Cork hurler Brian Hayes and Kerry footballer Síofra O’Shea say their respective squads are fully supportive of the stance taken by camogie players on wanting a choice to wear shorts or skorts during matches.
The level of public discourse on the issue has led to the Camogie Association calling a Special Congress for May 22nd to vote on allowing players the option of wearing shorts or skorts.
The matter has been a discussion topic in all intercounty dressingrooms across the country over the last fortnight.
“We’d be fully behind the camogie players in what they’ve come out with,” says Hayes.
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“I think from knowing a few of the Cork camogie girls and a few from my own club in the Barrs (St Finbarr’s), I think they’re dead right and whatever they feel is right should be implemented. At the end of the day, the players are the ones going out and performing.”
O’Shea agrees with those sentiments and hopes the impasse is resolved next week.
“We obviously do talk about it as sports people,” says the Kerry forward. “We have some players who play camogie as well and are in and around club camogie teams.”
“It’s obviously a massive issue and we support the players and what they’re wanting. I’ve listened to a few camogie players talking about it.
It’s been an issue for a number of years
— Mairéad Teehan
“They don’t want to be striking and they don’t want games to be cancelled – they would rather be on the pitch playing. But it’s such a massive issue and if that’s the only way they’re going to be heard, I suppose for the future, then that’s what needs to be done for now.
“But I know all these players just want to be on the pitch playing and they should be given the choice to play how they’re comfortable playing, whether that’s in shorts or skorts.
“Hopefully solutions are made sooner rather than later and they get back on the pitch playing.”
Offaly camogie player Mairéad Teehan hopes the groundswell of public support for players on this issue will translate to the motion being passed at Congress next week.
Teehan says the momentum harnessed in the days after the initial protest by the Kilkenny and Dublin teams prior to their Leinster semi-final has helped push the issue to the top of the association’s agenda once more.
“It’s something that needed to be done in terms of players standing up and saying, ‘Look, we want a choice here’. And it’s great to see that teams have been standing up.
“It’s been an issue for a number of years and when it goes to Congress, we don’t necessarily have that power to actually make those decisions for ourselves.
“You’re relying on your county boards and your delegates to pass those motions. So, yeah, it’s just something that we felt as a players group that was needed to be addressed at this point.
“It’s just great to see everybody coming out in support of us.”
But the Offaly forward admits there was a fear the Kilkenny-Dublin protest would not garner the attention necessary to spark a public debate on the issue.
“I suppose that was the worry at the time,” says Teehan. “You’re making this protest but you don’t know whether it would be just brushed under the carpet and wouldn’t be kind of a big deal.”
“But it was, in fairness, and the media have picked up on it and it’s really garnered a lot of support now, so I think that’s helped massively.”
Teehan is optimistic the motion will be passed on May 22nd.
“I’d be hopeful it will. In fairness to the Camogie Association, they did call the Special Congress to try and change the rule.
“It is now up to the delegates to vote and to listen to what players are saying across the country and listen to what we want. It’s just that thing of we want a choice. If you want to stay wearing a skort, that’s absolutely fine, but it’s also that we have that choice to wear the shorts as well.”
Having talked about the issue within the Offaly group, Teehan believes most of the Faithful players would opt for shorts should the proposal pass.
“I’d be fairly sure we’d probably all wear the shorts. We had a discussion about it a few weeks ago on what we would be comfortable with as players. The majority came back that they’d be in favour of wearing shorts.
“I really don’t like the skorts, to be honest with you. I’d be 100 per cent for the shorts.”
Offaly’s Mairéad Teehan and Kerry’s Síofra O’Shea are the April winners of the PwC GAA/GPA Women’s Player of the Month awards for camogie and football. Cork hurler Brian Hayes and Meath’s Mathew Costello are the Hurler and Footballer of the Month recipients respectively.
