This week, the Camogie Association (rightly) granted players their long-desired right to select between skorts and shorts after a century of tradition and one month of escalating tension. The Special Congress at Croke Park on May 22nd, 2025 witnessed delegates vote 98% in favour of permitting players to select between skorts and shorts for matches (I wonder who made up the 2% who voted against?). Happily, the new rule takes effect right away to support the upcoming All-Ireland Championships this weekend.
The change beyond wardrobe selection marked a significant cultural transformation for the GAA and this is not insignificant. The mandatory requirement of skorts had evolved into a major controversy that exposed fundamental questions about player freedom and comfort and gender equality in Irish athletic competitions. God knows we want our kids to continue playing sport into teens and adulthood. Indeed, a recent Gaelic Players Association (GPA) survey indicated that 70% of players experienced discomfort from wearing skorts and 83% expressed support for wearing shorts.
A bit of context. The turning point in this ongoing debate, occurred when Dublin and Kilkenny players wore shorts during their Leinster semi-final match in defiance of the established skort rule. The game faced potential cancellation because of the incident which triggered widespread national discussions that received negative responses from political figures and sports competitors.
President Brian Molloy of the Camogie Association recognised the historic significance of the vote by declaring that players would choose between skorts and shorts while the team uniforms would retain their professional appearance with uniform color and design. The GPA commended the decision because it demonstrated how player advocacy leads to better governance in Gaelic games and promotes inclusivity.
The historic vote represents more than fabric choice because it demonstrates how organisations should listen very carefully to athlete perspectives and adapt traditional practices to match contemporary sports realities. The future will bring players more freedom to concentrate on their athletic performance instead of their clothing choices. That’s surely a positive thing.
#Camogie#SkortsNoMore#PlayerChoice#equalityinsport
BBC Sport (2025) Camogie Association votes to allow players wear shorts. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cp3nk495654o [Accessed 23 May 2025].
Associated Press (2025) Ireland’s camogie players win right to ditch skorts for shorts. [Online] Available at: https://apnews.com/article/36950f13dedfcf5ef03cac179a698860 [Accessed 23 May 2025].
The Guardian (2025) Irish camogie players’ shorts protest sparks skort rule change. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/…/irish-camogie-players… [Accessed 23 May 2025].
The Irish Times (2025) Camogie Association Special Congress passes motion to allow players to wear shorts. [Online] Available at: https://www.irishtimes.com/…/camogie-association… [Accessed 23 May 2025].
