Women's Professional Billiards Championship

Although there were female players of cue sports since the games were invented,[1] their progress in the game has been held back by sexism,[2] with men typically not taking female players seriously, or claiming that the women were seeking male attention by playing.

[8] Margaret Lennan beat Joyce Gardner 1,000–960 at Hull in August 1928 in a 1,000-up (first to 1,000 points) English billiards match that was billed as the Ladies' Championship of England and Scotland.

Billiard cloth manufacturers Howard and Powell provided a silver rose bowl for the winner.

[9] In 1930, the cue sports company Burroughes and Watts organised a British Women's Billiards Championship,[10] also known as the Burwat Cup.

It was agreed with the Billiards Association and Control Council that the WBA would take over the running of the competition as a world championship from 1932, with the same trophy that was used in 1930 and 1932.

Two women playing English billiards
English Billiards match between Mme Strebor (in play) and Eva Collins at Burroughes Hall in 1906. Collins was twice runner-up in the Women's Professional Billiards Championship
Margaret Lennan playing English billiards with an audience watching
Margaret Lennan playing at a charity tournament in Liverpool in 1927
Joyce Gardner and Ruth Harrison at a billiard table
Joyce Gardner (left) and Ruth Harrison at Burroughes Hall in 1936
Joyce Gardner playing billiards, with thelma Carpenter standing to the left and an unknown referee to the right
Joyce Gardner (in play) and Thelma Carpenter (right) in 1939
Ten women, some holding trophies and flowers
The 1948 Women's Billiards Association awards ceremony. Pictured, (left to right), are Ruth Harrison , Thelma Carpenter , Joyce Gardner , Agnes Morris , Valerie Hobson , Evelyn Morland-Smith, Beryl Stamper, Joan Adcock, E. Peters. Back row: Gladys Burton.