Greens call on camogie delegates to listen to players

The Green Party has welcomed the decision by the Camogie Association to call a Special Congress to vote on a motion that would allow players to choose between wearing shorts or a skort. The Party is urging delegates to do the right thing and vote in favour of giving players the freedom to choose what they wear on the pitch.

“Delegates need to vote in the best interests of their players at both club and county level — it is long overdue that women are allowed to tog out in appropriate clothing,” said Cllr Honore Kamegni, Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork and the Green Party Spokesperson for Sport.

The Green Party has a strong track record of supporting women in sport. During our time in Government, and under the leadership of former Minister for Sport Catherine Martin, we delivered record funding for the Women in Sport Programme, helped achieve record levels of female participation in sport, and oversaw the lowest ever gender gap in sports participation.

Deputy Leader of the Green Party, Róisín Garvey — a former inter-county camogie player for Clare — said the current rules are outdated and do nothing to support women in sport.

“I played camogie for Clare over 30 years ago and back then we found skorts an absolute nuisance,” said Garvey.

“I remember they would often come loose or fall off, and the ref would have to stop the game until all skorts were in place. And that’s still happening today. I can’t believe they’re still mandatory.”

Garvey praised the leadership shown by Cork and Waterford players in pledging to wear shorts in the Munster camogie final, and said this kind of change should have happened a long time ago.

“It’s time to see sense and abolish this ridiculous practice. Let players decide for themselves. The Camogie Association needs to move with the times — or the game will not thrive,” she concluded.