GPA: Association calls for implementation of female squad charter

The GPA launched the "State of Play Equality Report" on Tuesday

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has called on the GAA, LGFA and Camogie associations to agree and implement a female squad charter with minimum standards set from the 2024 season.

The request comes after the release of the GPA's "State of Play Equality Report" was published on Tuesday.

It aims to bring the female game in line with their male counterparts.

The report found that only 9.5% of female players currently receive travel expenses from their county board.

It also found that there was a "continued lack of consistency on gear, nutrition allowances and other supports" and "continued lower access to sport science supports and more barriers to accessing facilities than male players."

In a survey conducted in November 2022 involving 1,579 players, 48% of female players said they paid to see a physio during the inter-county season, with this costing a player 220 euro on average.

The GPA is responsible for female players as well as male players after it merged with the WPGA in 2020, in the hope of further enhancing the support available to female athletes in the sport.

As a result of the findings, the GPA, who now have over 4,000 members, wants increased support for female inter-county players, and for them to receive the same treatment as male inter-county players in the aforementioned areas.

While a centralised agreement for male inter-county players to receive such support was agreed with the GAA last year, there is no such centralised agreement for female codes.

The GPA delivered a presentation to the Steering Group on Integration (SGI) in Gaelic games in March, which included the call for the implementation of a female squad charter.

The association's CEO Tom Parsons said: "A squad charter for female inter-county players delivered in cooperation between the GAA, LGFA and CA would be a significant statement from the three NGBs (National Governing Body) in support of equality."

The GPA also aims to prioritise "female specific supports in relation to reproductive health and injuries."

This comes after the report highlighted that 72% of players reported a perceived impact of the menstrual cycle on their performance.

The GPA has called for "education on the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use."

They hope this will "help manage and potentially reduce the perceived impact of the menstrual cycle on performance, including for those on hormonal contraceptive".