Wexford camogie team still planning to wear shorts for Leinster final
THE WEXFORD CAMOGIE team are planning to wear shorts in their Leinster final against Kilkenny on Saturday 17 May.
Wexford are the latest county to show their support for the skorts protest, following the example of Kilkenny and Dublin who started the movement by appearing on the field for their Leinster semi-final in shorts.
Waterford and Cork have also signalled their intent to wear shorts for the Munster final this weekend, insisting that they will refuse to wear skorts even if it means forfeiting the tie.
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The Camogie Association has announced that a 'special congress' will take place on 22 May in Croke Park where motions will be considered to address the skorts issue.
Wexford captain Laura Dempsey has told The42 that while they are hoping for a resolution before the Munster final, her side will be wearing shorts for the Leinster final on 17 May, five days before 'special congress' takes place.
'We are hoping that the matter will be resolved before the Munster final this weekend, however we will be wearing shorts in the Leinster final the following week,' Dempsey said.
'Players have made it very clear what they want and have voiced their opinions and concerns in relation to the skorts, so Wexford camogie will also be standing in support to give players the choice.'
The issue around wearing skorts has been a controversial topic in the sport for many years. It was a feature at last year's congress where motions to permit Camogie players wearing shorts were defeated. Skorts came back into focus recently following the publication of a GPA study which reported that 70% of inter-county camogie players find skorts uncomfortable. The study also found that 83% of players at least want the option of wearing shorts instead.
Last Saturday, there were incredible scenes when players from Kilkenny and Dublin were forced to change into skorts after emerging on the field in shorts for their Leinster semi-final which Kilkenny won.
The issue then migrated into the political sphere as the Chair of the Oireachtas Sports Committee, Labour TD Alan Kelly, said he intended to invite the Camogie Association to the committee to deal with the issue of skorts on Monday. Also on that day, the Camogie Association released a statement indicating that rules around the wearing of skorts will remain as they are, despite the Dublin-Kilkenny protest.
More intentions to defy the skorts rule followed as the Cork and Waterford camps revealed their plans to wear shorts in this Saturday's Munster final at The Ragg. Various players from both teams spoke publicly about the issue, including Waterford midfielder Lorraine Bray who told The 42 that this is the right time to press for their right to choose their own playing gear.
'We feel now is the time to put that extra push on the camogie association and make that stance. It's a privileged opportunity to play in a Munster Final and it would be so disheartening if the fixture was not fulfilled under the circumstances but it shows the unity we as players have in making this stance.
'We just want choice for players and for players to be listened to, we are the ones taking to the field at the end of the day.'
Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
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