A beginners guide to Yorkshire Winter Pairs
Players new to pétanque probably won’t know about regional events but every 2 weeks in winter there is the opportunity to play competitive pétanque in Yorkshire. These generally take place on Sundays at clubs around the region and attract players from all over Yorkshire plus a few from other regions such as North West or the Midlands. You don’t have to be a Yorkshire member or a Pétanque England member.
Competitive means that the players take it more seriously and take more time than a social game at Huddersfield. They know the rules and play to them. Teams study the game situation more closely and consider all options before deciding on the right shot to play and can display high skill levels. You can play against relative beginners who are trying it out or against players who have played for Yorkshire (Huddersfield has had 5 members who have done this) and occasionally players who are or have been England Internationals.
These are full day events with usually 5 rounds. They are all a snake format where each team plays 5 of the other teams. They start at 0945 and end about 1600. Throw in a 2 hour drive each way to a distant venue such as Bridlington and it makes for a long day. Each event has between 12 and 30 teams battling it out.
But a dedicated group of players goes to these events and has a great time. They take their own chairs, lunch and flasks of coffee and full cold/wet weather gear so they’re ready for anything to play the game they love. There are no fixed teams – players mix and match according to who’s available. Friendships are made and players improve faster in this hothouse environment. Complete beginners find it hard to start with but if you persevere eventually you find your feet and start winning a game or two.
In Winter 2022/23 we are halfway through the season with 6 winter Pairs completed and 6 more to come in the second half of the winter. 14 Huddersfield players have taken part this autumn and nearly 100 players are listed in the results table on Yorkshire Pétanque website. Here’s the top 10 in the league table at the end of 2022.
The next event near us is at Mirfield on Sunday 29th January. If you want to watch play will start just before 10 am. If you want to enter ask a committee member for advice. It’s £10 a pair. Here’s the rest of the calendar.
Huddersfield Pétanque 