GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 38 – November 16, 2015 | Page 29

MAIN GOAL These matches represented a flagship event for French GAA in 2015, bringing together the best French Gaelic Football players available, but the main goal is to build towards the GAA World Games which will take place in Ireland in 2016. Both French teams have very high hopes to go and compete with the best countries in the world next year, and this is possible following rapid growth in Gaelic Sports in France in the last few years. Not only were there two matches in Paris on the 7th November, but there was also a friendly tournament between four men’s teams, including Paris, Naives, Lille and Provence. France Ladies Team with coach Jean-Philippe Meunier. These are just four of 21 clubs now set-up in France, with another three currently being developed in Caen, Antibes and Angers. Fourteen new clubs in France since 2009 has meant that there has been a 200% increase in GAA members in the country in the last few years; from 200 in 2009 to over 600 in 2014. SPECIAL Despite the widespread growth of the GAA in Europe, what makes France special is the fact that 80% of GAA members in the country are French. A perfect example of this being that the Paris Gaels won the men’s Senior European championship in 2015, for this first time in 10 years, with a panel of 15 players, 9 of which were French. France and Irish Selections Teams after the match in Paris. Photo: Paris Gaels. 29