The Camogie Association will hold a special congress on the skorts issue at Croke Park tonight, where a vote will be taken on whether or not to allow shorts to become part of the official kit for the sport.
Camogie has been in the headlines both domestically and internationally because section part 2 6.b of the Camogie Association rulebook states that playing gear must consist of a ‘skirt/skort/divided skirt’ with shorts not mentioned.
Under current rules, camogie players are not permitted to wear shorts during matches, to the anger of many players, who have become increasingly vocal, visible and defiant in their protests against the rule.
The issue has festered in the background for several years but came to a head at the start of May before the Leinster semi-final encounter between Kilkenny and Dublin, where players protested as they first came out in shorts before changing into skorts, having being told the game would not be played.
The Gaelic Players Association annual survey of 650 camogie players reported that 70% had reported discomfort wearing a skort with a 83% believing players should have a choice.
A motion went before the 2024 Camogie Congress in Kildare to allow players to wear shorts fell well short of the 66% support required to pass as only 45% voted in favour.
With that motion failing it was widely expected that the issue would not be put before congress again until 2027, however the recent furore saw the Camogie Association call a special congress to vote on the issue.
Camogie president Brian Molloy has said that he supports choice on the issue, but can’t enforce change.
Molloy said he cannot tell anybody how to vote because it is a democratic process, but it is his personal view that he “wants to see choice”.
“I can’t tell a delegate how to vote. I can and have told delegates that they are to ask their players,” he added.
Like the previous vote, this evening’s vote will require 66% support to allow change.
