Camogie shorts v skorts row – how did we get here?

The controversy in camogie surrounding wearing skorts has only intensified in the past week.

Players from Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford and now Derry have all attempted to wear shorts in protest to the sport’s rules dictating the players must wear skorts.

The Camogie Association has reacted to the row by calling a Special Congress for 22 May to vote on the issue.

The issue of having to wear a skort while playing camogie is not a new one, but there have been growing feelings of discontent with the current rules for quite some time and recent protests have brought the controversy into mainstream media.

The current rules governing playing gear for camogie state that it must include a skirt, skort (a pair of shorts with an overlapping fabric panel which resembles a skirt) or a divided skirt.

This is in contrast to women’s gaelic football where shorts are allowed.

A recent Gaelic Players Association survey highlighted how 70% of players experienced discomfort while wearing the skort, and that 83% of players wanted an option to choose to wear shorts.

Shorts are generally viewed as more comfortable and practical to wear especially when women are on their period, and with the possibility of skorts riding up they may prove a distraction while trying to compete at the highest level.

Cahair O’Kane, a journalist with the Irish News told the Conor Phillips Show players “have concerns about how skorts appear in images from the wrong angle and skorts coming up”.

“Shorts, a lot of the players feel, eliminate the issue. What players want is simply the choice to wear shorts or skorts,” he added.

Former Antrim camogie All-Star Jane Adams said the enforcement of skort wearing “screams sexism” and that it has always been “an issue” for players.

“Girls shouldn’t be being told what they have to wear. Skorts and shorts look similar, but it’s all about comfort,” she continued.

“I guarantee that one of the reasons why girls are dropping out of camogie is because of this issue.

The rule on skorts was previously debated at the Camogie Association’s Annual Congress in 2024, although a proposed change did not pass a vote.

Camogie is governed by the Camogie Association of Ireland, closely linked to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and alongside the Ladies Gaelic Football Association which is scheduled to formally integrate into the wider GAA in 2027.

Another challenge to the rule on skorts could not be brought until 2027 after two motions were defeated last year.

Yet recent pressure caused by protests from players has forced the governing body to call a Special Congress for 22 May to vote on the issue, which if passed would give players the option to wear shorts from 24 May.

“The association had proposed to deal with this issue at next year’s Congress but having listened to player feedback, the association recognises that waiting until 2026 is not acceptable for many,” said a Camogie Association statement.

On Saturday, 3 May, the first protest this year occurred as Kilkenny and Dublin teams were forced to change into skorts before their Leinster Championship semi-final could go ahead.

Kilkenny and Dublin took to the field at Blanchardstown wearing shorts, a decision both teams had agreed on as a form of protest against the rule, but were told by the referee the game would be abandoned if the players did not change.

Dublin captain Aisling Maher took to social media after the game to say she was “sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.

“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,” she continued.

“How are 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?”

On Friday, 9 May, Munster Camogie decided to postpone Saturday’s senior final between Cork and Waterford amid the ongoing row over skorts.

The game was called off after both sets of players confirmed their intention to wear shorts.

On Saturday, Cork and Waterford said in a joint statement released through the Gaelic Players Association that they felt “completely let down”.

“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.”

On Sunday, 11 May, Derry players were told to change from shorts into skorts before their Ulster Senior Final defeat by Antrim.

Derry initially took to the field in Dunloy on Sunday with half their team wearing shorts and half playing in the regulation skorts.

However, at the coin toss, match referee Philip McDonald reminded joint-captain Rachel McAllister of the current dress-code rule, and the Derry players returned to the dressing-rooms before coming back onto the field with all of them wearing skorts.

Prior to the game, the Derry squad said they had taken the decision that half their players would wear shorts to “stand in solidarity with fellow players who wish to have the right to choose whatever uniform they wish to wear while playing our beloved sport”.

“We understand that officials must stick to the current outdated rules of the game and ask that all officials are respected regardless of the outcome of our protest,” said the Derry statement.

Camogie players have not been fighting this battle alone, with Norway’s beach handball team and England Women’s Hockey team having both endured similar ordeals before reaching their desired outcomes.

In 2021, Norway’s beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a European championship match. This brought a rule change where women can now wear short tight pants.

In April 2023, England Hockey brought in new rules meaning female athletes can choose to wear shorts, skirts or skorts.

That change came after research from England player Tess Howard found gendered kits, such as skirts, play a major role in teenage girls dropping out of sport.

England Hockey updated their kit regulations accordingly, saying it “reflects and represents the diverse participation of our game and our country”.

Hollie Pearne-Webb and Nick Pink, the chief executive of England and Great Britain Hockey, then wrote to the International Hockey Federation [FIH] asking for them to review their kit rules globally.

In June of the same year, the International Hockey Federation amended its rules to give female players more choice with their kit, allowing players to wear a skirt, a skort or shorts, as long as they are the same colour and design.