Skorts row a 'career low' says Dublin camogie star

Dublin captain Aisling Maher said she was "sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose"

An ongoing battle by camogie players over the right to wear shorts came to a head on Saturday when the Kilkenny and Dublin teams were forced to change into skorts before their Leinster Championship semi-final could go ahead.

The rules governing playing gear for camogie, the women's equivalent of hurling, state that it must include skirt, skort - a pair of shorts with an overlapping fabric panel which resembles a skirt covering the front - or a divided skirt.

This is in contrast to women's gaelic football where shorts are allowed.

"Career low for me today when 60 plus players ready to play a championship game in shorts are told their match will be abandoned if every player doesn't change into skorts," Dublin captain Aisling Maher posted on social media.

Camogie is governed by the Camogie Association of Ireland, closely linked to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and another challenge to the rule cannot be brought until 2027 after two motions were defeated at the sport's annual congress last year.

Kilkenny and Dublin took to the field at Blanchardstown wearing shorts, a decision both teams had agreed on as a form of protest against the rule, but were told by the referee that the game would be abandoned if the players did not change.

The protest came after a Gaelic Players Association (GPA) survey released last week found that 70% of players surveyed had experienced discomfort while wearing a skort, while 83% said they should have a choice between skorts and shorts.

'Why is this happening in my sport?'

"I love this game, but I am sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose," Maher added after the match, which Kilkenny won 4-11 to 2-22.

"How are female players still having to push for permission to wear shorts while they compete at the highest level of their sport."

In 2021, Norway's beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a European championship match. This brought a rule change where women can now wear short tight pants.

"In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?" Maher added.

'It beggars belief'

Speaking on Sunday, Labour Party TD and Oireachtas Sports Committee chairman Alan Kelly said he intends to invite the Camogie Association before the committee.

"We simply should not still be forcing women to wear skorts in this day and age," he said.

"It's bananas that in today's day and age, there are rules forcing our camogie players to wear skorts, rather than their preferred choice of clothing when playing matches.

"It beggars belief that at a time when we should be working to continue encouraging women and girls to participate in sport, we'd see an own goal like this from the Camogie Association."

Fine Gael senator for Dublin South-Central Evanne Ní Chuilinn said the skort rule is "becoming a barrier".

"We should have been talking about the game, but instead, we are talking about the impossible position female players are placed in," she said.

"To think that the association was happy to let two senior inter-county squads turn up to a championship match and then refuse to let them play is infuriating for anyone trying to encourage women and girls to be active in sport."

'Player welfare at the heart of everything we do'

In a statement, the Camogie Association said "player welfare is at the heart of everything we do".

"Ard Chomhairle [Central Council] established a working group to examine issues around the comfort, fit, design and overall performance of playing wear," the statement read.

"As part of this process, a wide range of national and international manufactured skorts have been sourced. Testing of these skorts for comfort, fit and design, will begin in mid-May and will include adult and Juvenile players from Club and County teams, as well as referees.

"Once testing is completed, the working group will prepare recommendations for Ard Chomhairle consideration.

"The Camogie Association remains committed to respecting the democratic process in all decisions that affect all of our members."