Overview

• Effective April 23, 2025, Ultimate Pool Group restricted its women’s competitions to biologically born women, citing fairness and legal compliance.
• The decision follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not change legal sex under the Equality Act 2010.
• An expert report commissioned by UPG concluded that eight-ball pool is a gender-affected sport where transgender women retain male advantages.
• The policy change comes after protests and legal challenges arose when two transgender women competed in a women’s championship final earlier this month.
• Legal disputes involving transgender inclusion in pool remain ongoing, with cases against the English Blackball Pool Federation and World Eightball Pool Federation still unresolved.