Former Kilkenny Camogie manager and Carlow Kilkenny TD Peter “Chap” Cleere has said that camogie players should be allowed to wear shorts, if they wish to do so.
His comments came after players from Kilkenny and Dublin staged a protest against the mandatory wearing of skorts ahead of their Leinster semi-final yesterday.
Both teams togged out in shorts, but the referee warned that, as per the rules, they had 15 minutes to change before throw-in, or the match would be abandoned
Kilkenny defender Michelle Teehan noted that players are tired of always having to worry if they are being exposed in their skorts, saying that “it’s a very physical game now” and that players can frequently end up on the ground following challenges, “and then you go look, and there’s pictures up of the match, and there might be one where you’re actually showing, and it’s just not appropriate.”
Speaking to KCLR News, Deputy Cleere, who resigned as Manager of the Kilkenny Camogie team last summer, said that he was with the players on this issue.
“Look, my view is that each player should have the right to wear a skort or shorts or whichever they would prefer, and obviously the camogie association voted on it last year, and it was rejected, so I’d be hoping that this could be revisited very very shortly, with a view to giving female sport players and Camogie players the opportunity to wear shorts if they so desire to do.”
He continued by stating “I do believe, and I would be on the side of players on this one, that shorts should be eligible, and female players should be able to wear shorts, and feel comfortable when they’re going out to represent their counties at such a high level.”
