Women’s GPA busy doing it for themselves

Tyrone Gaelic footballer Gemma Begley, a two-time All Star, is a member of the executive team of the Women's Gaelic Players Association which was formally launched a year ago this week. The association was set up to represent and support inter-county football and camogie players, along the lines of the men's Gaelic Players Association, and to help address any issues that concern them.

So, how have things gone for the WGPA in its first year, have you been encouraged by the start it’s had?

Definitely. There’s been a great response in terms of membership, sponsorship and engagements with other women’s sports bodies, it’s just been a roundly positive experience so far. It’s up to over 1,100 players registered now, well above 90 per cent of those eligible, so we’ve been delighted with that.

We have a rep in each county and they’ve really helped get the message out so we could get players to sign up.

The launch got good coverage so that helped a lot, and I suppose we were able to ride the crest of the wave of women in sport last year.

Your own experiences as a player clearly prompted you to get involved?

Yeah, I suppose when you’re at the coalface of it you can get frustrated with the issues that arise, things like getting pitches, getting somewhere to train, that’s a massive issue for women’s football and camogie teams. But I’d rather be getting something done instead of just complaining about it.

When we brought the reps from each county together I think it was really reassuring for them to hear there are the same problems in every county. Some, of course, are better than others, they provide really good training facilities, but there’s no perfect county.

Presumably you are powerless to improve this without the cooperation of county boards? Is urging them to do better central to your role?

That’s entirely what it is, and we know how difficult it is for county boards and the constraints they work under. In some respects it’s an organisational thing, sometimes it’s because clubs won’t give you a pitch to train on, they’re looking after their own, but the biggest thing, and there’s no hiding from it, is the financial restraints. We’re hoping to meet up with county boards this year and let them know where we’re coming from, it’s all about a collaborative approach.

Is there a big difference around the country in how county boards treat the women’s teams?

There’d be a big variance alright. You look at the likes of Cork camogie and the set-up and support they had last year, their backroom team was phenomenal, but then you’d have other counties that are working off limited coaches and managers.

It’s just going to take time to change the culture of it, our job is to go in there among the county boards and players and make it happen.

And people don’t know just to ask for these things; the culture in women’s sport is just not to ask, so that’s where we feel we can make a change for players. If something isn’t right it’s okay to stand up and say it’s not acceptable.

And you’d have seen last year there were a lot more players speaking out, not even through us but you’d like to think they feel more empowered.

Why were they quiet before?

I think maybe it’s just an Irish thing, that you put the head down and get on with it, that you don’t want to raise a fuss. I think that’s certainly been the culture in the women’s game. Whether it’s a modesty thing or whatever, I don’t know. So it’s about encouraging players to make their voices heard – and at a local level too, on organisational matters, the wee issues.

They’re playing for the love of the game, to represent their families and counties, they’re not looking for anything in return – the number one priority for them when we spoke to them was things like training facilities, getting physio for their injuries, they’re the kind of issues we’re working to improve.

And the big issue of the week: Ladyball. How did you feel about it?

Ah, it’s great to see the investment any way, it seems to be a significant investment too. The ultimate aim is to get people watching the games, so I don’t know what their support entails or how it’s going to roll out.

But on a personal level I don’t think it’s something I would particularly want to be associated with. My overriding emotion was disappointment, that they must have spent so much money on the advertising when it could have been channelled in to encouraging supporters to go to games.

I was probably just a bit disappointed with it. But I suppose whatever investment comes through has to be welcomed, whatever way they go about it. Time will tell how it works out.

Hopes for the year ahead?

I suppose it’s like the difficult second single! We feel like we have to improve on last year, but it’ll be about consolidation for us too. We have the county reps in place, our sponsors, our programmes, so we’ll keep on working together.

I keep going back to the financial restraints, we have to focus on what changes we can bring about. We’ve made good progress so far, but it’s just the beginning.