On Wednesday evening, teams from businesses in Vauxhall competed in the first annual Vauxhall One Pétanque Tournament.

Players had the opportunity to join monthly training and practice sessions throughout the summer, coached by Mark Hadsell, Chair of the London Pétanque Club. Mark also facilitated and adjudicated the tournament for us.

He commented, “London Pétanque Club has been playing in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for many years, so we were delighted to work with Vauxhall One to encourage new players from the local businesses to give Pétanque a try. It’s a game that is simple to understand and accessible to anyone who can throw a ball, so there are very few barriers to entry.”

The tournament was great fun, with lots of friendly competitive spirit! All the players picked up the rules and technique quickly, which made for challenging heats and a very close final, with just a couple of points separating first and second place. Mother Kelly’s were victorious in the end, taking home the coveted trophy and a set of boules to keep for future games.

Following the final, all the players headed over to the bar and enjoyed drinks and pizza from Mother Kelly’s in-house pizzaiolos, Stackin’ Dough.

Our thanks to all the teams who took part in the practice sessions and the tournament, and to Mark and the members of London Pétanque Club for their coaching and guidance!

Want to join us next summer and learn how to play this classic French game in the Pleasure Gardens? Email us to register interest and we’ll be in touch next spring with further details.