The Camogie Association says its priority for the 2021 season is "providing as much camogie to as many girls as possible in the remaining eight months of the year".

The association has opted to start the 2021 campaign with the Littlewoods National Leagues before switching to the AIB Club Championships and then finishing off the year with the All-Ireland Championships.

This decision has met with criticism in the past 24 hours.

A GPA poll revealed that there was widespread support among county players for a split season similar to the men's structure this year. This would mean the inter-county season first and then a separate block for the club championship.

That GPA poll revealed that 82% of players voted for the inter-county season to be finished first, with club championship to follow and the GPA says it is seeking clarification from the Camogie Association after the decision to instead proceed with club championships before inter-county championships.

When news of the new format was made public last night, many club and county players took to social media to voice their disquiet at the proposed 2021 structure.

"This was the same approach taken in 2020 – participation is a priority for the Camogie Association."

In a statement to RTÉ Sport, the Camogie Association gave their reasoning for making the call.

"Having lost four months from the normal playing calendar due to Covid restrictions in both jurisdictions, the association wanted to provide as much camogie to as many girls as possible in the remaining eight months of the year," the statement read.

"This was the same approach taken in 2020 – participation is a priority for the Camogie Association."

There was much movement last Thursday following the Government’s announcement on easing of restrictions, which followed earlier easing of restrictions in the Northern Ireland.

Following that Government announcement, the Camogie Association national executive met to consider the optimal approach to fixtures for the remainder of the year and decided on the national league – club – inter-county championships format. It said information on actual start dates of these competitions is due to follow.

The statement added: "A draft schedule was circulated to units in December and feedback sought. This feedback suggested two diametrically opposed preferences – the first to run all adult inter-county activity in succession and the second option was to run county-club-county."

The association says that key considerations in the decision it reached on the proposed format were to maximise games opportunity for all players.

"It is important to provide meaningful competition to as many players as possible."

"And given the fact that most club activity had ceased in August/September 2020, to consider running the inter-county championship directly after the Littlewoods National Leagues would mean that club players would have missed out on almost a full year of camogie," the statement continued.

"It is important to provide meaningful competition to as many players as possible."

The Association added that availability of floodlit and all-weather facilities in the winter months to club teams was a further issue. Other factors in the decision to go national league-club-inter-county championships were the aim of maintaining a high profile of camogie activity across the remaining months of the year and aligning with the scheduling of State exams.

"In making the decision there were always going to be people unhappy as there are two distinct and opposing views," the statement read.

"We are putting faith in our people to work together. It is a big call and a big ask."

"This approach, as outlined by Uachtaran Hilda Breslin at a county chair meeting on Friday evening, will require everyone in camogie to work together - clubs and counties - to make it work.

At that meeting, the new camogie president said: "We are putting faith in our clubs that they will co-operate and girls will be able to play county, and that county teams will release players to clubs. We are putting faith in our people to work together. It is a big call and a big ask."

Meanwhile, the association says a number of clarifications have been sought in relation to that Government announcement, but their intention is to also run underage inter-county championship competitions at under-16 and under-18.

The Camogie Association also confirmed that it will continue to lobby the Government in relation to support for running its competitions and activity in 2021.