Cork councillor and veteran camogie player says respect for players is at the heart of skort issue

A Cork councillor who is a veteran camogie player and coach has said the controversy over rules which dictate that camogie players must wear a skort - a skirt over a pair of shorts – is down to a lack of respect for players.

It comes after the decision to postpone Saturday’s Munster Senior Camogie final between Cork and Waterford.

That game was due to take place at 1pm at The Ragg in Tipperary, but on Friday evening the Munster Camogie Association issued a statement to say the game was off due to the ongoing shorts versus skort stance by players.

During the week both Cork and Waterford indicated they were going to wear shorts, but under current rules players must wear skorts for a game to start.

A special congress to discuss the matter is due to be held by the Camogie Association on May 22.

The Munster Association said it had postponed the game until “a later date likely when shorts are permissible attire following the special congress vote on May 22”.

Sinn Féin councillor Michelle Gould, who played camogie for many years and is secretary of St Vincent’s Camogie Club and manager of the UCC Senior B camogie team, told The Echo her heart went out to the players.

“I really feel for them, with the mental and physical preparation they will have put in, and this controversy bubbling away all the time on top of it, only for the final to be called off 15 or 16 hours before throw-in,” Ms Gould said.

“It’s very disappointing for the players, they should have been let play in shorts, they should have let the Munster final go ahead, the appetite is there to change the rule, they really could have handled it better and had a bit of respect for the players.

Ms Gould added that the players, who had "put their hearts and souls into preparing for the match," deserved more respect.

“The only good thing is that the players have the support of everyone now,” she said.