The GAA’s Annual Report is a ‘State of the Union’ style review of issues that are facing sport in 2022 and how the challenges they present are being met.
On Friday we looked at the social impacts from clubs and youth to diversity and the burden on volunteers.
On Monday we looked at the area of Governance and today we take a closer look at what is being said about the road towards closer integration with the Ladies Football and Camogie Associations.
Tomorrow we will analyse the Games references and on Thursday and Friday, we will take a deep dive into the numbers.
Integration
At a club level within the sports of Gaelic Football, Hurling, Ladies Football and Camogie there are no formal barriers. That is the strong foundation on which a closer relationship at governing body level has to be explored and brought to life.
The Annual Report highlights the fact that “Member consultation as part of the recently launched GAA Strategic Plan identified an overwhelming desire for the three Associations to come together.”
Tom Ryan also states that “Much of what was positive in the GAA last year was achieved jointly with the other two codes. In fact, the instances of collaboration far outnumber those initiatives pursued independently. And far outweigh them in terms of impact.”
These initiatives include those of Foireann for membership registration, the Player Pathway, a new unified Coaching and Player Pathway, Safeguarding and more.
In 2021 the Camogie Association formally engaged the GAA’s commercial department to act and negotiate on its behalf.
There have been good words on closer integration for the best part of a decade now but matters appear to be accelerating. There is an active campaign from players in advance of this year’s Congress season to set out a timetable and make integration a reality rather than an aspiration.
Players out and about in meetings with media over the past week have been unified in saying that this is something they want to happen and a motion has been laid down before the GAA Congress in Mayo the weekend after next which calls for a timetable of meaningful engagement.
It is hard to imagine how that would not be passed and then the focus will turn to the Camogie and Ladies Football leadership.
Mergers are always easier in advance for the stronger party and in terms of numbers and commercial heft, the GAA is in that position.
Women’s sport is on the rise though and the pace of growth in Ladies Football, in particular, has bettered that of any other sport over recent years.
A new four-year extension of Lidl’s commercial partnership, a third decade of working with TG4, and new sponsorship agreements with Sports Direct and Clear Account pain the picture of an organisation that is doing well under its own steam.
The challenge will be to persuade a sport that is clearly winning on its own terms that it will be even stronger as part of a united Gaelic Games family.
The GAA’s report states that “Any amalgamation can only work – indeed can only happen – when each party is completely happy with the shape, extent and pace of change. So, this is not something to be undertaken lightly, or in haste”.
“It cannot be, or cannot be perceived as, a takeover of any organisation by another. It cannot be forced, and it cannot result in any loss of identity or compromised ambition.”
The day to day reality in well-run clubs is that this is already a partnership of different players, teams and officials figuring out a way to work most closely with each other.
The challenge will be to persuade those who have come up through the ranks with independence seen as more important than collaboration, and identity at times trumping the right to better facilities and timetabling, that going into the future as one organisation will make everyone stronger.
Golf in Ireland has just come through a merger process of the Men’s and Women’s game and can provide a working, effective template on the challenges that will arise and how they can be overcome.
Croke Park this weekend will host Dublin’s women’s team against Cork and the men against Mayo in two competitions bearing different sponsors but played on the same pitch, with fans buying one ticket and players of the future being able to see an equal opportunity to engage in a sport.
This is already in place. It just needs now to be formalised without causing offence or upset to those who do not yet believe it is not only the right thing but the only way to look to the future.
