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26th Jan 2016

VIDEO: Connacht’s Russian opponents tried hurling in Galway and they were pretty good at it

Conor Heneghan

Siberia isn’t exactly a hurling stronghold.

Russian side Enisei STM made the long, long, long trip to Galway (over 3,500 miles) for a Challenge Cup clash at the weekend, but rugby wasn’t the only sport they played during their stay in the west.

The Enisei management team were invited down to Liam Mellows GAA club to get a taste of hurling on Friday night and after watching the club’s under-21 team training at their all-weather facility, they got to try it out for themselves.

Clubman Mickey Grealish sent us on the video below and remarked how impressed he was at how quickly the Enisei management took to the small ball game, putting it down to their experience of ice-hockey when they were kids.

They were also treated to a performance by World Champion Irish dancer and Liam Mellows under-21 player Colm Conneely, who managed to put on quite a show despite wearing football boots and a hurling helmet.

The match with Connacht didn’t go too well for Enisei, but this little excursion will have provided them plenty of lasting memories for the long, long, long trip home.

Cheers to Mickey Grealish for sending this our way. If you have something you would like to share with us, send it to our WhatsApp number 087-4001102, editorial@JOE.ie or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter.

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