Maxi Curran says 'our girls will be lucky to get 5 cent a mile' in expenses

Maxi Curran admits he feels the ladies game might never get to the parity of men’s, saying his panel are ‘lucky to get 5 cent a mile’ in expenses.

There is currently a standoff between the GAA and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) over expenses in the men’s game, with the GAA offering 65 cent a mile expenses for players for four sessions a week.

“I have to say, we look at that situation with a wry smile, to be honest,” Curran said on Tuesday. “Because the expenses for ladies footballers is something that’s going to have to be tackled by all aspects of the sporting society in the country at the minute. While the guys get their 65 cent a mile, our girls will be lucky to get 5 cent a mile. And that’s the counties that are going well. With the price of fuel at the minute, it's a massive, massive issue.

“So we’re not burdened down by that challenge at the minute because they don’t get anything as it stands. It’s the men’s game that generates the big funds. For the ladies game to get some form of parity for their players you’re probably going to have to tap into the corporate side of it. Or else the men’s board are going to have to make a massive gesture towards their female counterparts.”

“We’ve had meetings in Donegal ourselves with the board on that issue, trying to reimburse the girls in some shape or form. We’re not even ever having a conversation about 65 cent a mile – if we got to 5 a cent a mile we would be happy. It would be an improvement on what they’re getting.

“It is an issue. You’re looking at the corporate end of things to try and come in. Maybe sponsor a set of fuel vouchers. It’s quite an unprofessional way of doing it but we have to take drastic steps at the minute to try and equalise things. Because it’s a big issue, especially with county teams having an awful lot of students in the ranks. I don’t know where it’s going to end. We are on the rise but I think it will take a long time and I don’t know if it will ever get to a level of parity with the boys, to be fair.”

A motion to GAA Congress for priority to be given to integration with the LGFA and Camogie Association was carried in February. Then, delegates at the 2022 Annual LGFA Congress last month voted to amend the integration motion to reflect the wording of the GPA motion that was passed by GAA Congress last week and was passed overwhelmingly.

Ahead of their Lidl Ladies NFL Division 1 final against Meath at Croke Park on Sunday, Curran commended the commitment of Donegal’s players, who continue to show desire to wear their county jersey in trying circumstances. With players in Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Dublin and Belfast, Donegal train in Omagh.

“It’s a day’s work for them to get to Donegal most days, never mind for a training session,” he added. “We meet in Omagh. It’s about a two-hour trek for the girls coming from the far side of Donegal and about two and a half hours for the girls coming from Dublin. To compete with the top teams, we just feel we have to do that. it’s not a complaint, it’s not a whinge – it’s just a matter of life. For us, geography is a hurdle.

“When you look at the expenses side of things and the level of recompense that’s there for a boy, it’s a salary in itself nowadays, what some of them get out of it, especially in a county like Donegal where there’s so much travelling to be done.

“There’s guys that do well out of expenses whereas the girls, it’s just for the love of it. It’s just pure, sheer love of the game. There’s an innocence to it that’s not in the men’s game. They’re just there and it’s costing them an awful lot and an awful lot of money.

“Career choices, there’s girls putting off starting families, there’s married women playing inter-county football and they’re putting off starting their families and all that and it’s just for the love of the game and in our case it’s just to get Donegal over the line and win a national title and that in itself is a great driver for me to work with people at that level.”