17 Teams in European Gaelic Football Championships in Rennes

17 Teams heading to the European Gaelic Football Championships in Rennes

On Saturday the 11th of October 2008 the Third Round of The European Gaelic Football Championship & Shield will take place in Rennes, France. This sports event will be organised by the Rennes Gaelic Football team Ar Gwazi Gouez (The Wild Geese). The Women’s Gaelic Football European Championship penultimate round coincides with these men’s matches, combining to portray the best of Gaelic Football in Rennes.

 

EuropeanIrish.com editor Siasy Collins says “There will be 13 Men’s Gaelic Football Teams playing in the European Championship and Shield Tournaments on Saturday, – as well as 4 Ladies Football teams.”

(**Nantes and Paris entered A and B teams, Brest and Lannion combine to form 1 team)

 

There are 20 Men’s Gaelic Football clubs playing across the Continent in Regional Championships throughout the year. These clubs include :
Rennes, Paris, Liffré, Nantes, Brest, Jersey, Guernsey,

The Hague, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Luxembourg, Brussels
Munich, Budapest, Vienna, Copenhagen
Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Pamplona
There are new clubs in Valls Spain; Lyon and Vannes France – and recent developments in Montenegro, Sweden and Russia. Switzerland also has an established Hurling Club.
12 of these Football clubs are sending players/teams to Rennes this weekend.

The tournament is the 3rd Round (of 4) of the Pan-European Championship, the first 2 played in Munich and Budapest, and the fourth on the 8th November, in Maastricht Netherlands.

After 2 rounds, Belgium lead the Championship, followed closely by Paris, Luxembourg and Budapest, with The Hague needing a win in Rennes to be in contention.
In the Shield, Copenhagen are ahead of Amsterdam, Vienna, and Luxembourg & Budapest B sides. Nantes, Liffre, Vannes, Jersey, Brest/Lannion will contest the Shield in Rennes, along with Nantes & Paris B sides.

 

The Ladies European Football Championship has been running over 7 Rounds. This weekend sees the 6th round in Rennes, with teams from Munich, Belgium, Paris, and hosts Rennes. This is an extremely close race, with Belgium also ahead of Paris, Luxembourg, Munich, Madrid, Maastricht and Holland. Every point and win will be valuable with only 1 round remaining after this one.

 

Referees: C Haughney, D Fahy, T Bass and M Cryan

CCO’s: Tony Bass for Ladies and Men’s Championship, M Cryan for Shield

 

Gaelic football in Breton Schools

 

The real goal in the region is to develop the sport amongst the young people. It has been listed as a regional sport within the national curriculum in the area. Soon Gaelic football will join sport the likes of football and rugby as a sport that students can be graded on in their BAC (equivalent to Leaving Certificate). The whole initiative was started by Jean Paul Laborde and Didier Perou and now a combined effort of Anna Marie O’ Rourke in Rennes and Philippe Cornilleau and Olivier Kowarski in Liffre has seen the number of students playing Gaelic football increase. They are supported by the F.F.F.G and ECB.

 

Anna Marie O’Rourke is Vice President of the Rennes GAA Club. Originally from Coolkenno in Co Wicklow, Anna Marie was an All-Ireland Junior medal winner with Wicklow in 1990. She has been instrumental in the growth of the Gaelic Games in Brittany, being the only Irish person permanently involved with the Rennes Gaelic Football Club Ar Gwazi Gouez.

www.rennesgaa.com

www.europeanirish.com