Another protest move by a camogie team in an under-23 match in Kilkenny on Monday nearly saw a second match being called off.
The Leinster under-23 intermediate match was due to have a throw-in of 2pm with Laois playing Kilkenny in Freshford, Co Kilkenny.
However, the Laois team of 15 women turned up wearing shorts instead of the regulatory skorts under rule 6(b) of the sport’s code, which stipulates that playing gear must include a skirt/skort/divided skirt. The Kilkenny side were wearing skorts.
The Laois team was informed by the referee that the match would be abandoned if the team members did not change their shorts. Ten minutes later the team changed. Hundreds of supporters at the match gave the team a standing ovation for their stance.
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Monday’s protest followed that of the Kilkenny and Dublin senior teams at the Leinster senior semi-final at St Peregrine’s GAA club, Blanchardstown, as the national anthem started at the throw-in time of 3.30pm on Saturday.
The move was part of a campaign to allow women the choice to wear shorts instead of the obligatory skorts, which are skirts with shorts underneath.
Referee Ray Kelly from Kildare told the teams, with Kilkenny managed by Tommy Shefflin and Dublin by Gerry McQuaid, that they would have to get changed into skorts or the match would be abandoned.
A Gaelic Players Association (GPA) spokesperson re-iterated following the stance of the Laois team that the “ball is entirely in the hands of the Camogie Association”.
The spokesperson said: “The GPA fully supports players having the right to choose between shorts or skorts and our position on this will not change.
“It is unacceptable that female athletes are being compelled to wear gear that they believe compromises their performance and wellbeing. We stand firmly with any player or team who opts for shorts.
”Many camogie players find the mandated skirt-short hybrids restricting, but it seems they will be stuck wearing them until 2027 at least. The Camogie Association, the GAA and the LGFA previously revealed that 2027 was the proposed date for their plans for full integration between the three.
Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, who resigned as manager of the Kilkenny camogie team last summer, said he was with the players on this issue.
“My view is that each player should have the right to wear a skort or shorts or whichever they would prefer, and obviously the Camogie Association voted on it last year and it was rejected, so I’d be hoping that this could be revisited very, very shortly, with a view to giving female sport players and camogie players the opportunity to wear shorts if they so desire to do.”
Speaking on local radio station KCLR, Mr Cleere added: “I do believe, and I would be on the side of players on this one, that shorts should be eligible, and female players should be able to wear shorts, and feel comfortable when they’re going out to represent their counties at such a high level.”
