2021/22 State Singles Championships

This year’s State Singles Championships were held in extremely comfortable weatherconditions. It was fine all day but cooler than one would normally expect in February. Ten players competed in the Women’s competition and thirty-four in the Open, making the total attendance figure just shy of the record set last year.

Both tournaments were very competitive. Of the 145 games played in total on the day, only 3 resulted in a score of zero, and no player in either division managed to get through the whole day without conceding at least one game (more orders for “I beat the Champion” Tshirts).Over the last year or so, the talent pool of SA petanque has been bolstered by the arrival of a number of new but experienced players. Several of these new faces featured prominently in the day’s proceedings...

In the Women’s competition it was Giselle Whiteaker, appearing in her first SA Singles, who put up the strongest showing during the preliminary and qualifying rounds. However, a couple of marathon efforts at the end may have taken their toll. In the final, it was the other standout qualifier, Melissa Scott, who finished with the upper hand. As the defending champion, Melissa’s victory makes her the first person in the history of the Women’s Singles competition to successfully defend her state title and win it twice in a row – a great achievement.Continue reading

Interclub Competition Round 1 Novar Gardens. – 26 July 2020

The new Interclub season started much the same as the last one finished. Not only was the venue the same, but once again we had remarkably nice weather, a huge turnout (99 players – another new record), great competition and a very convivial atmosphere, despite the COVID-Safe requirements.
Once again, this was helped along by the innovative and popular new timing regulation arrangement, which maximises playing time and minimises waiting time, while providing the relaxed ambience of untimed games without the frustrating delays and late finishes that often come with an untimed format. We thank PFA for allowing this arrangement to continue despite opposition from certain quarters.
On the premiership table, after one round, things also look a lot like they did at the end of last season. The top three clubs have all taken up where they left off, the same two clubs are closely vying for fourth position and the battle for sixth is once again very tight.
In terms of the individual honours, on the other hand, the day’s results were more in keeping with previous seasons rather than the last. The winners, ESP’s Alexi Alexi, Arwed Turon & Maurice Belz, had a relatively lean time of it last season — by their own lofty standards — picking up just one gold medal between them (compared to eight the year before). The silver medallists, Deb Rodda, Selina Dally & Wendy Bensen, also emulated a feat they achieved twice in the 2018/19 season. In the bronze medal position was the Adelaide Hills trio of Greg Anderson, Ross Coleman & Quentin Jones, their first appearance on the podium since 2017/18.
Finally, a big thank-you goes to the awesome Novar Gardens crew who once again kept things running like clockwork under difficult circumstances. Your friendly efficiency sets a standard the rest of us can aspire to. Well done.

Round 1 is also the time that individual awards are presented to the most successful players from the season just completed…
The ‘Best Player’ medal went to Selina Dally, who only played in four of the five rounds but never finished lower than 4th in any of them. Selina is a truly outstanding player and has been a consistent performer over many years. This award is thoroughly deserved.
For the second year in a row, the award for ‘Best Player of the Other Gender’ went to a man, this time Maurice Belz — another highly decorated player and out-and- out star. Maurice finished second overall (also from four rounds), trailing by a margin of just one point. Not too “lean” a season, then (only in terms of gold).Continue reading

Convocation to 2020 AGM 10:00 1 August Prospect Pétanque Club

Convocation to the

 SAPL Annual General Meeting (AGM20)

This letter should be considered as a formal invitation to your club to be represented at the SAPL Annual General Meeting on Saturday 1st August 2020 at 10am in the Prospect Petanque club rooms.

We have a legal requirement to hold an Annual General Meeting. However, the AGM20 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 AGM20, however all your club members are welcome to attend and participate, please encourage them to do so.

If your club has any propositions or resolution that it wishes to discuss at the AGM20 please inform the Secretary in writing in by 14th July 2020 this will allow circulation of the content to all members.

Please provide the contact details of club President, Secretary and your club delegates to the SAPL committee at or before the meeting. Remember, each club may nominate two delegates and has one vote.

AGM 2020 Agenda

President’s report

Financial Report

Minutes of 2019 AGM (draft)

Interclub Competition Round 5 Novar Gardens. – 28 June 2020

The fine and sunny weather was as good as it gets in the middle of winter, setting the scene perfectly for our return to organised pétanque after the shutdown. At times it had looked as if our season was over and we can count ourselves very fortunate to be in a position where we could squeeze in one more round to finish off the 2019/20 Interclub competition. On such a beautiful day, the COVID-Safe requirements did not dampen the mood at all.

With 28 triples teams, the attendance was only just shy of the record set in January, suggesting that the unexpected interruption has not taken the momentum out of our recent growth trend. A few of the regulars were not yet ready to emerge from their isolation bubbles, but this was offset by a very pleasing number of new players participating for the first time — representing five different clubs! (Not to mention the presence of some who would normally be sunning themselves in warmer climes at this time of year.) It would seem crowds of this magnitude are going to be our ‘new normal’.

On the day, it was Penny Lyons, Steve Hambour & Terry Hall from FAB who finished unbeaten and took the top honours. Congratulations to them. This notable achievement is the first time the gold medals have gone to a FAB team since 2009 (Erica, Craig & Anders) and it brought great joy to the growing FAB contingent. It came on the back of an epic fifth round tussle against ESP’s Arwed Turon, Nick Armstrong & Maurice Belz.

Gold medalists Penny Lyons, Steve Hambour & Terry Hall (FAB)
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Interclub Competition Round 4 Adelaide Hills – 19 January 2020

Attendance records continue to tumble for the SAPL Interclub competition, with thirtyteams competing in Round 4. This is not the highest number ever, but the last time we had this many the scores were being written with a quill dipped in ink.

The conditions were unseasonably cool for January and Stirling’s reputation for always raining on a League day was reinforced once again. However, this time it was just right — the precipitation was so light and so sporadic that it was barely felt, yet it was enough to dampen down the dust from the previously parched dolomite. The timing was also perfect, as it was only an hour or two after the proceedings ended that steady rain set in, bringing (a very welcome) 30mm or so to the area overnight.

The competition was once again unpredictable and very tight, as it has been all season, and this is illustrated by the following observation: Only two teams were able to win both of their games after lunch and only two teams lost them both. This is quite remarkable considering that the system used dictates there is always at least one of each (the team finishing first must win them both while the last-placed team must have two losses). Of the other twenty-eight teams, twenty-six of them registered one win and one loss!

Taking out the honours for the day was the in-form Adelaide Hills trio of Brian Tuckfield, Ralph Foster & Anthony Pietsch, proving in the most emphatic way that their Round 3 victory was no fluke. They are starting to get a reputation for clawing their way over the line when it matters most. In the silver medal position was the Prospect team of Janet Jenkin, Michael Frodyma & Martin Verdonk. This maintains Marty’s average at better than one League medal per season over a long periood of time whereas, surprisingly perhaps, it’s a first for Janet and Michael. Congratulations. The bronze medallists were Selina Dally, Ray Drummond & Craig Stewart, from Eastern Suburbs.

In terms of the championship, it was largely a case of steady-as-you-go on this occasion. There were no changes in ladder position, merely some adjustments to the respective margins. The biggest points haul went to Adelaide Hills, bringing them within 6 points of the League leaders and hot favourites, ESP. Adelaide maintained their buffer ahead of fourth-placed Prospect, while Prospect put some breathing space between themselves and Novar Gardens, who in turn did enough to keep in touch with the main pack and move clear of those below them.

In response to this year’s disastrous fire season, the host club decided to support the CFS Foundation, helping SA firefighters who suffer injury or loss as a result of their service. The raffle takings and other donations were matched by the club, raising a total of over $1400. Thanks to all who gave so generously.

Thanks also to the umpires, officials, and to all the enthusiastic volunteers from the Adelaide Hills club who once again turned on a first-rate show.

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Interclub Competition Round 3 Gawler – 24 November 2019

Round 3 was hosted by the Gawler club in fine conditions. The November sun was blazing, so the ample provision of shelters was most appreciated, but the air temperature was not too uncomfortable. Twenty-three teams participated, which was the best attendance at Gawler since 2008.

This season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive we have seen for some time. On this occasion, for the second time in a row, five different clubs were represented in the top five finishing positions.

Taking out the bronze medals were Dave Ward, Tory McBride & Lionel Pujol, from Eastern Suburbs. Having won a League round in each of the last four seasons, this team was perfectly poised to extend that remarkable record into a fifth year, but, at the end of the day, weren’t quite able to seal the deal. (Three rounds down and three to go). In the silver medal position was the local team of Dave McKinnon, Glenis Head & Stan Wilson. It’s the second medal for Glenis so far this season, but for Dave it was the first of his pétanquing career. Congratulations. Nevertheless, there was only one undefeated team on the day and that was the reigning state champion combination of Ralph Foster, Brian Tuckfield & Anthony Pietsch, taking some Interclub gold up to ‘them thar Hills’ for the first time in over five years.

These results have given the premiership table quite a shake-up. Gawler doubled their points tally for the season and moved up to sixth place, with a healthy advantage over FAB. Prospect also scored well and climbed two places to fourth, leaving Novar Gardens squeezed in between with a very slender margin on both sides. At the top of the table, a severely depleted ESP squad did enough to maintain their prime position, but they lost ground against their three nearest rivals. Of these, the biggest winner of Round 3 was Adelaide Hills, who have stormed into second place ahead of Club d’Adelaide and are now positioned closer to first than to third. All in all, the remainder of this season promises to be most intriguing.

Thanks to all who attended, to the umpires, and to the small but dedicated Gawler crew who took good care of us on the day.

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Interclub Competition Round 2 NOVAR Gdns – 22 September 2019

The renaissance of SA pétanque continued in Round 2 with a population explosion. Undeterred by the threat of showers (which fortunately stayed away for the most part), a staggering turn-out of 87 players took to the pistes at Novar Gardens. That’s 15 more than in Round 1, which in turn had the most we’d seen for over a decade.

Five different clubs were represented in the top five positions, but the winning team was the highly-credentialled and experienced trio of Selina Dally, Wendy Bensen & Maurice Belz, from ESP. No surprises there. However, also on the podium were some of the newer entrants to the field and potential stars of the future. In second place, and all taking home their first League medal, were Mike Read, Ashton Claridge & Mal Bedsonfrom the Adelaide Hills club. Bronze went to the Novar Gardens team of Jonathan Giddings, Bruce Lucas & Jean-Luc Gonnet, with Bruce also registering a personal best. Congratulations and well done to all.

Selina, Maurice, WendyMike, Ashton, MalBruce, Jonathan,
Jean-Luc

This was one of those rounds where the pattern of results did not fit what we would normally expect. In particular, we had a very unusual situation in Pool A where five of the fourteen teams won all three of their preliminary games, with only one of the others winning more than one. This created a few apparent anomalies in the final rankings, such as one team that won all five of their games but couldn’t climb up to a medal-winning position because their morning points tally was ‘only’ +19.

In terms of the championship, the lesson was that there’s safety in numbers. Despite the fact that each club can only claim the points from their two best-placed teams, it was the three clubs with five or more teams that picked up the biggest hauls ‒ Eastern Suburbs cemented their place at the top of the table, while Adelaide Hills and Novar Gardens were the big movers. The latter two have climbed up into third and fourth place, respectively, at the expense of FAB and Gawler, while Adelaide (2nd), Prospect (6th) and Port Noarlunga (8th) all maintained their first-round positions.

Thanks to the well-organised Novar Gardens crew for hosting the day.Continue reading

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

SA State Singles Championships

held at:   Club de Pétanque d’Adelaide    5 May, 2019
A near-record turnout of players for this year’s SA Singles Championships were rewarded with some fine and very pleasant autumn weather, a great atmosphere and some excellent competition.
The Open attracted a strong field of 24 entrants and the evenness of the competition was reflected in the results. Across the preliminary rounds, all but four players chalked up at least two wins out of their five games while only three individuals won more than three. Nevertheless, two remained undefeated and, to prove that it was more than just ‘luck of the draw’, these two remained that way throughout the knockout rounds and into the Final.
On one side was local hero Raja Jamaleddine, gunning for his third title in this event. His opponent was Maurice Belz. These two men both have experience representing their country at the international level — but not for the same country. This was Maurice’s first appearance in a SAPL championship since relocating here from NZ last year and he showed why he has already had such a large impact on the local pétanque scene.
The Final was a worthy contest and a demonstration of pétanque played at the very highest level by two elite players. Raja made the early running, establishing a small lead but not able to break away. The competition was fierce and every ball had the potential to turn things around. Eventually, Maurice made his move at just the right time and clinched the title with a 13-10 victory. Bravo Maurice.

Maurice Belz State Singles Champion 2019

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