IAN O’RIORDAN
Cork's All-Ireland winning camogie captain Anna Geary has welcomed the establishment of a Women's Gaelic Players Association (WGPA), suggesting it will go some ways towards addressing the increasing demands of both camogie and women's football.
Full details of the WGPA will be announced on Tuesday, although it has yet to receive official recognition from either the camogie or women's football associations: instead it has received initial funding from the GPA, with the hope of receiving central and some Government funding in the future.
"It's been a long time coming, and a lot of hard work has gone into it," said Geary, speaking in Croke Park after receiving the AIB Munster club camogie award, with her club Milford.
“Really, it’s something that should have been there years ago, but thankfully it’s finally making strides. It’s going to be much like the GPA, that is currently in place (for the men’s intercounty game). It’s about providing support and putting structures in place for senior players across the country, so that it betters the experience for them and it betters the experience for the supporters of the game.”
WGPA survey
Formal recognition from the camogie and women’s football association will be necessary, however, before issues of funding, expenses or Government funding can be addressed. In the meantime the WGPA has already carried out a survey of what exactly are the pressing issues facing camogie and women’s football players.
“From the actual survey itself, it’s the basic things, like the showers, and the training set-ups, that have to be standardised across the board for everybody,” said Geary. “Because while it might be in place for some it mightn’t be in place for every team. It’s small things like that which make a big difference to your experience as a player.
“There’s also a scholarship programme that we’ve put in place now, also through the WGPA which, again, it incentivises players to improve themselves and as players. Things like that which are put in place are going to make a huge difference. The GPA is such a strong and positive body for (men’s) players and we hope that we can get that as well.
“And the GPA have been very supportive. Not everything is going to be the same. What we as women’s footballers and camogie players need might be on a different scale to what was needed way back when they (the GPA) started out. But we’re constantly in talks and there’s great guidance and support coming from them.
“Jennifer O’Leary (the Cork camogie star) recently announced her retirement, and she was speaking about expenses and basic things like that. All that comes down the line, but for now it’s about getting the basic experience right first for a player, because if you do that, then obviously the longevity of a career for every player is going to increase.
“Really it’s about providing the same experience for a camogie player or women’s footballer as you would for a hurler or footballer. Because it should be an equal status. That’s what we hope to get.
