WGPA condemn camogie and football fixtures clash: “This is an unacceptable situation”
Cork and Clare’s dual players are being asked to either choose between the two codes they play - camogie and Gaelic football - or attempt to play two important inter-county fixtures in one day.
The fixtures clashes are on Saturday July 11, with three dual players from Cork affected and four from Clare.
The Cork camogie team are due to face Offaly in their All-Ireland championship group fixture, with the match fixed for Páirc Uí Rinn at 2pm. Just hours later the Cork football team are down to play Kerry in the Munster final - with that game to be played in Mallow at 6pm.
Clare are facing a similar problem on the same day, with the camogie team scheduled to play Dublin at noon, while the footballers are in action in the Munster intermediate final against Waterford at 4pm.
Remember the word 'GUBU'.
— Finbarr Mc Carthy (@FiFinnymac) July 7, 2015
It comes to mind in the @OfficialCamogie and @LadiesFootball Cork dual players situation.
This afternoon the Women’s Gaelic Players Association (WGPA) released a statement condemning the fixtures .
The statement said: “We feel this is an unacceptable situation for the players involved; it is not okay to ask players to play two championship games in one day. There are serious issues around player welfare, potential injury and diminished performance, as well as the health and safety of the players rushing between venues.
“The fixtures have been in place since the start of the year so the issue should have been addressed some time ago. A suitable compromise such as staggering matches over the course of a weekend, which has worked in other provinces would serve to benefit both the players and the profile of our games.”
LISTEN BACK: Briege Corkery explaining how she and two other Cork dual players may have to play two matches in... http://t.co/uSwHy4GhAG
— Deirdre O'Shaughnessy (@deshocks) July 7, 2015
The management teams involved have also expressed their frustration, with Cork football manager Eamonn Ryan describing the situation as "extraordinary".
This is not the first time this issue has arisen, with Cork having dealt with a similar problem
