Lynne Pinches is a women's pool player with a career that spans more than three decades. This year, she came in third in the International Rules Pool Tour (IRPT) Ladies Weekend Tour Plate Event and third in the Ladies Seniors Maine Event.
In 2023, Pinches reached the English Pool Association's Ladies Champion of Champions event in Wales, only to forfeit the match when she learned her opponent was a man. Pinches says she was later banned from competitions by the Ultimate Pool Group (UPG) for her activism; UPG says Pinches was banned for breaching filming rules.
Pinches said she was advised by police to wear a body camera after receiving online threats and abuse over her activism.
Now Pinches is suing, claiming discrimination.
Female pool player launches £30,000 discrimination case claiming she was blocked from competitions because she objected to transwomen taking part https://t.co/GmVMf8hR8Z
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) July 7, 2026
Lynne Pinches says began wearing a bodycam on police advice after receiving abuse for her demand for 'fairness' in the sport, which included walking out of a national final against a trans opponent.
She says she was then expelled from a venue where her young son was taking part in a tournament, despite offering to remove the recording device, and was then banned from events after questioning a report about the incident from the organisers.
Ms Pinches, 53, claims she was told the ban was imposed when she refused a demand to put in writing that she had dropped her complaint.
'I was banned because I challenged the reason I was removed, so they're saying it's my fault I'm banned,' she said.
The Norwich-based player is now bringing a £30,000 civil claim Ultimate Pool Group (UPG), the professional body for eightball pool, through the county court system.
She claims the decision to ban her was discriminatory and was motivated by her campaign to stop transwomen from taking part in female categories.
There's no reason a man has to compete in women's pool. Not even for 'validation' of his 'trans identity.'
She objected to men in the women's league.
— Becky dotData (@beckydotdata) July 8, 2026
That's what they are. Men. Full stop.
Pinches also called out The Daily Mail for its incorrect language.
I objected to Men taking part. Transwomen are men. Please use the correct language https://t.co/y4w5Kbi9T5
— Lynne Pinches (@PinchesLynne) July 7, 2026
There are some interesting responses to Pinches' post, mostly from trans activists who don't understand that women have a right to say no to men in our sports and safe spaces. Physicality matters in the pool, too, as men often have greater reach and can make shots more easily than women.
It's fundamentally unfair and twisted, and Pinches is not only right to object, but to sue for her exclusion.
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