The local Petanque League season started at the beginning of May, with five leagues covering Romney Marsh, Hastings and the district surrounding Rye.
For the first time in the fifteen years of the league there was no team from Rye. In the past Rye has fielded petanque teams from the Globe, Cinque Ports Arms, the Bedford, the Ypres Castle Inn, the Riverside Snooker Club and the Pipemakers Arms.
This year there are three teams from Rye Harbour, three from Winchelsea Beach and two teams from Camber, Icklesham and Pett. Beckley, Iden and Peasmarsh each have one team each entered in the league. Making the leagues up, are also eight teams at Tenterden, six from Romney Marsh, three from Ewhurst Green, two from Staplecross, one from Watlington and four from Hastings. The petanque players of Rye will be found playing in the local village teams. The League will hold the pairs competition at the Pipemakers Arms in July.
Petanque is fun, cheap, easy to learn and successfully played by young and old, men and women. Our league season lasts from April through to September on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The majority of teams operate from pubs, but there are several social clubs also in the leagues. The vast majority of teams welcome new players and most will take time to teach newcomers the basics of the game.
For the uninitiated, petanque (or boules) is played on a piste (pitch) ideally 15 metres by 4 metres, although it can be a little smaller, and comprised of gravel, sand or bare earth – a gravel pub car park (minus cars) is usually ideal.
You can find out how the teams are progressing here.
Photo: Dennis Leeds-George