Earlier this week, it was confirmed by Munster Camogie that Butlerstown would represent Waterford in the intermediate provincial competition.
That decision followed the series of appeals to have the game with Modeligo moved in order to accommodate the players who would have had to play two games in two days across football and Camogie.
The sequence of events that led us to this point are detailed in this article, with further reading linked.
As it stands, Modeligo have filed an appeal at the national level as they seek a resolution to this situation.
The club have released a statement to WLR in response to the intermediate title being awarded to Butlerstown.
That statement will be included here in full.
Waterford Camogie were unable to comment owing to the ongoing appeal with the National Transfers, Hearing and Disciplinary Committee (NTHDC).
Statement on behalf of Modeligo GAA & Camogie Club
Modeligo GAA & Camogie Club are hugely disappointed at the blatant disregard for the Welfare of our adult players, & potentially for all female players of Gaelic Games, as recently displayed.
Our Intermediate Camogie squad found themselves faced with a serious issue which was highlighted to the Waterford Camogie Executive AND Fixtures Committees at the earliest opportunity in both verbal & written correspondence.
20 players from our panel were also involved in the LGFA Munster Junior Football Semi-final, playing with Na Déise Ladies Football Club on the same day, date & time as the County Intermediate Camogie Final … Saturday, October 21st at 2pm.
We highlighted this problem, but also came with solutions hoping they would be well received, & simply asking for help for our players to look after their welfare & afford them a fair chance & opportunity to participate at the best of their abilities in 2 huge games which they had earned the right to be in.
Instead, a new arrangement which put both games on within 24 hours of each other was put in place, with no agreement from us & also on the directive that no alternatives would be entertained.
It was, in fact, a contradiction to what we had asked for.
While we do acknowledge that our opponents in the Camogie decider facilitated this move, it still did little or nothing for our own players welfare.
There was, (& still is) ample time & opportunity to rearrange this game, with the winners only playing in the Munster Camogie Club Championship on November 18th, four full weeks from the weekend in question, so why couldn’t/can’t it be moved?
Even more surprising is the fact that only weeks earlier, another Final within our county had been rearranged with Player Welfare cited as the exact reason on official correspondence to the clubs involved.
Further discussion with the Boards Executive, their Fixtures Committee & at this point our opponents, all came to no avail.
It left us with no option other than go through official routes of appeal, which was clearly stated & publicly known by all parties involved.
Unfortunately, we now found ourselves in a position where full disclosure of the details of our appeal would jeopardise the outcome.
With non-compliance to official rules also now involved, we could not officially recognise the rearranged date for this game, meaning we could neither attempt to play it, or concede it, as it’s arrangements were in breach of Official Rules & Guidelines of the Camogie Association, (“An Treoir Offiguil 2023”) & also in direct breach of Waterford Camogie’s own Official Bye-Laws.
At no point did Modeligo ever agree to these arrangements, or indicate them to be acceptable in any way.
Procedures have not been followed;
Official Rules, Guidelines & Bye Laws have been broken.
Common sense & fairness, for some unknown reason, have been completely ignored.
Player Welfare has now been proven to be completely non-existent. At best, it is something we should all aspire to, but will ultimately fail to ever achieve if this is allowed to continue.
The Executive of Waterford Camogie have made a decision which was handed down on Wednesday night last at a County Board meeting, awarding this County title to Butlerstown Camogie, along with promotion to the Senior grade for next year.
Modeligo Camogie were penalised for not fulfilling a “fixture” which is actually still the basis of an appeal lodged with the National Camogie Association’s THDC since earlier this week.
All of this happened, despite delegates from several other clubs stating that they felt this game should be rearranged.
Regrettably, the views of clubs & their delegates have not been given full consideration in this case.
We have now been penalised, sanctioned & heavily fined, all due to a request for common sense to be applied to look after our players & making a stand for what is right.
It seems that this is the cost of Player Welfare!
We ourselves now stand accused of breaching rules.
Yet, the breaches in rules & Bye Laws which we have clearly pointed out, continue to be glossed over & ignored.
We as a club, or our players, are not trying to damage Waterford Camogie or undermine it in any way.
(That accusation has also been levelled at us during the course of these events.)
We have actually had a good working relationship with Waterford Camogie since our Club was established up until now.
Instead, we were simply looking for help, common sense & fairness to be afforded to our players.
It’s what we still hope for.
Why wasn’t it, or can’t it, still be allowed to happen?
This is not a case of “who” is right.
What is actually right is far more important.
We are immensely proud of our players.
They’ve made a stand for what is right & just. To persist with something which is clearly wrong, time & time again, just makes it acceptable. Asking players to go out & perform in 2 games of huge importance in less than 24 hours is not acceptable!
In any walk of life, If someone doesn’t stop what’s clearly wrong & try something different, then nothing will ever change.
In a year where we’ve seen female players making a stand for equality at the highest level of our sport, & receiving widespread praise for doing so, we now find ourselves punished at grassroots level for asking for help.
If this is really the answer, then forget about Player Welfare in Women’s sport, as this certainly would not happen to any of our male counterparts.
We sincerely hope for a Hearing & a favourable outcome from our appeal to the Camogie Association. Our Club stands firm in its belief that this situation can & should be rectified by letting common sense prevail.
