Welcome to the monthly Newsletter of Petanque Australia, the governing body for petanque in Australia. 

April began on a busy note with the PFA Ltd AGM, where Helen Bayet was admitted as a Life Member of Petanque Australia to honour her exceptional and long-standing service in managing, enhancing, and developing pétanque in Australia for over thirty years.

I also wish to recognise Jeff Langdon who, after nine years’ service as a Director on the Board, has volunteered to continue supporting Petanque Australia as our PA Admin Officer.

The National Championships, recently held in Adelaide, were a tremendous success, made possible by the hard work of the Novar Gardens, Adelaide & Eastern Suburbs clubs, as well as our dedicated umpires and scorers. As advised recently, Adelaide is set to host the National Championships once again over the extended Easter break in 2027.

National social media coverage—particularly on our Facebook page—continues to show significant viewer growth and reach. This can be largely attributed to the outstanding graphics, photography, and livestreaming provided by Timothy Stevenson, who once again led Aussie Petanque productions at this year's National Championships.

To catch up and view, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@PetanqueAustralia

Keep up to date at https://www.facebook.com/PetanqueAustralia.

Congratulations are extended to the team selected to represent Australia at the Men’s Triples World Championships in Thailand this coming November.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish the Bendigo Club all the best for their first official ‘Open Tournament’ being conducted on Saturday, 2nd May at their Kangaroo Flat Sports Club playing terrain.

Do keep enjoying your pétanque. 

Regards,
Roger Maddern
President
Email: president@petanqueaustralia.org.au

This month, we are featuring Helen Bayet, whose dedication to pétanque in terms of both playing and managing is exceptional. Helen was recognised at the Petanque Australia AGM held at the Nationals with a life membership for her contribution to the sport.

Firstly, congratulations on your well-deserved life membership award.

Thank you. It really is an honour to be recognised like this. I’m delighted.

You’ve been in the pétanque world for quite a while. How did you start playing?

I started playing because my husband was a Frenchman and he used to play casually on a Sunday morning with a few of his French friends in Rockingham. It grew with a few more people, and by then women were allowed to play, so we formed a little social group and started playing together. This was in the late 1990s. We used to play in the park in Rockingham right next to the ocean and afterwards we would have a BBQ lunch.

What happened to that group?

It grew organically. More people heard about it and came along and in 1997 it was decided that we would form an official club. We became incorporated and had our first AGM that year. I was on the committee as the Treasurer and that was how it all started. I became President in 2002 and stayed in that role until 2015.

In 2002, we were able to secure a rink at the bowling club and develop that with grants from the local council into 18- or 20-piste grounds for ourselves. In 2014, we had to shift from the Rockingham Bowling Club due to a large increase in fees that we couldn’t afford, so we moved to Safety Bay Bowling Club and had to set it all up and develop the pistes again, which is what we have today.

Have you played consistently all that time?

Yes. I always have. I became President in 2002 and stayed in that role until 2015.

When did you join the Petanque Australia Board?

Not until 2018. I was travelling with Daniel around Australia in a motorhome and had a phone call from the then President, Joe Corcoran, asking if I would consider going on the PA Board. They’d had a few people step down so had a casual vacancy to fill, so I said I would go on until they found someone else. And they never found anybody else! At the next election I officially joined the Board and took on the position of Treasurer as at that time Joe was both President and Treasurer as the former Treasurer had resigned. That was my background – I was an accountant business manager and I retired in 2009, so I could take it on.

What have some of the high points of your pétanque career?

Over the years, I played for my club in interclub competitions and we had a good strong club and we used to do extremely well within the clubs in WA, so it was always great to be a part of that. Then when the Interstate Challenge started, I was in teams that travelled all around Australia. It was a big thing. We used to take a coach and fundraise to help send the teams away. I used to love doing that. I played for Australia in the Trans-Tasman, first in Wanganui and later in Australia for quite a few years, then Rotorua. It was lovely. You make so many friends. Any time you get selected to be part of a team overseas or interstate, it’s really special.

And the absolute highlight?

The highlight would have been winning the National Championships in 2014 in Sydney when it was only triples. I was playing with Hina and another member from our club and we played some extremely good players. Everyone was amazed that we beat them so convincingly. It rained the entire weekend and the pistes had so much water on them but we still had to play, so we played over the water, as long as the coch didn’t float. I also played with two dear French friends in the Beresford Nationals and we won the 60+ there. There’s something special about the Nationals.

What would be your advice to a new player?

Come along. Have a go. Once they play about three times they’re likely to get hooked into it. I love being able to mentor those players and give advice. Not telling them exactly what to do, but just giving suggestions. To this day, I remember Daniel saying, you’ve got to look at the ground. You should always be able to pinpoint where you want the ball to land. It’s great to see how those players develop over time and progress in the game.

What’s a development you would like to see in pétanque in Australia?

Finding ways to encourage more people to play pétanque, whether it’s juniors or seniors or in-between.

We had a full program of events at this year's National Championships, commencing at 8:00 am on Thursday, 2 April and concluding on the afternoon of Monday, 6 April.

The winners in each category are listed below.

PS. The 2026 Nationals medals have been posted to all winners. Please check for a small post pack.

Men’s Triples & Precision Shooting World Championships

Khon Kaen University, Thailand

20–25 November 2026

Petanque Australia is pleased to announce the athletes selected to represent Australia at the Men’s Triples & Precision Shooting World Championship.

•Kierran Clarke

•Guillaume Ramond

•Bronson Romani

•Frederick Vencatasamy

Coach: Michael Lacase

The selected team exhibits a commendable combination of experience, technical proficiency, and composure in challenging situations. Each individual possesses the attributes necessary to compete at the highest tier and to represent Australia with professionalism and integrity.

The Men’s World Championship is acknowledged as one of the foremost tournaments in international pétanque, drawing elite teams from across the globe. Selection for this team signifies an impressive achievement and reflects the commitment required to excel at such a distinguished level.

Petanque Australia congratulates all team members and wishes them every success at the championships and thanks Neil Brown and the selection panel for their work.

Pétanque is a sport built on community so, as clubs grow and events become busier, we should have trained first aiders and basic first aid equipment on hand to protect our petanque community.

First aid protects your members and your reputation. Visitors, new members and families feel more comfortable participating when they know the environment is safe and well‑managed.

First aid training empowers volunteers, builds confidence and reinforces the idea that everyone contributes to the wellbeing of the club. It's a small investment that pays off in resilience and community spirit. The immediate help given by first aiders is invaluable.

Major tournament events bring larger crowds, longer days and more variables. Having designated first aiders and a clearly marked first aid station helps organisers focus on running the competition smoothly, knowing that health and safety is covered.

Pétanque Australia would like to thank Haejung Jang and Neil Maslin for volunteering their time at the 2026 Nationals.

Pétanque Australia encourages all clubs to take simple, proactive steps to ensure the safety of their members.

First aid readiness isn't just a box to tick, it's part of being a responsible, welcoming and forward‑thinking club. 

Licence fees are waived for new players at clubs until 30th June.

Fees for 2026/27 will remain at $40 for Adults and $10 for Juniors.

Simply submit your licence application as usual.

Starting July 1st, your newly licensed players can choose to renew their licence just like any returning players, allowing them to experience all the benefits of a PA Players Licence—insurance coverage, discount at the PA shop, participation in tournaments, state league competitions, and much more.

Following up from last month's story on the history of the National championships, Adrian Clemments provided this anecdote.

The Encounter Bay Bicentenary (often referred to as Encounter 2002) marked the 200th anniversary of the historic, peaceful meeting between British navigator, Matthew Flinders and French explorer, Nicolas Baudin on 8 April 1802.

The Historic Event (1802):
Flinders and Baudin met in what is now known as Encounter Bay (near Victor Harbor, South Australia) while charting the coast for their respective nations. Despite Britain and France being at war, the encounter was peaceful and scientific, marked by an exchange of maps and information.

Commemoration (2002):
The "Encounter 2002" project celebrated this event, highlighting it as a significant moment in Australian maritime history.

To coincide with the occasion, the Petanque National Championship (at that time only Triples) was held at the Fleurieu Social Petanque Club, which had its grounds on the foreshore of Encounter Bay.

In the Bay, as part of the recognition of the event, were two frigates; one from the British Navy and one from the French.

The winning team was three young men from Western Australia.

The PA Newsletter is sent to all PA-licensed players.  If you have friends or colleagues who are interested in petanque, they can also get the Newsletter by subscribing on the Subscribe page of the PA website.