Two transgender players faced-off in the final of a women's championship pool match on Sunday—adding fuel to the fiery social debate surrounding trans athletes' participation in women's sports.Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, who were both assigned male at birth, fought for the title at the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 in Wigan in the UK this weekend.Haynes went on to defeat Smith 8-6, but vocal critics on both sides of the Atlantic claimed the real loser in the battle was women's sport. British former Olympics swimmer Sharron Davies and American former college swimmer Riley Gaines were among those speaking out.However, others celebrated the achievement and claimed being trans had not given the players any unfair benefits during the game.Haynes has not yet publicly commented on the furore, but in December the 34-year-old told British news website The Independent that pool "isn't a gender-affected sport." She said she has "no advantage," and reiterated: "We're not talking about boxing or golf—we're talking about pool."Newsweek has reached out to Haynes via a direct message on X (formerly Twitter), and has also contacted the Ultimate Pool Group via a form on its website, seeking comment.Why It MattersThe episode comes amid an increasingly bitter debate about the rights of transgender athletes and their inclusion in women's sports. Concerns about trans male athletes tends not to affect men's sport, so the issue is mainly focused on the female arena. The incident comes just days after a female fencer was disqualified from a competition when she refused to compete against a trans woman.Critics argue trans women cannot compete on an even playing field because they have an unfair advantage, particularly if the trans sportswomen have undergone male puberty. Some also have safety concerns, including fears that women could be at risk of serious injury in the boxing ring or in other contact sports.However, others argue that trans athletes should enjoy the same opportunity to participate in sport as anyone else, and insist that trans' rights are simply human rights.What To KnowHaynes defeated Smith in the final of the Women's Pro Series event, one of eight events on the Ultimate Pool Group's 2025 women's circuit. The tournament, which was held at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, was livestreamed on UltimatePool.tv.However, a breaking news post on X (the social media site formerly known as Twitter) by Reduxx magazine went viral on Sunday night when it claimed: "Two men will face each other for a women's championship title at the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 tonight in Wigan, U.K. Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, both trans-identified males, beat all female competitors to take the spots in the women's final event."The post was viewed 8.1 million times and was shared 11,000 times, with more than 6,000 commenting, including several celebrities and athletes.Opponents of trans players in pool suggest they benefit from various advantages, such as being able to smash their break shot with more speed. While one British pool group, the English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF), has claimed that trans women benefit from a greater hand span, stronger fingers, and longer limbs enabling a greater reach across the table, according to The Independent.The EBPF took the decision to ban trans players from their leagues last August, saying they wanted players to "enjoy a safer environment" and ensure "equality and fairness for all."Haynes vowed to fight the ban and in December revealed that she had sought advice from an expert witness to help fight her case against the EBPF. Haynes said physics professor Joseph A. Formaggio from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) wrote a report stating that a stronger break shot is not necessarily enough to win at the top level, and he added that players can "compete effectively through strategy without hindrance that may arise from physical differences."Some 59 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to play on sports teams that match their gender identity compared to 19 percent who support it, according to YouGov polling in January, 2024.What People Are SayingPro pool player Harriet Haynes told The Independent in December: "I've never really considered myself a trailblazer. I'm just a woman who is trying to live my life, and all I want to do is just be treated the same as any other woman. I work in an office environment and I'm treated like a woman every single day in the rest of my life. This [playing pool] is the only aspect of my life where I'm not."Former U.S. college swimmer Riley Gaines, who rose to national prominence over her objection to competing and sharing a locker room with trans competitor Lia Thomas, shared the Reduxx post, with the caption: "A real life South Park episode." After Haynes won the event, she shared an image of the pool player with the words: "lol they really took 'may the best man win' to a whole new level Congratulations to the better cheat, Mr. Haynes!"Former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who often campaigns against trans girls and women competing in female sport, was among those who shared the news. She wrote on X: " This is bloody ridiculous & grossly wrong in every way. These sports hate their female players to do this."The journalist turned TV presenter Piers Morgan took to X to say: "Preposterous. Why anyone supports this cheating bullsh*t is utterly beyond me."However, it wasn't just celebrities and sports starts who posted about the match. Ordinary users of social media also flocked to the comments section, falling on both sides of the divide on the issue.One person opposed to trans inclusion in women's sport, wrote: "All these people saying 'it doesn't matter' in certain sports or games are absurdly missing the point of having women's leagues at all." Another added: "People keep saying there are no physical benefits of being male over female in a pool competition. In that case why are the 2 males out of all the females in the final??"However, there was some support for Haynes, and many commentators didn't feel that sex or gender mattered in the game of pool.One person wrote: "Wait but seriously now, why are there gendered divisions in pool? There's no inherent male advantage there. I totally understand the debate in regards to contact sports, field sports and strength based contests, no question about it but pool? Why does it even matter?" And another added: "There shouldn't be men's and women's categories in billiards competitions because it's a game of skill that doesn't rely on strength."What Happens NextU.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to "keep men out of women's sports" and is currently attempting to pass legislation on the issue.In the meantime, sports' governing bodies are grappling to work out how to respond to the debate, resulting in a patchwork of various policies as officials try to balance the rights of all their athletes.