SA State Triples Championships

held at:   Prospect    30 June, 2019

From one extreme to the other… This season’s State Triples Championship was postponed in February due to extreme heat. Second time around it was nearly a washout. Fortunately, the torrential downpour that fell on Saturday made way for a fine day on Sunday. It was a bit chilly and the pistes were still damp, but at least they weren’t flooded and it wasn’t raining.

The atmosphere at this competition was a little different to previous years. This was not just because of the very pleasing record turnout of twenty teams. It was also because many of the players (about half of them) were participating in the event for their first time. However, the standard of competition has remained high in this renaissance period for South Australian pétanque.

Many of the newer teams gave a very good account of themselves, making up about half of the teams that progressed beyond the preliminaries and claiming some big scalps along the way. On the other hand, those who missed the cut included a few of the more seasoned teams who initially might have been seen as some of the strongest contenders for the title.

In the end, though, it was experience that won out. In fact, the grand finalists may have felt a sense of deja vu, as five of the six players involved had also played in the final of the 2017/18 championship. On one side were the formidable defending champions, Selina Dally, Craig Stewart and Alexi Alexi, from the Eastern Suburbs club. Their opponents once again were an Adelaide Hills combo, comprising Brian Tuckfield & Anthony Pietsch, out for revenge, teamed up this time with Ralph Foster.

A very experienced player, Ralph has had an extended hiatus from competitive pétanque but was recently persuaded to return to the fold and thus reconstitute a team that has had some success in the past. It may have been some time between drinks, but the combination of Foster, Tuckfield & Pietsch already had a  State Triples title to their name. Interestingly, their victory in 2009/10 came after having been runners-up the year before.

This year’s final was hotly contested and the quality of the game did not disappoint the small crowd of spectators who stayed to watch — not as much shooting as we sometimes see, but plenty of the more subtle arts of the game were on display. It started as an arm wrestle until, at 6-7 down, the ESP team made their move and forged ahead. They had their chances and, at 12-7, some may have thought the whole thing was done and dusted. However, little did they know that the Hills team were working to a cunning plan. In a masterful execution of the old ‘lull them into a false sense of security then jump them at the end’ strategy, timed to perfection, the latter prevailed to take out the honours.

On a historical note, Ralph, Brian & Anthony become the first trio to win two State Triples Championships in SA. A number of  players have won multiple titles (including Alexi and Craig), but it has always been as part of different combinations.Continue reading

Convocation to the SAPL AGM – 20th July 2019

South Australian Petanque League

Australia Annual General Meeting Saturday 20th July 2019, at 10am at Prospect Petanque Club.

Dear All,

Convocation to the SAPL AGM 2019

This letter should be considered as a formal invitation to your club to be represented at the SAPL Annual General Meeting on Saturday 20th July 2019 at 10am in the Prospect Pétanque club rooms.

This year the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer are up for re-election. If you know of anyone who would be interested in standing for one of these positions please nominate and let me know with a short biography by the 6th July 2019.

We have a legal requirement to hold an Annual General Meeting. However, the AGM19 should not be considered a chore. It gives us all the opportunity to gather together, review the successes and problems of the past year and to get new people involved in the administration of the League. In this way we will all ensure that the League continues to prosper and grow with the support of clubs and players in its activities and governance. Your Club will have one vote at the AGM19, however all your club members are welcome to attend and participate, please encourage them to do so.Continue reading

Interclub Competition Round 6 at Novar Gardens Pétanque Club – 26 May, 2019

The final round of the 2018/19 season was held in less than ideal conditions, with more extensive periods of rain than had been forecast, accompanied by a cold wind. Nevertheless, it was not enough to deter another excellent turnout of 22 teams, at a time when quite a few of the regulars were away.

The story this season has been one of total domination by a single club, the likes of which we have never seen before. Eastern Suburbs already had an unassailable lead, but the prospect of a dead rubber made no difference. Nor did it seem to matter that several of their key players were absent for Round 6, including their entire gold-medal-winning team from Round 5. This time around it was Selina Dally, Craig Stewart & Maurice Belz taking out the day’s honours, with Anna O’Connor, Tim Whelan and Wendy Bensen claiming silver.

All sorts of records have been broken by ESP this year. Perhaps the most remarkable is their final tally of exactly 300 championship points, which neatly equates to an average of 50 points per round. The only way for a club to get 50 points or more in one round is to have the winning team and another team finishing second or third. To do it once is quite an achievement. To maintain it over the entire season is simply staggering. Furthermore, it wasn’t achieved on the back of just one or two outstanding individuals. Sixteen ESP squad members featured in medal-winning positions during the season, with ten players taking home at least one gold. Congratulations to all.Continue reading