The Camogie Association has reaffirmed its dedication to continuous dialogue with its members after twin proposals advocating for the authorisation of shorts for players were rejected during a recent conference. The proposals were two out of the total 87 raised during the gathering at The Westgrove Hotel in Clane, which aimed to reform the rules that require players to don a skort.
The Camogie’s Official Guide, Part Two Rule Six (b), stipulates: “It is recommended, where conceivable, that all player attire should be Irish made. The official sports kit must be constituted of a skirt/skort/divided skirt, a long-sleeved or short-sleeved sport top, socks and boots. Uniform socks are mandatory.”
According to the regulations, altering or repudiating an existing rule necessitates a majority of two-thirds. Even though the discussion was prolonged and both supporters and detractors made their arguments, the twin proposals couldn’t meet the requisite threshold among the 150 participants.
Tipperary’s proposal sought to entirely eliminate the phrase “skirt/skort/divided skirt” from the regulations and substitute it with “shorts”. However, the proposal was beaten with a 64 percent majority opposing it.
The Great Britain proposal, on the other hand, sought to strike a balance by proposing that shorts be included as an alternative attire to the skirt/skort/divided skirt. This proposal was also defeated as only 45 percent of the attendees backed it and 55 percent voted against incorporating shorts in the rule book.
In the light of the weekend’s votes, the Camogie Association stated that they had reviewed several motions concerning camogie player attire. Any changes proposed at the Congress would be democratically voted upon, with delegates representing their units’ members in the decision-making process. All members were given a chance to contribute to the dialogue, and various viewpoints were heard prior to the vote.
Key participants in these Congress meetings include Central Council officials, one delegate from each provincial council and delegates from each county. The quantity of representatives each county has is determined by the number of clubs in that county: two delegates for three to 14 clubs, four for fifteen to 30 clubs, and six for 31 or more.
The voting process took place electronically, with delegates using a digital pad system and results being displayed on an expansive screen, closely mirroring the methodology employed by the GAA.
The possibility of a vote concerning attire used in camogie games will not arise until the year 2027. No official communication will be disseminated by the Gaelic Players Association regarding this issue currently.
The team from Tipperary, who initiated one of the propositions concerning the skort in the previous weekend, are expected to compete against Galway in the approaching Division One National League final of camogie at Croke Park on the forthcoming Sunday. Any player or team failing to adhere to the playing outfit rules risks being instantly warned by the referee.
Persistent non-compliance invites a potential second warning which could consequently result in an expulsion from the game. The coming weekend will witness five league finals.