France could have right connections for Guernsey sport

The Guernsey Sports Commission’s director of operations, Graham Chester, has highlighted the difficulties posed by ferry schedules for inter-insulars from spring onwards.

Several companies still provide a chance of putting out regular sailings to and from Jersey, yet the current Brittany Ferries summer 2025 timetable has just one ferry between the islands per week – primarily on Wednesdays.

But, at least in certain sports, France’s Bureau des Iles Anglo-Normandes have been pushing to form links that could lead to alternative competition or training opportunities.

Chester has confirmed that representatives from the BIAN have recently travelled to the island to look at various facilities and assess options.

Located in Caen, the BIAN represents the Channel Islands in France with the aim to ‘develop and facilitate institutional, economic, linguistic and cultural links with the French government and its institutions, at the departmental, regional and national levels’.

‘They are very keen to get sporting things up and running in a variety of sports,’ Chester said.

Chester has acknowledged differences in culture and favoured sports, with lawn bowls being popular in Guernsey but not in France, and handball vice versa.

But he is aware of the potential for sports like cycling and petanque to make good use of these links.

‘It’s a chance not to miss, really, especially if the ferries are going to be reasonably-priced and are at a reasonable time of day,’ he added.

As for the current travel options between Guernsey and Jersey, Chester said: ‘There’s not really anything you can hang your coat off.

‘We’re waiting for the timetables to come out as, at the moment, nobody is going to be able to go to Jersey.

‘We are working to see what other options are available.

‘We’ve said that from a sports point of view, a non-weekend boat is no use for a sporting event.’