With all regular sport, their leagues and seasons on hold or cancelled, a group of about 30 people were introduced to pétanque at White River County Club last Friday afternoon and evening.

Pétanque enthusiast of the last ten years, James Olive, who recently relocated to White Rive Country Estates from Johannesburg, was the instigator and organiser of the event. He was aided by his wife Sue, and William and Brigitte Kleyweg, all experienced petanque players.

A pétanque piste was constructed at the country club between the clubhouse and the golf practise green recently. The 13×14-metre area consists of a surface of compacted soil topped with one centimetre of river sand.

Petanque originated in Northern Europe and has spread to most of the world. The word means “feet on the ground” or “both feet together”.

According to James it is best played between two teams of two with each player playing with three boules (steel balls weighing between 670 and 730 grams), meaning a total of twelves boules will be delivered underarm by all players for each “end” of a game.

“The first team to reach 13 points wins. A game can last between 15 and 45 minutes,” said James.

The teams that starts throws the cochonet (smaller wooden or plastic ball) from the delivery circle out on the piste so that it lands between six and ten metres away.

The first team then throws a boule, attempting to land as close to the cochonet as possible; the opposing team then throws a boule and if it does not land closer, continues to throw until they can land closer to the cochonet, which can be by displacing (“shooting”) their opponent’s boule(s). When all 12 boules are thrown, the team closest to the cochonet scores 1 point for each boule that is closer than their opponent’s nearest boule.

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The winning team from that “end” starts another “end” by throwing the cochonet as before and the game continues, end by end, until a team reaches 13 point to win that game.

Pétanque is a fun and social sport, suitable for young to old with no real fitness level required.

For more information contact James Olive on 082-803-5628.