The weather took a wintry turn on Tuesday night but as the Dublin camogie players trained under grey skies in Abbotstown, the hope among the group was that after the rain will blow the wind of change.
Because while Tuesday’s cloudburst was fleeting, the outcome of the Camogie Association’s Special Congress on Thursday will leave a lasting imprint. It’s stick or twist time.
The skorts and shorts debate has been a topic of conversation in camogie circles for years but the recent protest initiated by the Dublin and Kilkenny teams has moved the dial in terms of the public discourse.
Dublin’s focus this week is on their All-Ireland championship opener against Galway but the reality is the outcome of Thursday’s vote in Croke Park will be remembered long after the result of Saturday’s game in Kenny Park has been forgotten.
“We want every girl playing sport, if the barrier is wearing a skort it shouldn’t be the case, it’s a piece of clothing you wear, it’s not the sport you play,” says Dublin defender Aoife Higgins.
Dublin captain Aisling Maher has been at the forefront of the campaign. She’d prefer to be concentrating entirely on playing and leading the team, but this felt like a moment to stand up.
“We had a conversation as a team and every player unanimously agreed this was the right thing to do,” says Maher.
“I guess you don’t think of yourself as an individual in those moments, we were doing it as a team and doing it as a representative decision of how we knew other teams felt.
“It’s a funny one because as camogie players we have been wearing skorts for so long that you kind of forget how ridiculously archaic it is in a lot of ways.
“It’s only when you take that step back and think about it from the perspective of the public that you realise we probably are lagging miles behind in not offering choice.”
For Dublin manager Gerry McQuaid the challenge of keeping girls in sport is one he encounters daily because of his job as a PE teacher.
“I’m 30 years teaching physical education and it’s usually around the age of 13-14-15 that girls start opting out with excuse note after excuse note,” he says.
“I would be of the opinion we should do whatever we can to keep girls involved in sport. And if this is a barrier, let’s just get rid of it and move on.”
Sinéad Wylde hopes the momentum of public sentiment resonates with delegates.
“Something as small as allowing players to have choice, that can take away a barrier,” says the Dublin forward.
McQuaid, who was a talented runner and earned an athletics scholarship with Indiana State University, was involved with Wexford’s management team for their three-in-a-row O’Duffy Cup success between 2010-12.
“[The protest] hit a nerve with the public, you can see that,” says McQuaid.
“There is no other sport that I know of, elite or otherwise, where players train in something differently to what they compete in.
“I’m 15 years involved with camogie with a number of different teams and never once can I remember, somebody might correct me, but I can’t remember seeing a girl wear a skort at training.”
The prevailing message coming from the Dublin squad on Tuesday night was a desire to have a choice.
“If players want to wear a skort that’s absolutely fine, it’s about looking at the young girls coming behind us and standing up for them,” says Higgins.
For Maher, there is frustration the outcome rests solely with others.
“It is hard as a player that even still the choice of what I wear isn’t in my hands, it’s in the hands of delegates,” she adds.
“So I’d like to encourage delegates to remember that we are not looking to get rid of the skort, we are not looking to remove it from the game, it will remain an option.”
There is a sense this cause has galvanised the Dublin group. And there is pride at being one of the squads driving the campaign, but Wylde believes failure to change the rule banning shorts could have implications.
“Unless the vote represents what the players have been asking for then there won’t be a championship the way championships have gone in the past,” she says.
“Thursday will be the deciding factor whether all our work has come to fruition. On Friday I’ll let you know if we are proud or not.”
For McQuaid, the message is simple.
“I’m hoping delegates see sense and listen to their players because if you don’t have players you don’t have camogie games,” he says.
“If one girl gives up this sport because of a skort, that’s one too many in my opinion.”
Dublin played a challenge game last week and both sides wore shorts.
Before training commences, we wonder if all the players will take to the field in shorts.
“For every player you see in a skort, I’ll give you a tenner at the end of the session,” smiles Maher.
We left with no more money than when we arrived.
It is up to those delegates voting on Thursday now to determine if the cost of change makes the sport of camogie richer or poorer.
