Camogie players have begun wearing shorts to matches after multiple motions to update the skort mandate were defeated last year in Ireland. The issue has highlighted a gendered divide within Irish sports

On May 3, Irish camogie players from Dublin and Kilkenny wore shorts in a planned protest against the sport’s skort mandate. During the provincial Leinster semi-final match, players from both teams turned up in shorts, but were forced to change into skorts when the referee threatened to abandon the game.

Camogie is considered the female counterpart to men’s hurling, with minor rule and code variations. One of which is the dress code. Unlike hurling players, camogie players do not have the option to choose between shorts and skorts during play. For years, camogie players have been protesting rule 6(b) of the sport’s code which mandates that players wear a “skirt/skort/divided skirt”.

The players say skorts are not only uncomfortable during play, but deter girls and women from taking up the sport. In advance of the championship protest, the official player representative body for footballers and hurlers in Ireland,…