Sport in France is recognized by the IOC. . Professional players play the very competitive form of Pétanque which is called Pétanque Sport, under precise rules. The competitive form is played by about 480,000 persons licensed with the "Federation Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal" (FFPJP). The FFPJP is the 4th largest sports federation in France. Orienteering is a reasonably popular sport in France; it is regulated by the Fédération Française de Course d'Orientation (FFCO) Cricket is a developing sport in France. Some reports claim that cricket was invented in France, however, the sport is relatively unknown due to inadequate media coverage. In
Sport in Wales In retirement Francis became a best-selling author of crime novels set in the racing world. A popular, if unusual, form of horseracing in Wales is harness racing, known in Wales as 'trotting'. The oldest trotting meet in Wales is the Llangadog which has been held every Easter Monday since 1884. In 1990, 'Tir Prince' an American-style raceway was opened in Towyn which now holds 13 races a year, many of which are shown on Welsh language television channel S4C on its programme "Rasus". The sport of lacrosse in Great Britain gained popularity when Queen Victoria championed the sport as suitable