Kilkenny's Michelle Teehan is strongly in favour of camogie players ditching skorts.
The garment, which is a combination of a skirt and a pair of shorts, is required to be worn by players though the prevailing mood is that it is impractical and very much outdated. In ladies football, which only became properly established in the 1970s, decades after camogie, players have always worn shorts.
London club Thomas McCurtain’s has pushed the issue ahead of this weekend’s Camogie Association Congress, with a survey that polled some 240 players finding that 82% preferred a switch to shorts, with 75% expressing the view that wearing skorts is not reflective of modern society.
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There is no motion on the issue this weekend though it is likely to be raised in the not too distant future and Teehan strongly backs a switch to shorts.
“I am definitely in favour,” she said. “It’s something that I don’t really see why we’re still in skorts.
“I myself personally would be a lot more comfortable in shorts. Even when you fall to the ground, shorts are definitely a lot more comfortable.
“It’s probably just a traditional thing at the minute but I’m definitely in favour of it. Definitely in favour of that swap.”
Teehan added that there is no practical benefit whatsoever to skorts.
“It’s purely traditional. They obviously have tight shorts under it and then they have a skirt essentially over it so when that skirt goes up it’s just the tight shorts you have so I really don’t think there’s any benefit to them.”
Meanwhile, the James Stephens woman is hopeful that the botched camogie All Star tour can be staged at a later stage for the benefit of the players who were entitled to travel.
The tour, scheduled to take place in Canada from May 19-25, was cancelled earlier this month after players from several participating counties, including Kilkenny, pulled out given that it was two weeks before the Championship, when preparations would be in full train.
Teehan, who would not have been part of the travelling party in any event, said: “It was a huge ask for players. I don’t know, it is a tough one and it should never have been something that a player had to decide on, or to even think about whether they leave their team two weeks out from championship or not. It shouldn’t even be a discussion, really.
“I’d love to see that these players from this year do get the benefit of it later on in the year. I really don’t know what the options are for the Camogie Association or for the players. I know it’s difficult with the fixtures and everything, so I’m not too sure on that.
“But hopefully the players this year can see the benefit of it as well.”
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