Nadine Doherty: Equal charter will keep female inter-county players in game

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