Huge women's sporting final is CANCELLED as stars battle to wear piece of clothing male players take for granted

Daily Mail​

12-05-2025

A major fixture in the Irish sporting calendar has been called off after two teams of camogie players refused to wear skorts.
Cork and Waterford's camogie players claim they are feeling 'completely let down' by league bosses over a decision to postpone Saturday's senior final after players made it clear they wanted the option to be able to play in shorts.
Camogie, which is considered the women's version of hurling, is played by over 100,000 women across Ireland.
Both sides were due to meet at the Tipperary County Camogie Grounds over the weekend but the Munster Council, who organise the Munster Senior Club Camogie Championship, announced at the 11th hour on Friday that their match would be postponed.
'As the current Camogie Rules of play are still in place and the players have indicated they would not be prepared to play the game in skorts, the decision has been made to defer the game in the ebst interests of all players and officials involved,' Munster Camogie wrote in a statement.
'The details of the rescheduled fixture will be released in due course.'
Both Cork and Waterford have since issued a joint statement on the matter blasting Munster Camogie for showing 'scant regard' for players and their preparations to play the match.
It came after both sets of players had made it clear they intended on wearing shorts during the final as an objection to the sport's dress code rules.
Cork star Ashling Thompson said earlier in the week to Her Sport that: 'We're going to wear shorts and if we're asked to return to the dressing room we wont.
'It's not about us versus the association. It's about standing up for wat is right.'
The sport is governed by the Camogie Association, with the Munster Council forming one association within that body.
Under the Camogie Association's regulations on playing gear, athletes are required to wear 'a skirt, skort or divided skirt'.
If those rules on attire are not adhered to, the rules state that 'the referee will firstly caution the player for dissent. If the player/players continue to comply with Rule 6 as outlined above, they will be dealt with in accordance with rule 41.9 (b) for dissent.'
However, a challenge to the dress code rules cannot be made until 2027, after two applications for change were rebuffed last year.
'As a united group of players, we want to express our bitter disappointment that today's Munster Senior Camogie Final has been postponed,' a joint statement from both Waterford and Cork read.
'It shows scant regard for the preparation of players both physically and mentally to be ready for a provincial showpiece, to make this decision just 16 hours before the scheduled throw-in.
'Anyone with an understanding of what it takes to compete in elite sport knows that this could never be in the best interests of players.'
The teams then added that they had been working hard in order to be at their best for Saturday's final and were disappointed with the lack of clarity from Munster Camogie on when the game could be moved to.
'We feel completely let down,' the joint statement added. 'Both panels had meticulously planned to peak for today. Training schedules and workload will now have to be readjusted, while not even knowing when the game will take place.
The battle by camogie players on being able to wear shorts has been going on for some time and came to a head last week in the Leinster Championship when two teams, Dublin and Kilkenny, were told by officials to leave the pitch and change into skorts before their semi-final could go ahead.
'Archaic scenes,' one Instagram user wrote on social media, adding a clip of the players leaving the field.
Dublin captain Aisling Maher added on social media: 'Career low for me today when 60-plus players ready to play a championship game in shorts are told their match will be abandoned if every player doesn't change into skorts.'
Cork and Waterford appeared to note the recent events in their statement, adding: 'There was an opportunity to take a step forward from the recent controversy.
'Instead, a provincial final has been postponed because we took control of what we would wear.
'To us, that feels like a massive step backwards.'
Brian Molloy, the president of the Camogie Association, told a local radio station that he 'empathised' with the players but added that he supported Munster Camogie's decision.
'From Munster Council's perspective, I 100 per cent support their decision,' he said.
'The key here is that we were working right up to the wire to try and resolve the issue and we thought we had.'
'We proposed to the Gaelic Player's Association (GPA) that we would bring forward the congress decision to 2026, and I had a very detailed conversation with the GPA chief executive who welcomed that proposal.
'Then 24 hours later, and I have no issue with this whatsoever, the players indicated, no, that wasn't enough. They wanted it faster than that.
'I have to be careful not to be seen to be telling anybody how to vote. I am saying unequivocally that I want to see choice. That's my personal view, Molloy added.
'I've spoken to a lot of delegates and the consistent feedback is that they are 100 per cent behind keeping the skort but giving the option for shorts.
Dublin captain Aisling Maher took to Instagram last week to hit out at officials after her side and Tipperary were forced to leave the field to change into Skorts, before they could play
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'I'm very comfortable that we will get the support to get it across the line.'
A recent survey conducted by the GPA claimed that 70 per cent of camogie players reported discomfort while wearing skorts and 83 per cent said they would prefer to wear shorts or believe they should be given the right to choose.
In their summary, the GPA states: 'Players should have the choice to wear skorts or shorts on the basis of player welfare. Player welfare should be prioritised over established norms and traditions in decision-making. Players remain open to collaborative dialogue on this issue with the Camogie Association, GAA, Sport Ireland and other sporting bodies.'
Former Camogie star and four-time All-Ireland winner Ursula Jacob said the last-minute postponement of the match was a 'real kick in the teeth'.
'I can see why the players feel let down by the association. I can sense the frustration from these girls,' the former Wexford star said to RTE..
'Sixteen hours notice? Why were they only given that amount of notice? When is it going to be refixed for?
'Players don't want to be in the spotlight for these reasons. They want to focus on the games. This week has been a little bit of a circus. It's not good enough.'
Dublin captain Maher also expressed her disappointment over how 'female players still having to push for permission to wear shorts while they compete at the highest level of their sport.
'In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?'