Regrading controversy over as Cork camogie players get nod to line out
The nine Cork players — Sarah Fahy, Niamh Ní Chaoimh, Amy Lee, Katelyn Hickey, Leah Weste, Sarah Buckley, Finola Neville, Lauren Callinan, and Rebecca Walsh — were informed on Monday the Camogie Association had backtracked on their initial decision to reject the players’ regrading applications on the grounds they typed their name on the relevant application form instead of signing with a pen.
With no appeals process open to the players at the time, the arbitrary route was travelled; Camogie Association top-brass agreed to reconsider the nine applications following an arbitration meeting in Thurles, chaired by Dr Jack Anderson, at the beginning of last month.
A statement released by the players yesterday has welcomed the decision which allows them to return inside the whitewash.
“The nine of us are delighted. We have kept the faith, have been training since the start of the year and we are over the moon now that we have our opportunity to play. We’d like to thank the Cork County Board, Aoife Lane with the WGPA and Diarmuid Cunningham as the support, advice and help they gave to us was second to none.”
Cork’s second team have already been knocked out of the Division 2 league so the players will make their return when the All-Ireland intermediate championship swings around in early July.
Although none of the nine players saw game time during last summer’s All-Ireland senior championship, Cork’s All-Ireland success meant they were bound by the rulebook in having to apply for regrading.
