Former All-Ireland winner and respected sports pundit Ursula Jacob has made an impassioned plea for the Camogie Association to allow players the option to wear shorts instead of the traditional skirt, calling the current policy outdated and damaging to the sport.
Speaking on Morning Mix, Jacob said the issue reflects deeper structural problems within camogie. “If one rule is stopping even one player from continuing, that’s one too many,” she said. “Teenage girls already face enough barriers to playing sport. Why are we adding to them?”
Jacob, who wore the traditional uniform throughout her decorated career, said many current players find it uncomfortable and inhibiting. “Some feel self-conscious, others say it affects how they strike the ball or move during a game. There should be a choice—some girls are fine with it, but others aren’t. We need to move with the times.”
Her remarks follow growing pressure on the Camogie Association after motions to amend the rule were deferred until 2027. Jacob called this delay unacceptable: “We cannot wait two more years. Every season we risk losing more players, and it’s simply not worth it.”
In her viral social media post—now shared widely across camogie communities—Jacob also criticised how the sport is promoted. She cited poor visibility for league finals and a lack of awareness around some of the sport’s top players.
Highlighting recent successes, including Wexford’s minor team winning a Leinster title, Jacob said the future of camogie is bright—but only if leadership acts decisively. “The players are the heartbeat of the game. It’s time to listen to them.”
Jacob supported fellow campaigner and TD Alan Kelly, who has called for the Camogie Association to appear before the Oireachtas Sports Committee. “There must be engagement now,” she concluded. “We can’t afford to lose another generation over something so fixable.”
Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Sport, Alan Kelly TD, has also issued a passionate call for the Camogie Association to scrap the rule requiring players to wear skirts, labelling it “ridiculous, archaic, and unsafe.”
Also speaking on Morning Mix he shared his personal connection to the issue, as the father of a 15-year-old camogie player. “My daughter Eva and her teammates are constantly adjusting their skirts during matches. It impacts their ability to strike the ball and is simply not practical. They see it as insulting and outdated—and they’re only teenagers,” he said.
Kelly warned that unless the Camogie Association resolves the issue in the coming days, player protests across the country are likely, with some already refusing to wear the skirts. “If this were a workplace safety issue, the Health and Safety Authority would be called in,”
