An exhibition of hurling is to be played as part of the build up to one of the United States’ biggest sporting events of the year. The ‘Celtic Champions Classic’ will introduce a short form version of the game with teams of 11 a side at the University of Notre Dame on Saturday, October 19th when Notre Dame take on the University of Southern California.
The initiative is supported by the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association and is being sponsored by Aer Lingus.
This Classic exhibition is a truly wonderful opportunity for us to exhibit hurling at a high profile US sporting event.
The unique short-form of hurling has been devised and trialled over the past six months with a view to having a version of the game suitable to play at established sporting venues.
At the Sport for Business Round Table event on ‘Sport and The Irish Abroad’ earlier this year one of the key points to emerge was the need to have a short version of gaelic games that could allow for their being played in other sporting venues.
Just as the NFL and Soccer have expanded their international appeal through the playing of high profile friendlies and now regular season games outside their normal environment, this is a first tentative step towards similar for the GAA.
15 a side matches require a pitch of 140 metres which is too long to fit into any soccer, rugby or american football stadium. The 11-a-side version will allow the speed, skill and power of hurling to be seen live by a much wider audience.
With up to 100,000 supporters expected on the South Bend campus for the evening football game, Ireland’s leading hurlers will, earlier that afternoon, perform the Super Hurling 11s at the University’s Lacrosse Stadium.
The game will form a key part of Notre Dame’s game-day itinerary and will provide a unique opportunity to showcase hurling to a new and influential audience.
“This joint initiative with the GPA is one that presents us with an unrivalled opportunity to showcase the special game that we all know hurling is to a new audience,” said GAA President Liam O’Neill. “I look forward to seeing how the game is received and also how our players adapt to it.”
Declan Kearney, Aer Lingus Director of Communications added: “This is an excellent opportunity for hurling to further boost its rapidly growing international appeal. We’re delighted to lend our support to the GAA and GPA in the initiative and are looking forward to welcoming Ireland’s greatest hurlers onboard in October.”
Aer Lingus helped the GPA charity initiative to aid the citizens of Breezy Point after the hurricane damage suffered earlier this year, and are also central as sponsors to the Aer Lingus / Etihad Airways International Festival of Hurling taking place in Galway next week.
