With the International Rules this weekend it's worth recalling that on the 19th November last year France played Italy in an international GAA match in Toulouse.
Perhaps France's overwhelming victory on the day meant a re-match was not sought by the Italians this year. Nevertheless this match was a sign of things to come. The French are intent on sending a well-prepared team to represent France in the GAA World Games in Ireland next year and were recently unlucky not to beat an Ireland side comprised of Irish players based in France.
While it will take at least a decade before a French team can take on a real Irish team the growth of GAA in France over the last ten years has been impressive and the standard of Gaelic football is improving all the time.
Which begs the question. Why does the GAA want to promote a game that no-one in Ireland plays? It doesn't have any identity and it certainly doesn't have a future.
If the GAA really wants to promote its games internationally then investment should be made in countries like France where there's an appetite for the game. Not some made-up sport that no actually plays.
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