Female athletes in Ireland are fighting against traditional sport dress codes and gathering international attention for their protests. At the center of the conflict are the Cork and Waterford camogie teams. Camogie, a female version of hurling, requires women to wear skorts, but last week, teams refused.
According to AP News, the teams vowed to wear shorts, not skorts, to the Munster final. When news of the decision reached Munster Camogie, the organization cancelled the match.
Female athletes in Ireland are fighting against traditional sport dress codes and gathering international attention for their protests. At the center of the conflict are the Cork and Waterford camogie teams. Camogie, a female version of hurling, requires women to wear skorts, but last week, teams refused.
According to AP News, the teams vowed to wear shorts, not skorts, to the Munster final. When news of the decision reached Munster Camogie, the organization cancelled the match.
“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 best interests of all players and officials involved,” read the statement from Munster Council chairperson Christine Ryan. Â
Two other camogie teams, from Dublin and Kilkenny, also tried to begin their match in shorts but were required to change.
After the uniform incidents, the Irish prime minister stepped in to call for athletes to “have the right to wear shorts.” However, the sports minister has yet to comment on the incident. Player organizations have asked for that leader to step in.
“Both the Waterford and Cork panels have stated clearly that they intend wearing shorts for their fixture,” the player organization said in a statement. “We have asked the minister to use his influence to call for an immediate, interim relaxation of the rule, allowing for choice until camogie special congress has an opportunity to change the rule.”
According to a poll of 650 female camogie athletes, 83% responded that they would “prefer to wear shorts or have the option,” and 70% said they felt “discomfort while wearing skorts.”Â
Maher, the Dublin camogie team captain said, “Career low for me today when 60+ players ready to play a championship game in shorts are told their match will be abandoned if every player doesn’t change into skorts. 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?”
The camogie special congress will meet at the end of this week to further discuss the uniform issue. It was previously debated at the 2024 congress, but did not receive enough votes to change the rule.Â
