Chairman of the Oireachtas sport committee Alan Kelly has described as “bananas” and “outdated” a decision forcing camogie players to wear skorts when they would prefer to wear shorts.
The Labour TD said he intends to invite the Camogie Association to the committee to “deal with this once and for all” after a match between Dublin and Kilkenny was almost abandoned at the weekend when the two teams turned up for their Leinster semi-final in shorts in protest at association rules.
Fine Gael Seanad spokeswoman on sport Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn said the ruling on skorts was “infuriating” for anyone trying to encourage women and girls to be active in sport.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said forcing players to wear skorts was “archaic”.
Under the rules, reaffirmed last year at the association’s annual congress, players must wear skorts – shorts with additional fabric that makes them look like skirts. The referee warned the teams the match would not go ahead if they did not comply with the rules.
After some delay both sides returned to their changing rooms and donned skorts for the game and it proceeded with a 4-11 to 2-12 win for Kilkenny.
Last week in a Gaelic Players Association (GPA) survey of intercounty camogie players, 70 per cent of 650 respondents said they experienced “discomfort” wearing skorts and 83 per cent said they should be allowed to choose between skorts and shorts.
Some 65 per cent of players said wearing skorts led to them being “exposed” in images shared on social media and 49 per cent said they had “experienced anxiety around period leaks”.
Mr Kelly 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.”
Ms Ní Chuilinn said, “the skort rule is becoming a barrier, and it has also taken away from the sport itself. Last night, we should have been talking about the game, but instead, we are talking about the impossible position female players are placed in.
“To think that the association was happy to let two Senior intercounty 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. It is time to listen to the players and give a choice at the very least.”
Dublin captain Aisling Maher described the incident on Saturday as a “career low” and said she loved the game but was “sick of being forced to wear a skort”.
In a post on Instagram Ms Maher, co-chairwoman of the GPA, said: “Career low for me today when 60+ players ready to play a championship game in shorts are told their match will be abandoned if every player doesn’t change into skorts.
“I love this game but I’m sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose.
“How are female players still having to push for permission to wear shorts while they compete at the highest level of their sport?
“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?”
