THE Camogie skorts or shorts controversy rolls on with local and national reaction dominating the headlines in the build-up to a Special Congress vote.
Skorts or shorts? The controversy continues and has made its way across social media, podcasts, front pages of newspapers and RTÉ current affairs show Prime Time.
Former All-Ireland winning Cork and Dublin player, Sarah O’Donovan, speaking on the Indo Sport podcast, expressed concern about how the upcoming Special Congress vote will go.
‘When you end up on Prime Time on a Tuesday evening after a segment about Gaza, you understand how much trouble you’re in,’ O’Donovan commented.
‘And realistically, although a date has been set for this Special Congress, there’s actually a massive amount of work to do now by the players and the clubs.
‘To mandate their county boards to change their minds because 13 months ago they voted against choice. So unfortunately, this is the start line this morning, and it’s on the clubs to impress upon their individual county boards that they want choice.
‘Because if that work isn't done, there will be another vote and, potentially, there could be a second no vote.’
Another to openly question the issue is Republic of Ireland international women’s senior soccer manager Carla Ward. The newly installed manager appears to hold similar beliefs to the majority of opinions expressed in recent weeks.
‘It’s absolutely ludicrous,’ Ward said at her Irish soccer international press conference earlier this week.
‘I’ll be honest, some of the (backroom) staff shared it a couple of weeks ago when it first happened, and I actually did say, “is this some sort of joke?”
‘I think it’s absolutely mental to be even having these conversations in 2025.’
What is clear is that the ongoing controversy needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later. We may get a definitive answer when the Camogie Árd Comhairle hosts a Special Congress on May 22nd in Croke Park.
This is where all attending delegates will vote on the motion that provides the option for players to wear either skorts or shorts. This motion has already gone out to Camogie clubs for discussion.
The only stipulation is that garments are the same colour and similar design. There will be a Cork County Board meeting on May 20th for clubs to discuss and vote on the motion prior to congress. Along with Cork, other counties are following a similar approach.
Irish international manager Carla Ward challenged that there appears to be a certain characteristic attached with, not just Camogie, but women’s sports in general.
‘It’s an old mentality though isn’t it?’ Ward said.
‘There’s still some countries that have that old mentality towards women. It’s crazy.
‘I’ll be honest with you, it did blow my mind because I didn’t believe that anyone in this country could have that mindset that women couldn’t wear certain shorts or skorts.’
The frustrating thing for Camogie players is that they aren’t given that choice despite a clear groundswell of support.
The latest of those being the Cork and Waterford seniors plus Cork and Kerry intermediates who have had their respective Munster finals deferred until after the Special Congress.
