GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 23 – April 10, 2015 | Page 24

but Bordeaux managed one last shot that sailed over the bar
clinching a victory and a place in the final against Rennes.
Finishing fourth in their first ever championship was a
great achievement for this fledgling ladies team and the day
was capped off by Angelique winning MVP for the tournament! Thanks again to Bordeaux for hosting an excellent
tournament and we are looking forward to the next round
in Rennes on April 11th.

Rennes perspective
ANNA MARIE O’ROURKE – RENNES GAA.

BACK STORY
The second year that the championship is up and running
and French Ladies football has come a long way since Paris
defeated Rennes in a European round final back in Spain
in 2005. In those days the teams were mainly Irish with a
sprinkling of French players such as the talented and excellent player “Odile Moutounet” from Rennes GAA club
with the many excellent Erasmus students from Ireland who
carved the way forward in helping create Ladies Gaelic football in France .
Ten years on and the profile has very much changed. Ladies Football is on the increase here in France thanks to
many dedicated coaches, teacher , players and clubs active
input into developing the ladies games throughout France.
DEDICATION
On the Saturday morning we [Rennes] arrived to the
grounds where the games were being held. We were greeted
by club members who enthusiastically ran around finishing
up last minute preperatifs. I witnessed first-hand the previous evening the dedication by Nico and Benoit of Bordeaux
club as they prepared 350 Macaroons to be sold during the
tournament.

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Rennes Ladies Team celebrate their 2014 Championship victory.
Photo: Rennes GAA.

Unfortunately we didn’t get the traditional sunny weather
one would hope for in Bordeaux, instead it was more like a
winter’s day in Wicklow with wind and rain, but that didn’t
dampen the atmosphere or the good humour of all participants.
The games were played in a competitive but relaxed atmospher K