First FootGolf championships

FOOTGOLF is the new sports craze in France - and players are competing today in the finals of the first French FootGolf Cup in Paris.

The sport, which involves kicking a football into a series of large holes and uses the same rules as golf, was introduced to France last year. There are now eight courses where you can play a nine-hole or 18-hole round.

Since March more than 800 FootGolfers have taken part in 11 regional qualifying stages of the French FootGolf Cup. Today 200 players will participate, as individual competitors or in teams of two, for the championship titles at the Bellefontaine Golf Club in Paris.

The 10 best players will be invited to join the national team and represent France in international competitions next year.

Romuald Pretot, President of the Association Française de FootGolf AFFG says the sport is closer to football than golf, even if players are encouraged to dress more like golfers than footballers, wearing knee-length socks, Bermuda shorts, tank tops and caps.

He says it is easy to learn, accessible and good fun and you can play either at casual or competitive levels.

The new sport kicked off in the Netherlands in 2009 and is now played in 17 countries including the UK.