(Reuters) - The Camogie Association of Ireland broke their silence eight days after player protests for the right to wear shorts began, with the governing body's president saying on Sunday that he wants and expects a motion to change the rule to be successful.
The rules governing camogie, the female version of hurling, state that playing gear must include skirt, skort or divided skirt.
Last Saturday, Dublin and Kilkenny entered the pitch wearing shorts before changing into skorts to avoid their match being abandoned, but when Cork and Waterford announced their intention to play in shorts, Saturday's Munster final was postponed.
The Munster Council postponed the game giving less than 24 hours notice and the teams issued a statement saying the decision showed scant regard for the players.
"I empathize with where the players are coming from, and from Munster Council's perspective, I 100% support their decision," Camogie Association President Brian Molloy told RTE Radio.
"The key here is that we were working right up to the wire to try and resolve the issue and we thought we had."
Two motions to change the rule were defeated last year, and player pressure has seen the association call a special congress for May 22 to vote on a new motion to introduce shorts as an option.
"We proposed to the GPA that we would bring forward the congress decision to 2026, and I had a very detailed conversation with the GPA chief executive who welcomed that proposal," Molloy said.
"Then 24 hours later, and I have no issue with this whatsoever, the players indicated, no, that wasn't enough, they wanted it faster than that."
The All-Ireland championship is scheduled to begin two days after the congress, and another vote against shorts would put the sport's premier competition at serious risk.
"I have to be careful not to be seen to be telling anybody how to vote. I am saying unequivocally that I want to see choice. That's my personal view," Molloy said.
"I've spoken to a lot of delegates and the consistent feedback is that they are 100% behind keeping the skort but giving the option for shorts.
"I'm very comfortable that we will get the support to get it across the line."
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
