Rochdale Pétanque

22/08/2026

22/08/2026

Rochdale Pétanque Shooting Competition

Today Rochdale Pétanque held its first-ever shooting competition for club members — and what a great session it turned out to be!

Organised by Francois, with help from Mike on the day, shooters and non-shooters were randomly paired together. As there were more non-shooters taking part, some teams consisted of two non-shooters.

Francois kicked things off by explaining the format and rules before each pair took their turn to score as many points as possible.

Shooters were allowed one boule, while non-shooters could use two boules. Each workshop started at the 6 metre mark and gradually moved further away. Non-shooters also had the option of shooting from closer marks, with points awarded accordingly.

There were certainly a few surprises along the way! The non-shooters proved to be unmistakably higher scorers than the shooters in many cases — showing that it was definitely much harder than it looked!

Most importantly, everyone had a great time. It was fantastic to see so many members joining in enthusiastically, having a go and enjoying something a little different.
The Winners

1st Place – Jeff & Linda
2nd Place – Jammie & Bash
3rd Place – Richard & Ann

There was also an award for the non-shooting pair with the highest number of points, which was won by Jammie & Bash — making it a very successful day for them!

A huge thank you to Francois for organising the competition and to Mike for helping everything run smoothly on the day.

Congratulations to all the winners and well done to everyone who took part.

Francois is already planning to hold more of these events in the future…

So get practising!

17/08/2026

Pétanque England Veterans Championships

This weekend saw the Pétanque England Veterans Competitions hosted by Mansfield Pétanque Club.

Mansfield is a lovely venue with a number of very varied terrains, and we received a warm welcome from their members, who worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the whole weekend.

Saturday – Mixed Doubles

Saturday saw 26 teams competing in the Mixed Doubles, including three pairs representing Rochdale Pétanque.

Ian & Christine made an excellent start, winning all three of their morning games and securing a place in the Gold Group.

Dave & Linda won two of their three games and, with the points accumulated, also qualified for the Gold Group.

Debbie & Darren also won two of their three games, placing them into the Silver Group.

Unfortunately, all three Rochdale teams were knocked out in the quarter-finals, but this was certainly no reflection on the way they played. Every player gave it their best and came up against some very high-calibre opposition.

Sunday – Veterans Triples

Sunday brought the Triples competition, with 13 teams entered and Rochdale fielding two teams of four:

Dave, Linda, Debbie & Darren
Francois, Joanne, Gary & Linda

Dave, Linda, Darren & Debbie got off to a flying start, winning their first game 13–3. They lost their next two games, although both featured some very close ends, and their points were enough to see them through to the quarter-finals, where they received a bye.

That took them into the semi-final, where they came up against Stuart Brown, Jill Butt & Roy Clark. This time Stuart, Jill and Roy got their revenge for that 13–3 defeat earlier in the day and progressed to the final.

Francois, Joanne, Gary & Linda had a bye in their first round and then narrowly missed out on wins in their next two games.

They received a bye through the quarter-finals before producing a fantastic performance in their semi-final against Frank & Dawn Kupps, Colin Lane & Jenny Oxby to book themselves a place in the Silver Final.

Then it was time for the final!

The Rochdale team stepped up another gear and got off to a flying start, building an early five-point lead against Stuart Brown, Jill Butt & Roy Clark.

Their opponents fought back, but some excellent pointing from Linda and Gary, combined with brilliant shooting from Francois, kept Rochdale firmly in control.

And they did it!

FRANCOIS, JOANNE, GARY & LINDA – PÉTANQUE ENGLAND VETERANS SILVER WINNERS!

A huge well done to all of our Rochdale players who took part in this national competition. For many, this was their first experience – or one of very few experiences – of playing in a tournament at this level, and every one of you represented the club brilliantly.

And, of course, a massive congratulations to our Silver title winners! Everyone at Rochdale Pétanque is extremely proud of you.

The weekend was another reminder of just how unpredictable pétanque can be. Never underestimate how quickly things can change from one end to the next, or from one game to another.

A big thank you to the organisers, everyone at Mansfield Pétanque Club, and to our umpires Kevin and Martin, who certainly showed a few of us the error of our ways along the way! 😄

One Boule at a time - One end at a time - One game at a time

Click the links for more photos of the Doubles competition https://debbiedearden.com/index.php?/category/131
& the Triples Competition https://debbiedearden.com/index.php?/category/132

01/08/2026

Pétanque North West Veterans Doubles Competition

Today, Rochdale Pétanque was proud to host the Pétanque North West Veterans Doubles Competition.

Seven teams took part in a round-robin format, with each team receiving one bye round. With the pistes selected at random, it was anyone’s guess how the different terrains would suit each player, making for some very interesting and challenging games.

As always, the standard of play was extremely high. The tension in some matches was even higher, as every team battled for each point. There was precision pointing, excellent teamwork and some amazing shooting, with players hitting their targets time after time.

In the end, there could only be three placed teams, with the top two qualifying for the Pétanque England Champion of Champions event at Lordswood Pétanque Club in Kent.

1st place: Ian & François — Rochdale
5 wins

2nd place: Neil & Paul — Trafford
4 wins and +30 points

3rd place: Dave & Linda — Rochdale
4 wins and +14 points

Well done to all the winners and everyone who took part in another fantastic day of competitive pétanque.

A massive congratulations to Ian and François on taking first place, and to both qualifying teams. We wish you the very best of luck at the Champion of Champions!

Thanks to Mike for running the event so smoothly!

06/07/2026

Rochdale Pétanque Club Welcomes Our Newest and Youngest Member!

We're delighted to welcome Jack, aged just 10 years old, to Rochdale Pétanque Club. Despite his young age, Jack is already showing great promise on the pistes.

Having first played pétanque with his family while on holiday abroad, Jack was invited along to one of our Social Play Sessions by his uncle, John, who is also a Rochdale Pétanque member. Encouraged by another of our young players, Eddie, Jack came back for another session – and we're certainly glad he did!

Jack has already represented Rochdale in a couple of Rochdale League matches, where he showed fantastic competitive spirit and held his own against some very experienced players. In an impressive debut, he won his very first singles match before teaming up with his dad, Mike, to claim victory in the doubles. What a fantastic start!

Everyone at Rochdale Pétanque is looking forward to watching Jack continue to develop his skills and enjoy the game. We think we've got another future star in the making!

It's wonderful to see more young people getting involved at the club, and we'd love to welcome even more. Pétanque really is a sport for everyone – regardless of age or ability.

As well as being great fun, pétanque helps to develop valuable life skills including:

Strategy and tactical thinking
Concentration and focus
Listening and communication
Planning and decision-making
Hand-eye coordination
Teamwork
Confidence and sportsmanship

Most importantly, it brings generations together, creates lasting friendships, and helps build a real sense of community.

If you know a young person who might enjoy trying something different, why not bring them along to one of our Social Play Sessions? No experience is needed – just come along, have a go, and discover why pétanque is one of the friendliest sports around. We'd love to welcome you!

06/07/2026

Rochdale League Games

Yesterday morning, Rochdale Pétanque held its Annual General Meeting, with a great turnout from members. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the meeting. More to follow about the AGM soon.

After the meeting, members enjoyed our regular social play session before it was time for the afternoon's Rochdale League fixtures.

Rochdale Milnrow hosted two Rochdale League fixtures, with another enjoyable day of competitive pétanque played in great spirits.

The first fixture saw Rochdale's two teams, Rochdale and Milton, face each other for the second time in this year's league. As always, there was plenty of friendly banter between teammates, along with the excellent sportsmanship that makes these fixtures so enjoyable.

The singles were played first and proved to be a closely fought contest, with both teams taking three wins apiece. The doubles and triples followed, where Milton found another gear, winning all five games to secure an 8–3 victory. While the scoreline suggests a comfortable win, it certainly doesn't reflect how well the Rochdale players performed, with several matches being decided by the finest of margins.

The second fixture at Milnrow saw Trafford take on The Dellboys. The visitors brought their usual party atmosphere, with music, laughter and plenty of encouragement echoing around the pistes—along with the occasional sound of boules striking the back wood! Despite a number of closely contested games, Trafford proved too strong on the day, taking a convincing 9–2 victory.

Elsewhere in the League

Bamford Bowling Club 8 – 3 Last of the Summer W**e

Congratulations to all the teams who took part, and thank you to everyone who helped make it another enjoyable day of league pétanque.

For all the latest league scores -

The League Table is decided on Points , and if tied Game Points Difference, and if still tied total Points Difference. Season Averages for game points and total points will be applied to forfeited games at the end of the season.

29/06/2026

Petanque England Euro Cup Semi Finals

This weekend, the Euro Cup Semi-Finals were held at Wallingford, and for the second year running, Rochdale Petanque’s Rochdale Milton team proudly took part.

The team, consisting of Mike, Ian, Gary, Francois, Dave and Linda, earned their place in this year’s semi-finals by battling through three qualifying matches against Trafford Petanque B, Trafford Petanque A and Nottingham City Petanque.

Darren and Debbie were there to support the team throughout the day, keeping the rest of the club updated with regular reports and results.

The standard of play at this event is exceptionally high, and the Rochdale players proved they belonged among the country’s elite. Drawn in League 2 alongside Baldock Town A, Hereford and City of Bath, the team faced some very tough opposition.

The opening round saw Rochdale take on Hereford, and they got off to a fantastic start. Mike, Gary and Francois secured an impressive 13–0 victory in their triples match.

Ian, Dave and Linda also looked set for victory after building a commanding lead. However, Hereford produced a couple of high-scoring ends to sn**ch the win. The doubles were equally competitive and, despite several incredibly close games, Hereford edged the overall match 3–2.

In the second round against City of Bath, Rochdale responded brilliantly. Although none of the games were easy, the team produced an outstanding performance to win all five matches.

The final round was against Baldock Town A, PE Euro champions from 2015 to 2020, whose players proudly wore their England shirts. Every member of the Baldock team demonstrated exceptional pointing and shooting skills. Rochdale matched them every step of the way, fighting for every point and producing several closely contested games. Despite giving their absolute best, Rochdale eventually lost the match 5–0.

Overall, Rochdale won 7 of their 15 games and finished third in the league just missing out to Hereford for a place in the final by 3 points — a significant improvement on last year’s performance.

Every member of the team should be extremely proud. Competing against some of the finest pétanque players in the country and more than holding their own is a tremendous achievement.

Congratulations to Mike, Ian, Gary, Francois, Dave and Linda. Everyone at Rochdale Petanque Club is immensely proud of you all.

Next year — the Finals!

Thank you to Wallingford Petanque for being great hosts and making us all so welcome again.

22/06/2026

Pétanque North West Regional Triples

Yesterday, Pétanque North West hosted the Regional Triples event, with teams competing for the chance to qualify for the prestigious Pétanque England Champion of Champions.

Representing Rochdale were Ian and Mike, who joined forces with Trafford player Sylvester to take part in the competition.

Played in very warm conditions, the event produced some excellent pétanque throughout the day. At the end of play, the top three teams had all recorded four wins, meaning the final standings were decided by points difference.

Results

1st Place
Ian, Mike & Sylvester

2nd Place
Dan, Jack & Kevin

3rd Place
Paul, Lori & Sabrina

Congratulations to all the winners, and a particularly big well done to Rochdale's Ian and Mike and of course Sylvester who, along with the second-placed team, have now qualified to compete in the Champion of Champions competition at Leicester Pétanque on 18th October.

Everyone at Rochdale would also like to send their best wishes to Amanda O'Conner, who suffered an injury during the event. We wish Amanda a speedy recovery and hope to see her back on the terrains very soon.

21/06/2026

The 2nd Annual Lancashire Doubles Cup, kindly sponsored by Floor Express, was held at Rochdale Pétanque yesterday and what a glorious day it turned out to be!

It was fantastic to welcome friends, old and new, from clubs across the region to Rochdale for a day of friendly competition, great camaraderie and some excellent weather.

A total of 24 doubles teams took part in the event. We also held a raffle throughout the day, and a huge thank you goes to everyone who purchased tickets or donated prizes. The funds raised will go towards the upcoming remodelling and improvement of Rochdale Pétanque’s terrains.

The morning session consisted of three rounds with teams drawn at random. Following these games, pairs were placed into Gold, Silver or Bronze groups based on their results. After some much-needed refreshments, the afternoon competition got underway as teams battled to finish at the top of their respective groups.

As always, there was some outstanding pétanque on display, with many closely fought matches going right down to the wire. Several games were decided by a single point as the time limit expired, highlighting just how competitive the day was.

Results
Gold Winners – Neil & Paul (Trafford)
Gold Runners-up – Kath & Clive (Heckmondwike)
Gold 3rd Place – Amanda & Steve (Trafford)

Silver Winners – Ian & Kevin (Heckmondwike)
Silver Runners-up – Ian & Christine (Rochdale)

Bronze Winners – Dave & Linda (Rochdale)
Bronze Runners-up – Bryn & David W (Trafford)

Congratulations to all of the winners and everyone who took part. Thank you to Floor Express for their generous sponsorship, to all the volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly, and to every player who contributed to another successful and enjoyable Lancashire Doubles Cup.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year!