A sporting final has been postponed in Ireland after female players refused to take to the field in skorts as part of an ongoing uniform protest.

Munster council called off the camogie final between Cork and Waterford less than 24 hours before it was supposed to start after both teams announced they intended to play in shorts.

Their defiance has sparked a wider conversation about outdated uniform requirements in women’s sports around the world.

The Irish sport of camogie is a variant of hurling (played exclusively by men) and current uniform rules in Ireland require players to wear a skirt or skort to participate.

It’s the same uniform women have been expected to wear for the 120 years the game has been played in Ireland – but players are saying the sport “needs to catch up” to modern times.

For more than a week, the nation’s top camogie players have been protesting the uniform policy and calling for shorts to be allowed on the pitch.

More than 80 per cent of camogie players would prefer to wear shorts or believe shorts should be an option, according to research from the Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA).

About 70 per cent reported feeling uncomfortable while playing in skorts and 65 per cent said they were worried about being exposed in photos and videos while playing.

One in two players reported feeling anxious about experiencing period leaks in skirts or skorts.

About 60 per cent said they did not want to wear skirts during sport in either context and 65 per cent wanted the freedom to choose from a range of uniform options.

Last weekend, the Leinster Championship semifinal camogie match between Dublin and Kilkenny was almost abandoned when both teams walked onto the pitch in shorts.

Players agreed to change into skirts or skorts only when it was made clear that the match on May 3 would not go ahead otherwise.

GPA co-chair and Dublin captain Aisling Maher took to social media to voice her frustration over the uniform rule, emphasising that skorts are “uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.

“How are female players still having to push for permission to wear shorts while they compete at the highest level of their sport?” she wrote on Instagram.

“In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?”

Maher echoed that sentiment when she appeared on local television a few days later, telling Ireland AM hosts: “We’re sick of people telling us what to wear when we’re playing our sport.”

Players from Cork and Waterford felt “completely let down” when their May 10 semifinal in Munster was called off after they made it clear they planned to play in shorts as well.

“There was an opportunity to take a step forward from the recent controversy,” read a statement from both teams.

“Instead, a provincial final has been postponed because we took control of what we would wear. To us, that feels like a massive step backwards.”

Camogie Association president Brian Molloy told local radio that he supported Munster council’s decision to call off the match but empathises with players.

He added that he’s confident the issue will be resolved soon.

A special congress has been set for May 22 to vote on a motion to introduce shorts as an option for camogie players.

Molloy seemed confident that the motion would get “across the line” despite two previous motions to change the uniform rule being defeated in 2024.

Australasia Gaelic Games President Ned Sheehy confirmed to 9news that camogie players in Australia already have the option to wear shorts or skorts.