A CLARE CLUB camogie player says she was grateful of the opportunity to play a league final in shorts last weekend, and play her part in the ongoing protest against compulsory skorts in the sport.
Players from the Corofin and Ruan clubs were permitted by the referee to wear shorts in their Division 4 league final in Clare.
Long-serving Corofin player Aislinn Kelleher says that the referee informed them that he had been instructed by the county board to make a note of their decision in his report, and proceed with the game as normal.
As one of the older players in her team, she says she felt compelled to join the movement after seeing the Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork and Waterford teams taking a stand against players being forced to wear skorts in recent weeks.
After consulting with her own squad to gauge their interest in wearing shorts for the final, she also made contact with their opponents in Ruan.
“We have girls aged between 16 and 42, and every one of them got back to me. They all said shorts. I contacted a girl in Ruan and told her story. She got back to me saying she had to check out with management and the players but was 100% on board and they wanted to do the same.
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“I know we’re a small fish in a very big pond but when we heard about Cork and Waterford in their final and that brought so much attention, I thought we should do something.
“It needed to be a Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford team to come out and talk. They’re talking for all of us, they really are. We feel the same and we’re so happy someone has talked about it.”
Kelleher adds that there was some concern among the Corofin committee members about their plans for the league final, but she assured them that the players would change into skorts for the game if instructed.
“Our management approached the ref and he said that the county board told him they wouldn’t be issuing any fines and that he would have to make a note of it, but that we could go ahead and wear them.”
Kelleher says that some of the Ruan players opted to wear skorts for throw-in as not all of their players had shorts and they wanted to be in uniform. Kelleher is also aware that some of her teammates prefer the skort but that the protest aims to provide the option of either shorts or skorts for all players going forward.
“Every player needs the choice.
“It’s a bit of not being told what to do in this day and age as well. I’m aware that there are older people within the camogie association who wore them [skorts] and are very rigid on these rules, but they have to move with the times. Skorts are part of the history and they’ll be a part of the history, but moving forward, I think choice is the only way to go.
“If it only helps one girl stay playing, isn’t that brilliant?”
Elaborating on how skorts can discourage players away from the sport, Kelleher added:
“The fear of exposure for girls. It depends on your shape and your size. They’re not one size fits all and they have that tendency to go up high and you spend the match pulling it down. There isn’t a club game in the country that girls don’t come in giving out about skorts.
“The day of the game [league final] was in the mid 20s (temperature) and so many commented that the shorts were brilliant because some girls wear three layers (with the skorts). They’ll wear a longer pair of cycling shorts inside the skort to avoid exposure. So, that’s three layers of really tight clothing.
“We lost the game by a point but I think we got a moral victory with the skorts.”
Kelleher is planning to retire from camogie this year after a long career which included captaining Corofin to a junior All-Ireland final in 2010. Her side are targeting promotion to the intermediate grade after suffering relegation last year.
She’s hoping that Special Congress will pass a motion which allows players to wear shorts and on 22 May, depart knowing that her efforts in the protest helped achieve that outcome for future generations.
“To think I finished out my career able to wear shorts legally in matches would be the icing on the cake.
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“I’m quietly confident but you’re thinking, ‘Why does it have to be two-thirds majority?’ Surely 51% is a pass but it’s the democracy side of it. I’m pretty confident because they don’t want any more aggro.
“We want to go on that movement and make sure it crosses the line on 22 May. It’s so important.”
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'I thought we should do something' - Playing a club camogie final in shorts
A CLARE CLUB camogie player says she was grateful of the opportunity to play a league final in shorts last weekend, and play her part in the ongoing protest against compulsory skorts in the sport.
Players from the Corofin and Ruan clubs were permitted by the referee to wear shorts in their Division 4 league final in Clare.
Long-serving Corofin player Aislinn Kelleher says that the referee informed them that he had been instructed by the county board to make a note of their decision in his report, and proceed with the game as normal.
As one of the older players in her team, she says she felt compelled to join the movement after seeing the Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork and Waterford teams taking a stand against players being forced to wear skorts in recent weeks.
After consulting with her own squad to gauge their interest in wearing shorts for the final, she also made contact with their opponents in Ruan.
“We have girls aged between 16 and 42, and every one of them got back to me. They all said shorts. I contacted a girl in Ruan and told her story. She got back to me saying she had to check out with management and the players but was 100% on board and they wanted to do the same.
“I know we’re a small fish in a very big pond but when we heard about Cork and Waterford in their final and that brought so much attention, I thought we should do something.
“It needed to be a Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford team to come out and talk. They’re talking for all of us, they really are. We feel the same and we’re so happy someone has talked about it.”
Kelleher adds that there was some concern among the Corofin committee members about their plans for the league final, but she assured them that the players would change into skorts for the game if instructed.
“Our management approached the ref and he said that the county board told him they wouldn’t be issuing any fines and that he would have to make a note of it, but that we could go ahead and wear them.”
Kelleher says that some of the Ruan players opted to wear skorts for throw-in as not all of their players had shorts and they wanted to be in uniform. Kelleher is also aware that some of her teammates prefer the skort but that the protest aims to provide the option of either shorts or skorts for all players going forward.
“Every player needs the choice.
“It’s a bit of not being told what to do in this day and age as well. I’m aware that there are older people within the camogie association who wore them [skorts] and are very rigid on these rules, but they have to move with the times. Skorts are part of the history and they’ll be a part of the history, but moving forward, I think choice is the only way to go.
“If it only helps one girl stay playing, isn’t that brilliant?”
Elaborating on how skorts can discourage players away from the sport, Kelleher added:
“The fear of exposure for girls. It depends on your shape and your size. They’re not one size fits all and they have that tendency to go up high and you spend the match pulling it down. There isn’t a club game in the country that girls don’t come in giving out about skorts.
“The day of the game [league final] was in the mid 20s (temperature) and so many commented that the shorts were brilliant because some girls wear three layers (with the skorts). They’ll wear a longer pair of cycling shorts inside the skort to avoid exposure. So, that’s three layers of really tight clothing.
“We lost the game by a point but I think we got a moral victory with the skorts.”
Kelleher is planning to retire from camogie this year after a long career which included captaining Corofin to a junior All-Ireland final in 2010. Her side are targeting promotion to the intermediate grade after suffering relegation last year.
She’s hoping that Special Congress will pass a motion which allows players to wear shorts and on 22 May, depart knowing that her efforts in the protest helped achieve that outcome for future generations.
“To think I finished out my career able to wear shorts legally in matches would be the icing on the cake.
“I’m quietly confident but you’re thinking, ‘Why does it have to be two-thirds majority?’ Surely 51% is a pass but it’s the democracy side of it. I’m pretty confident because they don’t want any more aggro.
“We want to go on that movement and make sure it crosses the line on 22 May. It’s so important.”
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Camogie Camogie Association Corofin Camogie Skorts v Shorts