The GAA are largely responsible for issuing into parlance the phrase "traditional curtain-raiser", and now the game is responsible for acting as a less traditional curtain-raiser.
An eleven a side GAA game between local sides Azur Gaels and Gaelic Football Provence was hosted before the Toulon and Stade Francais Top 14 clash in Nice, a game that attracted 35,000 supporters.
The game was played in between two Rugby 7s games, lasted 14 minutes, and to aid the French support, the rules of the game were displayed on the video screen.
Provence shaded the brief contest by a point. Azur Gaels' defeat was immaterial: the game is evidence of their meteoric rise to popularity as the club was founded only four months ago.
#GaelicFootballProvence vs #AzurGaels , 10 secondes de gloire sur #Canal #RCTSFP #GAA #AllianzRiviera pic.twitter.com/7nAR2fSCTN
— GF Provence (@GfcProvence) February 1, 2016
Démonstration de football gaélique : du n'importe quoi mais c'est joyeux #RCTSFP pic.twitter.com/zJR8QUiRxa
— Fabrice Michelier (@fmichelier) January 31, 2016
The game was staged at the request of Toulon, as the club's co- founder, Chard Faul told the42.ie:
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.
Paul O'Connell was sadly not present, he was continuing his injury rehab in an equal hotbed of GAA action: Limerick.
