easy to make the case that tennis is gender-affected, given that men are able to serve so much faster than women. 'On the other end of the spectrum is chess. I'm prepared to accept that pool is close to the boundary.' Citing the Equality Act 2010, White said: 'A 'gender-affected activity,' is a sport, game, or other competitive activity where the physical strength, stamina, or physique of average persons of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to average persons of the other sex.' Haynes submitted expert evidence to support her case, including from an American professor who argues that as long as a player could break above a certain speed – something achievable by both sexes – there was no inherent advantage gained by a higher cue velocity.
The Independent
07-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Transgender pool player fights ban from women's events in court
A transgender pool player who is banned from playing in some women's events in England has defended her progress in the sport, saying it is down to her practice and coaching, just a day after facing protesters at a pool final. Professional pool player Harriet Haynes is taking legal action against the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) over their ban of transgender women in the ladies' county tournaments. Fresh from her win in the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 on Sunday, Ms Haynes told Canterbury county court on Monday that the sport is not affected by difference in gender. Ms Haynes is able to play in some tournaments in the UK and internationally, but is unable to play in ladies' events run by the EBPF. The EBPF restricted their ladies' events to people who were born female in August 2023, which disqualified Ms Haynes from competing in eight-ball games. The EBPF organised county competitions around the country, which are broken up into categories for women and men, as well as for various age groups. The EBPF said that they restrict their events to non-professional players, although Ms Haynes argued that they have let professional players compete in their tournaments in the past. Sarah Crowther KC, for the EBPF, told the court that pool was a gender-affected sport, with the average male player having an advantage over female players. The week-long case began after a professional women's pool tournament, which Ms Haynes won on Sunday, was hit by protests. The final of the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 in Wigan was contested by two transgender players, Ms Haynes and Lucy Smith. Protesters inside the venue at Robin Park Leisure Centre held up banners saying 'Save women's sport' and 'He's a man' as Ms Haynes walked past. On Monday, Ms Haynes told Canterbury county court that 'my success in pool in general is down to my efforts, whether in the women's section or open section'. She said that 'I would say that coaching helped me progress'. She said the 'a big part of my life was playing county ladies' blackball pool', something she now cannot do. Ms Haynes said she was offered the captaincy of the Kent ladies' team but could not take it up because of the EBPF ban. Ms Crowther, cross-examining Ms Haynes, said: 'You point to various features of your game that you say are your strengths, you say it's down to practice and technique'. Ms Haynes responded: 'I would say practice definitely, yes'. When asked if she would accept the proposition that on average males have an advantage over females, Ms Haynes responded that she 'wouldn't know enough about the subject', adding: 'I'm not an expert on it'. Ms Haynes has submitted expert evidence that argues that transgender women do not have an advantage over cis-women when playing pool. In an expert report submitted as part of her case, an MIT professor argues that as long as the player can break above a certain speed, which is achievable to both sexes, there is no inherent advantage gained by a higher cue velocity. Sarah Crowther KC, for the defendant, argued that physical strength, stamina or physique did cause a disadvantage for female-born competitors playing pool when competing against male-born players. She said that every competitor in sport 'must have a fair chance of success and that means that it is absolutely common place for personal characteristics of competitors to be categorised'. She argued that the history of competitive sport 'has overwhelmingly favoured the participation of men', adding: 'Most sports are designed primarily to suit men'. She claimed that most sports are 'designed to test the abilities and the capacities of the male body' and there were 'very few sports that test female bodily characteristics, such as flexibility or balance'. Ms Crowther argued that 'single sex sports are essential to women and girls... the presence of male-born sports people changes the way that girls and women participate.' She told the court that 'if girls and women don't have their own category, they will lack a development pathway in sport… and will give up.' She continued: 'Pool as a sport has always had a separate category for women, and every man who participates in that category will take the place of a woman'. Barrister Robin White, for Ms Haynes, said that many sports or competitive past times were gender-affected, such as tennis, and others are not gender-affected, such as chess. 'Somewhere in between there must be sports that are closer to the boundary or at either side of the boundary. In cue sports, pool is close to the boundary,' she said. Ms White told the court that there would be a different consideration made for snooker or pool on a different sized table, but that the judge was being asked to consider eight-ball pool. Ms White said the case centred on 'fairness' and how that could be achieved within the sport. She said that the decision made by the EBPF to announce a ban was done in an 'appalling' manner, which failed to consult with membership or those affected. She said that a later claim by the EBPF that Ms Haynes could not play in the tournaments because of her professional status 'had been used as a cover or an excuse for the discrimination that has occurred'.
