Piers Morgan criticized the ultimate swimming pool group after two transgender women challenged the final of a professional event in Wigan on Sunday evening, calling for the “absurd” situation and accusing the sport of “cheat bulls”.
The broadcaster’s comments came after Harriet Haynes defeated Lucy Smith 8-6 during the final of an event in the professional female series, one of the eight events on the 2025 female circuit of the Ultimate Pool Group.
The two players are transgender, causing a wave of criticisms on social networks – notably from the old Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who described the event as `’b **** y ridiculous and roughly badly for all the senses” and declared that the sport` `hates their players to do it ”.
Sharing an X post from the Reduxx magazine, which said that “ two men ” was faced with each other “for a title of female champion”, Morgan added: “Why someone supports these cheat bulls *** is quite beyond me.”
The tournament, held at the Robin Park Leisure Center in Wigan, was broadcast live on Ultimatepool.TV and on social networks.
The way from Haynes to the title included victories on Megan Proctor and Mary Talbot, while Smith reached the final by eliminating Kirsty-lee Davies and Danielle Randle.
Harriet Haynes (Photo) won an Ultimate Pool Womens Pro Series event in Wigan on Sunday
Piers Morgan posted on X: “Why does someone support these cheat bulls *** is absolutely beyond me”
This is not the first time that Haynes has been at the center of the controversy.
In November 2023, she received a Walkover victory in the final of the champion of women’s champions in Prestatyn after the opponent Lynne Pinches refused to play, citing problems of equity.
Pinches said later to TalkTV: “Whenever you play a transgender player, even if you win, it makes no difference because in your heart, you know it’s unfair.
“This is a category advantage, to be biologically male and to play against women, gives you a clear advantage of the category.
“Whenever I play a transgender player, I think about it before, during and after the match, how unfair it is and how it is a level that I cannot reach.
“ I look at some of the plans they play, and I think women do not play these photos in the rails like that and they do not cleare themselves like that. They have a longer range, many of them are larger than us.
“Women have been silenced due to the fear of being transphobic, which is why people do not speak of this subject. It is not a gender problem, it is a problem of equity.
Prestatyn’s incident, which saw pinching, hit the match after the opening lag, made the headlines of international newspapers and caused a fierce debate.
The former Olympic swimmer of the GB team, Sharron Davies, described the event as “b **** y ridiculous”
Haynes later revealed that she had been flooded with online abuse, describing her as a “praise of horror” and saying: “It was unreal … horrible. Lots of vile abuses.
Haynes, who transferred over ten years ago, has repeatedly defended his right to participate in the women’s category.
“Trans women do not threaten the pool,” she told the BBC. “We don’t come en masse … There is nothing to fear.
The guiding bodies have struggled to settle a coherent policy. In August 2023, the World Federation of Eight Balles (WEPF) and Ultimate Pool Group published a statement saying that “only women born naturally would be eligible” to participate in the women’s series, but this decision was then reversed.
WEPF later clarified: “The supply of regulatory conditions is fulfilled … Transgender and non -binary players will be able to participate in the women’s series.
That U-Tour disappointed players as pliers, but Haynes defended the change, insisting that she would go away from the women’s swimming pool if there were clear evidence of an unfair advantage: `If the rules changed and there were categorical evidence that I had a huge advantage over someone else, I would stop. But there is none.
The next events in the professional series of women will take place in May at the home of Bolton Wanderers.