logo
'Archaic' camogie shorts ban needs changing now, says Irish lawmaker

'Archaic' camogie shorts ban needs changing now, says Irish lawmaker

The Star06-05-2025

(Reuters) -A rule banning women from wearing shorts while playing camogie, which led to recent protests, has been described as archaic by Alan Kelly, a member of Ireland's parliament, while also highlighting mental health issues in women's sport.
The Irish sport hit the headlines last weekend when the Dublin and Kilkenny teams protested the rule by entering the pitch wearing shorts, and were forced to change into skorts or the game would be abandoned.
The rules regarding playing gear for camogie, the women's equivalent of hurling, state that it must include skirt, skort -- a pair of shorts with an overlapping fabric panel which resembles a skirt covering the front -- or divided skirt.
"This is absolutely archaic, it's ridiculous," Kelly told Reuters.
"If one player leaves camogie because of this issue, it is one too many, so they really need to sort this out. Ultimately, the players should be listened to and they shouldn't have to put up with this in 2025."
Two motions to allow shorts were defeated last year at the Camogie Association of Ireland Congress, and Saturday's protest came after the results of a survey by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) were published last week.
The GPA surveyed 650 inter-county players, with 83% saying they would prefer to wear shorts or believe players should have the option to choose and 70% reporting discomfort while wearing skorts.
"Player welfare is at the heart of everything we do across the Camogie Association," it said in a statement when asked by Reuters to comment on the issue.
"A democratic vote at Congress 2024 determined that the rules governing our playing wear should not change."
Also in the GPA survey, 65% expressed concerns over exposure in media content affecting their mental health while 49% had experienced anxiety over period leaks.
Other sports have sought to address the issue of period anxiety, with many women's soccer teams as well as Ireland's women's rugby team changing the colour of their shorts.
Wimbledon bowed to pressure and relaxed their all-white dress code for female tennis players, allowing them to wear dark undershorts.
When it comes to women's concerns over media exposure, in beach volleyball, female athletes were required to wear bikinis until the International Volleyball Federation relaxed the rules in 2012 to allow shorts and tank tops.
In 2021, Norway's beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a European championship match, sparking a global backlash which led to a rule change by the sport's governing body.
Back in Ireland, on Monday another team, Laois, lined out for a match wearing shorts, before they too were forced to change into skorts. Another challenge to the rule cannot be put forward until 2027.
Kelly, also head of the sports committee of Ireland's parliament, says this, along with the association's statement, is unacceptable, and expects more protests to follow.
"They cannot wait until 2027 to deal with this, it has to be done before next weekend, I believe that all organisations should protest and I will support them," he said.
"I have spoken to committee members about calling in the association to explain themselves if this is not dealt with, but hopefully, it won't come to that."
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Toby Davis)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Soccer-CONCACAF monitoring situation in Los Angeles ahead of Gold Cup opener
Soccer-CONCACAF monitoring situation in Los Angeles ahead of Gold Cup opener

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Soccer-CONCACAF monitoring situation in Los Angeles ahead of Gold Cup opener

FILE PHOTO: Mar 20, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; A general view of SoFi Stadium before the Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -CONCACAF, soccer's governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said on Wednesday it was in "close and ongoing communication" with local officials as protests in Los Angeles continue, raising concerns ahead of the Gold Cup's opening match at SoFi Stadium. The tournament begins on Saturday with Mexico facing the Dominican Republic, but tensions remain high across parts of the city following a series of immigration raids that sparked widespread demonstrations. "The safety and well-being of all participants, fans, and stakeholders is the Confederation's highest priority," CONCACAF said in a statement. "We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work toward delivering a world-class tournament that highlights the best of our sport in a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all, starting with the opening match on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Los Angeles." Los Angeles is also preparing to host matches for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, with Paris St Germain taking on Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)

Tennis-Keys leads American charge into quarter-finals at Queen's Club
Tennis-Keys leads American charge into quarter-finals at Queen's Club

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Tennis-Keys leads American charge into quarter-finals at Queen's Club

Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 11, 2025 Madison Keys of the U.S. in action during her round of 16 match against Russia's Anastasia Zakharova Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge (Reuters) -Second seed Madison Keys powered into the quarter-finals of the Queen's Club Championships with a 6-3 6-2 win over Anastasia Zakharova on Wednesday while fellow Americans Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova also progressed. Australian Open champion Keys had an early wobble in the opening set in her first grasscourt match of the season when she found herself 3-1 down as she tried to find her footing. But she did not panic and quickly recovered to win the next five games, sealing the set with an ace straight down the middle. Zakharova had her moments in the second set but could not contend with the power of Keys, who converted five break points and clinched victory with an unreturned serve to wrap up the contest in 68 minutes. "Always tough to play your first match on the grass, especially against someone who's already played a few matches. But overall, pretty happy and happy that I get another match here," Keys said. "The first couple of games felt like I was just trying to find my footing. Once I did, I feel like I played really well." Third seed Navarro overcame a nightmare opening set and also saved match point to beat Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 1-6 7-6(4) 6-3. After Navarro saved a match point in the second set, Haddad Maia led 4-2 in the tiebreak but the Brazilian lost her momentum when play was paused so an audience member could receive medical treatment. Haddad Maia then began making errors and Navarro pounced, forcing a decider where the Brazilian lost serve with a double fault before Navarro clinched victory in a match that lasted nearly three hours. "It wasn't easy. I think I've spent the most time on a match court with Bea than anyone else. We play each other all the time and we always go to three sets," Navarro said. "I've only been playing on grass for about four days, it's a quick turnaround." Navarro set up a quarter-final clash with Anisimova, who needed only 64 minutes to beat Sonay Kartal 6-1 6-3, the second Briton she had beaten at the tournament after Jodie Burrage. "I'm so sorry, guys," she told the home fans. "There's been some tough matches here but I am enjoying it and glad to be through to the next round. "There are so many strong girls right now in America and I am so happy to see us doing well. I am sure the match with Emma will be a battle. She is a tough player and I am looking forward to it." Any home hopes of British success in the doubles also went up in smoke when Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter lost 6-2 7-5 to top seeds Erin Routliffe and Lyudmyla Kichenok. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)

Cricket-Smith confident as Australia seize control against South Africa
Cricket-Smith confident as Australia seize control against South Africa

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Cricket-Smith confident as Australia seize control against South Africa

Cricket - 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final - South Africa v Australia - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - June 11, 2025 Australia's Steve Smith in action Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers LONDON (Reuters) -Australia batsman Steve Smith hopes the variable bounce at Lord's will help them make further inroads into South Africa's fragile batting line-up on the second day of the World Test Championship final on Thursday. Australia had South Africa reeling at 43-4 at the close on Wednesday after being put in to bat first and scoring 212. Smith marked his first outing since March with 66 runs and felt Australia were in the driving seat after the opening day. Yet they were now looking to capitalise on their advantage. 'I think the bounce is going to be variable throughout the game, as we've seen already on day one, so hopefully we can get a few early wickets in the morning and sort of go through them and have a bit of a lead. That's the ideal scenario for us right now." Australia are 169 runs ahead after a day in which 14 wickets fell. 'I think we're in a good spot. We've probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total, but I think the wicket offered something all day. 'We could have had a better day, but we're still in a nice position,' he said after stumps on Wednesday. Smith, a prolific run scorer at Lord's, was returning after a lengthy holiday in which he said he hardly picked up a bat. 'I felt good, felt in a nice place. I love batting here at Lord's and enjoyed my time while I was out there but left a few in the shed, unfortunately. 'It felt quite tricky, the wicket felt like it was doing enough all day... probably a little bit on the slower side, and then one kind of zings through.' Smith was irritated to have been dismissed by part-time spinner Aiden Markram, trying to slog him to theboundary but getting a healthy edge to slip. 'I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that,' he said. (Editing by Toby Davis)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store