Dublin camogie has instructed its referees to allow games to go ahead even if players refuse to wear skorts, despite the sport’s rules stating that games should be abandoned when it happens. On Tuesday night, a full round of senior league games took place across the county with several teams lining out in shorts in solidarity with their county players after last weekend’s protest.
In a circular sent to the county’s referees earlier this week, Dublin camogie chairman Karl O’Brien made it clear that games were not to be abandoned on the basis of shorts being worn instead of skorts. It led to teams from Na Fianna, St Jude’s, Castleknock, Ballyboden and several others lining out for their games on Tuesday wearing shorts. Referees were told to note the issue and put it in their report but to play the games regardless.
“Following on from the shorts/skorts protest at the weekend, we are aware that some clubs may support our county players in wearing shorts for club games this week. If you arrive for a game where a team or both wear shorts, I ask that you inform them that under rule, they are due to wear skorts but if they are going to wear shorts in the game that you are going to allow the game to proceed but will report accordingly to the County Board for them to deal with it.
“Our players want to play games and as a county board we are in the business of promoting camogie. But if games don’t happen we aren’t showcasing our wonderful sport.”
The move comes in the wake of the Dublin players protesting alongside their Kilkenny counterparts ahead of last weekend’s Leinster championship match. Both teams turned up on the pitch wearing shorts, only to be told by the referee that he would have to abandon the match if they didn’t change into skorts. The controversy has dragged on into the middle of this week, with no imminent sign of it ending.
The news comes as the Camogie Association is said to be considering a compromise move, whereby a proposal will be allowed to go to the 2026 Congress to change the rules on playing attire. As it stands, no new rule changes are allowed until 2027, but according to a report on Tuesday night’s Prime Time on RTÉ, it has been suggested that delegates may get to vote on a new proposal next spring.
Even if that is the case, it would still mean that camogie players would have at least another 10 months of having to play in skorts or risk being sent off as individuals, or having their matches called off if they decide as a team not to wear the mandated attire. This weekend’s Munster final between Cork and Waterford is set to become the next major flashpoint, with both teams indicating that they will turn up in shorts.
The president and chief executive of the Camogie Association have both been approached for comment.
