SOME LEVEL OF expenses are guaranteed for all female inter-county players in 2024, according to Camogie Association President Hilda Breslin.

The outgoing camogie chief has revealed that the Association’s Minimum Player Charter is due to be released next week.

An agreement was reached last July to deliver a charter for female inter-county players – as called for by the GPA – for the 2024 season. A male player charter already exists, setting out minimum standards, expenses and entitlements.

Breslin stressed that she was only speaking for camogie, but the LGFA’s player charter is also thought to also be ready. The 42 understands final aspects are yet to be ironed out.

“The charter will signify where we’re going as an Association, as we move towards one Association,” Breslin said at a media briefing on Gaelic games integration yesterday.

“We’ve met a lot of [GPA requirements]. We’ve worked hard with the GPA and I think to be very fair to the GPA, they’re realistic as well. This is a starting point. A lot of it is about proper medical facilities, so it encompasses a whole lot. The player charter is achievable and the GPA have said this is achievable.

“This is a stepping stone, so I think they [players] will be happy.”

The GAA’s financial support and investment from the Camogie Association and LGFA have helped, and the charter will guarantee some level of expenses for all camogie inter-county players, Breslin confirmed.

Some, but not all, camogie players have received expenses of late, with disparities across counties. 

“It’s huge, a huge breakthrough. When you think of where we’ve all come from, we are an amateur game to be very fair. So I think the players just wanted recognition of the expense (they incur) and we all understand that, we’re all realistic,” Breslin said. 

“I think this is the first step in moving forward. These are our players and we’ve always said this, we met the GPA before this (row), we gave a commitment before anything last summer that we would work towards this and we have honoured that commitment.”

Breslin believes integration of the GAA, Camogie Association and LGFA in 2027 is “absolutely achievable”. The Kildare native is a member of the steering group, chaired by former President of Ireland Mary McAleese.

“I’m exceptionally confident that integration will happen in 2027,” she told The 42. “I wouldn’t be in this room if I didn’t believe it was achievable and that it will be achieved.

“We have our members behind us, we have nearly a million members looking for this. That is a powerful mandate so absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind that within a very short period of time, we will be all transformed.”

“This has been on the table a couple of times and there’s been a few false dawns,” she added. “There’s been many people who have worked really hard for this.

“We were just very lucky with the environment that we’ve got this over the line. We’ve got a chair with Mary McAleese, so this was going to happen. I’m pleased it happened before I left. I felt when I came in three years ago that this was achievable. Covid really gave us a stumbling block and we all wondered at times. But I’m really, really pleased.”

Breslin also commented on the ongoing skorts/shorts debate. Many camogie players have voiced their discontent at the long-standing playing rule of wearing skorts in games.

A motion, proposed by a number of counties, is due to go before Congress again on 5/6 April.

“It is a debate, there is no right answer,” Breslin said. “There’s many people that like the skort, there’s many people that would prefer the shorts. Ultimately, Congress will decide.

“I actually just think if that’s all that’s wrong with Camogie or if that’s all that people are talking about — skort versus shorts — then we’re doing everything right, aren’t we?

“To me, I’m not going to be wearing one. It’s quite divisive. Hockey wear skorts and it doesn’t come up to the same extent, but ultimately, Congress will decide this year. We took it a couple of years ago, it didn’t get over the line. It is interesting, but we will see come April where we stand on it.”