One of Britain’s top female pool players has turned down a first-ever professional contract in protest at a decision to allow transgender players to compete.
Lynne Pinches, 51, was offered a place on the Ultimate Pool Tour—featuring the game’s top 32 players—but did not accept.
She said the “nail in the coffin” was a U-turn by the sport’s governing body, the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF), on its transgender policy.
The WEPF had said in August that transgender players would not be able to play against “naturally-born women” but has since reversed this decision.
Pinches, who has been dubbed the “matriarch” of a pool and snooker-playing family, walked away from the chance of a national title in protest against facing a transgender player in November.
She shook hands with opponent Harriet Haynes, who identifies as transgender, before she put away her cue and conceded the final of the Women’s Champion of Champions tournament without playing a single shot.
And now she has turned down a professional contract in protest.
“I’m absolutely gutted that I’ve dropped out, my heart wants to be on the Ultimate Pool Tour. I feel excluded even though I’ve self-excluded,” Ms. Pinches, from Norwich, Norfolk, told BBC Sport.
“I’m sticking to my principles. I don’t want to face the transgender players who would be on that tour. I don’t think it’s fair.
“You can’t bring up the hopes of hundreds of women and say you’re going to have a female-only section in August, and then change that eight weeks later.”
She said, “This isn’t a trans issue, it’s a fairness issue. It’s not about any individual.”
Speaking previously, Mr. Haynes responded by saying transgender people have competed in female categories for 20 years and said there was “no categoric evidence” of an advantage in the sport.
