Ireland's Camogie Association to vote on whether to allow women to wear shorts

By Trevor Stynes

(Reuters) - The Camogie Association of Ireland will vote on whether women will be allowed to wear shorts when it holds a special congress on May 22, the sport's governing body said on Thursday, following player and political pressure.

The announcement comes after players from Cork and Waterford said they would defy the current rules and wear shorts for this weekend's Munster final, even if it leads to the game being abandoned.

The rules of Camogie, the women's equivalent of hurling, state that playing gear must include skirt, skort -- a pair of shorts with an overlapping panel resembling a skirt -- or divided skirt.

Two motions to introduce shorts were defeated at last year's Congress, and the association rules meant that another challenge could not be brought until 2027.

There had been reports that the association was considering voting on the issue next year, after a protest by players last weekend in the wake of a Gaelic Players Association survey in which 83% of players wanted the choice to wear shorts.

"The Association had proposed to deal with this issue at next year's Congress but having listened to player feedback, the Association recognises that waiting until 2026 is not acceptable for many," the statement said.

"Although similar motions did not pass at the 2024 Congress, the Association is committed to representing the voices of players who wish to have a choice in their playing attire."

Last year, Britain proposed the inclusion of shorts as part of the playing uniform, and this was defeated with 55% voting against, while a Tipperary motion to have shorts as the only option did not pass, with a 64% vote against.

If the motion passes, the new rule giving the option to wear shorts or skorts would take effect from May 24, the scheduled start date for this year's All-Ireland championship.

(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)