Kilkenny camogie captain Katie Power has spoken out in support of her teammates and opponents following a weekend protest that brought national attention to the ongoing debate around camogie match gear.
Before their Leinster semi-final clash with Dublin, both sets of players took a unified stand—emerging from the tunnel wearing shorts instead of the traditionally required skorts, a move designed to highlight growing frustrations among inter-county camogie players. The referee ordered both teams to return to the dressing rooms and change into regulation gear before play resumed.
The message was clear: players want choice, and they want change.
Speaking to KCLR, Power addressed the issue head-on:
“We shouldn’t be forced, obviously, in this day and age, to be wearing a skort. Nobody has to do that in any other area of life, never mind sport, and the fact that we have to do it whilst playing sport is probably just not reasonable anymore.”
Her comments come in the wake of a recent Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA) report, which found that 83% of inter-county camogie players would prefer to wear shorts or believe they should have the option. The report also revealed that 70% experience discomfort while wearing skorts**, and 65% have expressed concern about feelings of exposure in media content, which in turn affects their mental wellbeing.
Power emphasised that while the gear issue is important, Kilkenny’s focus remains firmly on the championship:
“It’ll be interesting, I suppose, to see what does come of it in the next few weeks. We obviously don’t want to have it as too much of a distraction either coming into championships.”
Kilkenny win on the pitch, but off-field issue remains in spotlight
Despite the disruption and the attention drawn by the protest, Kilkenny kept their eyes on the prize and came away with a solid victory, defeating Dublin 4-11 to 2-12 to book their place in the Leinster final.
In response to the protest and the GPA’s findings, the Camogie Association issued a statement:
“We note the recent research published by the GPA. Player welfare is at the heart of everything we do across the Camogie Association.”
