TWO RECENTLY-FORMED GAA clubs will help spread the Gaelic Football gospel in France later this afternoon when they play an exhibition match in front of 35,000 fans.
Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence will go head-to-head in a derby match before the heavyweight Top 14 clash between European kings Toulon and French champions Stade Francais.
Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence.
The match is being played at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice and will be part of the pre-match entertainment after Azur Gaels received a message on Facebook from a Toulon representative.
Azur Gaels, a member of the French Fédération de Football Gaélique, were formed in September last year and it will be just their second ever match.
“The question we’ve received most is ‘how did you manage to wangle that one?,” founder Chard Faul said.
“We received a Facebook message on 22 December from an RC Toulon representative in charge of match-day entertainment. As if we needed persuading, she was offering us seats for the Top 14 match afterwards!
“It was the most extraordinary Christmas present ever. So, on 31 January, we will be representing the magnificent sport that is Gaelic Football in front of the French public.
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“We think this is the biggest venue and/or crowd for any Gaelic Football match ever played on French soil.”
The game between Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence will be played in-between two rugby 7s matches with a short video explaining the rules set to be played on the stadium’s big screens.
A qualified referee from Nantes GAA, Dimitri Martin, will take charge of the contest which will consist of 11 players and four subs.
The Gaelic Football Provence team.
Since the terrorist attacks on Paris, fans have been encouraged to arrive at the stadium as early as possible because of the increased security measures and there is now a greater emphasis on pre-match entertainment.
“It’s just crazy to think that for two clubs, one only 1.5 years old and another literally a few months old, to get the opportunity to play in a huge stadium and to represent our national sport is an incredible opportunity,” a representative from Gaelic Football Provence said.
“We will also get full use of the stadiums dressing rooms and other facilities which is a cool bonus. We may not get to play in Croke Park but this is certainly a bit more exotic!
“If the invitation wasn’t enough, both teams have been given tickets to stay for the match afterwards.”
Faul, who is English but has fallen in love with the sport since discovering it in Toulouse a couple of years ago, asked Toulon if Paul O’Connell could be involved in the game in some form.
Unfortunately the former Ireland captain is likely to be back home in Limerick for the weekend as he continues to work his way back from injury.
Nonetheless it’s an exciting opportunity for two fledgling clubs and another example of the GAA spreading its wings.
Gaelic Football Provence is in existence a little longer than their opposition today but are still developing at every juncture.
After just twelve months, the club has three certified coaches, three referees, a full senior team and has now turned its attention to developing a junior and women’s section.
And incredibly the team is made up of largely non-Irish players. There are a couple of students on an Erasmus who regularly train with the club but at the moment there is only one Irish person playing lining out each weekend.
The Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice. AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
“It’s the most international GAA team I’ve ever heard of,” Senan Ross, who is also on an Erasmus in the south of France, says.
“Our players are mostly French, Italian, Argentinian, Hungarian and German players and that’s just while I’ve been here. I’m pretty sure there is only one Irish person playing for the Azur Gaels at the moment and one English guy.
“Turns out the other Irish guy on the Azur Gaels is from the same county as me, Kerry! Its a small world!”
At around 3pm Irish time this afternoon, two sets of players, from all parts of the world, will come together to showcase Ireland’s national sport at one of the biggest sporting event’s of the weekend.
French GAA teams to play in front of 35,000 fans at Toulon-Stade Francais Top 14 clash
TWO RECENTLY-FORMED GAA clubs will help spread the Gaelic Football gospel in France later this afternoon when they play an exhibition match in front of 35,000 fans.
Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence will go head-to-head in a derby match before the heavyweight Top 14 clash between European kings Toulon and French champions Stade Francais.
The match is being played at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice and will be part of the pre-match entertainment after Azur Gaels received a message on Facebook from a Toulon representative.
Azur Gaels, a member of the French Fédération de Football Gaélique, were formed in September last year and it will be just their second ever match.
“The question we’ve received most is ‘how did you manage to wangle that one?,” founder Chard Faul said.
“We received a Facebook message on 22 December from an RC Toulon representative in charge of match-day entertainment. As if we needed persuading, she was offering us seats for the Top 14 match afterwards!
“It was the most extraordinary Christmas present ever. So, on 31 January, we will be representing the magnificent sport that is Gaelic Football in front of the French public.
“We think this is the biggest venue and/or crowd for any Gaelic Football match ever played on French soil.”
The game between Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence will be played in-between two rugby 7s matches with a short video explaining the rules set to be played on the stadium’s big screens.
A qualified referee from Nantes GAA, Dimitri Martin, will take charge of the contest which will consist of 11 players and four subs.
Since the terrorist attacks on Paris, fans have been encouraged to arrive at the stadium as early as possible because of the increased security measures and there is now a greater emphasis on pre-match entertainment.
“It’s just crazy to think that for two clubs, one only 1.5 years old and another literally a few months old, to get the opportunity to play in a huge stadium and to represent our national sport is an incredible opportunity,” a representative from Gaelic Football Provence said.
“If the invitation wasn’t enough, both teams have been given tickets to stay for the match afterwards.”
Faul, who is English but has fallen in love with the sport since discovering it in Toulouse a couple of years ago, asked Toulon if Paul O’Connell could be involved in the game in some form.
Unfortunately the former Ireland captain is likely to be back home in Limerick for the weekend as he continues to work his way back from injury.
Nonetheless it’s an exciting opportunity for two fledgling clubs and another example of the GAA spreading its wings.
Gaelic Football Provence is in existence a little longer than their opposition today but are still developing at every juncture.
After just twelve months, the club has three certified coaches, three referees, a full senior team and has now turned its attention to developing a junior and women’s section.
And incredibly the team is made up of largely non-Irish players. There are a couple of students on an Erasmus who regularly train with the club but at the moment there is only one Irish person playing lining out each weekend.
“It’s the most international GAA team I’ve ever heard of,” Senan Ross, who is also on an Erasmus in the south of France, says.
“Our players are mostly French, Italian, Argentinian, Hungarian and German players and that’s just while I’ve been here. I’m pretty sure there is only one Irish person playing for the Azur Gaels at the moment and one English guy.
“Turns out the other Irish guy on the Azur Gaels is from the same county as me, Kerry! Its a small world!”
At around 3pm Irish time this afternoon, two sets of players, from all parts of the world, will come together to showcase Ireland’s national sport at one of the biggest sporting event’s of the weekend.
It’ll be a great day for the parish.
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GAA in France Stade Français Toulon