Former Donegal football captain Nadine Doherty has welcomed the imminent implementation of a mandatory players' charter to cover players under all three Gaelic games associations, saying it is vital to ensure women's football and camogie retain their top players.
A formal announcement was expected this week but has been delayed, apparently as details around Sport Ireland administration of grants are finalised.
But in the coming weeks, the first mandatory charter for inter-county ladies football and camogie players, will be introduced, detailing minimum standards that will include travel costs, nutrition allowances and guaranteed access to physios and other services.
The GAA will contribute to the mileage costs of the Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie Associations, as the three associations move towards a merger that has a projected date of 2027.
"Sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life," Doherty told 2fm’s Game On.
"This weekend we have the LGFA congress so I’m sure the CEO Helen O’Rourke and Mícheál Naughton, the president, will probably address it in some form in their annual reports.
"The step is so positive and it’s one that the players have been advocating for for a really long time.
"The general public’s attention would have been drawn to it with the protests last summer but this is going on ten years, in different teams.
"What stood out for me is the equality, in a sense. I feel this parity is necessary to ensure the minimum standards of support and to keep players playing the game, in terms of their physical, mental and financial well-being. The biggest one is the financial because that impacts on the other two."
"They won't forget about the difficult years but it will make things a lot easier going forward."
Doherty hung up her boots a decade ago but is delighted that some of the ladies football and camogie veterans will enjoy basic supports that their male equivalents have long received.
"It’s brilliant for the players, especially for those who were involved in kickstarting this eight to ten years ago, possibly nearing the end of their careers, and they’re going to have a couple of years where those minimum standards will be in.
"When I was playing, expectations were quite low. Social media has played a huge part, the GPA amalgamating with the WPGA [in 2020] has played a massive part as well, so I’d say in the last five years it has really been frustrating for players, because everything has gone so professional, we’re amateur in name and that’s about it.
"They won’t forget about the difficult years but it will make things a lot easier going forward."
Doherty also thinks that the mandatory charters will help county boards to restrain management costs.
"It’s massively important for county boards," she said. "Those people are volunteers, they do not have the financial prowess that GAA county boards have, so they are going to be able to ensure that expenses for players are prioritised over management expenses perhaps.
"Across the GAA world, and LGFA, management expenses are through the roof. That’s part of running a team but with this they can ensure they have their budget, the minimum standard goes to the players and then budget for your management team.
"It’s huge credit to these county boards. It’s a thankless job and they do their best. It’s great that governing bodies are now coming on board to support the volunteers."
