O'Connor: 'Massive disconnect' between camogie chiefs and players

DISCONNECT: Cork Camogie legend and 10-time All-Star, Gemma O’Connor. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Camogie great Gemma O'Connor says a 'massive disconnect' still exists between the game's administrators and the actual players, pointing to the current All-Stars debacle as a prime example.

Nine-time All-Ireland winner O'Connor said she is at a loss to explain how authorities thought it was a good idea to pencil in an All-Stars tour for this May, just days out from the start of the Championship.

Cork's Ashling Thompson has stated that 'there is absolutely no way' the county's delegation of All-Stars will be going on the trip 'while all of our teammates are breaking their backs in training'.

Thompson's former Cork team-mate O'Connor described it as a 'bad call from the Camogie Association's point of view' and said she isn't sure 'what they are going to do to rectify it'.

Speaking at the launch of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor camogie championships, O'Connor said the broader issue is that the Camogie Association is out of sync with its players.

"We met with the Camogie Association about four years ago," said O'Connor, who called time on a glittering Cork career in 2021. "That was one of the main points that we brought up, that there is a massive disconnect between the people in the Camogie Association at the top level and actual boots on the ground, the people that play it, the people at grassroots level, the people that are actually involved.

"There's way too much of a disconnect. They're sitting there making decisions based on how it looks good on paper, but not actually how it works physically on the ground. There has to be more taken into consideration with regards to players, and that's the bottom line."

On the All-Stars saga, O'Connor agreed that it amounted to the Camogie Association shooting itself in the foot.

"You would not see a senior hurler or a senior footballer being put into this position with their respective counties," continued the 11-time All-Star. "I don't know how they have managed to come up with this idea and think it is good.

"It is really bad for the game, it is really bad from the management point of view, in terms of how the Camogie Association is organising the whole Camogie championship. It looks really poor, to be honest, and I know Cork have made a decision to say that they are going to step away from it in protest.

"You could not expect any group of players to go away for a week and not be with their teams so close to the Championship."

Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese is currently heading up a steering group on the planned integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association. Outlining her vision last month, McAleese said that the committee is 'up and running' and that they have already 'started a comprehensive and thorough listening process'.

Full integration won't guarantee that issues like the All-Stars headache wouldn't occur again but it should reduce the likelihood of such embarrassing episodes happening.

"I think there seems to be a bit of lip service paid towards it," said O'Connor of integration. "It's been said and it's been mentioned but there seems to be no real action or progression on it. Camogie badly needs it, the players badly need it and it's something that I'm in favour of.

"I think the Camogie Association itself can't survive by itself and I think players feel the effects of that. You need the biggest, strongest governing body behind it and that's the GAA, that's a fact.

"Women in sport need an extra bit of help, that's just a fact of life so why not take it?"

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"I'm definitely in favour of inclusivity in the transgender community"

O'Connor says she's all about 'inclusivity' in the Camogie Association but is unsure how the issue of transgender athletes wishing to play the game should be legislated for.

The LGFA has confirmed a new policy allowing for transgender women and girls to play ladies football, subject to various criteria being fulfilled.

O'Connor says that she is 'definitely in favour of inclusivity' for the transgender community but isn't fully sure how the Camogie Association should go about catering for this cohort of players.

"I maybe don't know enough about it," conceded O'Connor. "I'm all for equality and all for making people feel inclusive but I suppose you have to realise too the implications of it, in terms of physiologically and stuff like that," said 11-time Camogie All-Star O'Connor.

"Is it safe for people? Yes and no. Maybe a process needs to be in place of who exactly is going to be playing this. Again, I don't think it's as black and white as what people make it out to be.

"I'm definitely in favour of inclusivity in the transgender community but how that is going to be implemented, I don't know. As I said, I wouldn't have enough (information) on it. But I'm definitely forward thinking in that regard, yeah."

Under the LGFA's new policy, players under 16 will be required to provide confirmation from a GP that 'the applicant has transitioned/is transitioning from male to female and intends to live their life as a female'.

Over 16s will require the same medical confirmation or a Gender Recognition Certificate, along with records of their testosterone levels.