Camogie Association votes for change to allow shorts

A special Congress of the Camogie Association has voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing shorts to become part of the official kit for the sport.

The ballot on Thursday night saw 98% vote in favour of the change which will result in players having the option of wearing shorts or skorts.

The adoption of the change will come into effect within days, starting with this weekend's games in the All-Ireland senior, premier junior and Under-23 championship matches.

The Camogie Association, which governs the sport and is made up of both male and female committee members, held their meeting at Croke Park.

The controversy over whether camogie players should have the option of wearing shorts or skorts had intensified in recent weeks, with players across Ireland staging protests by turning out for matches in shorts rather than the regulation skorts, leading to match postponements and delays.

Rules had dictated that camogie players must wear a skort, or a divided skirt, for matches, though many players train in shorts.

The skort has the appearance of a skirt but has built-in shorts underneath.

A recent Gaelic Players Association survey indicated that 70% of players had experienced discomfort while wearing skorts and that 83% of players believed they have the option to choose.

Camogie is closely linked to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and alongside the Ladies Gaelic Football Association is due to integrate into the wider GAA in 2027.