Today we are in a suburb of Cardiff to meet a sports club doing some amazing work with their community, but it’s not rugby they are playing. Or even football, cricket or hockey, no, it’s the French sport of Pétanque. Our Head of Communications Luke Upton, caught up with Katrina Munro from Monkstone Pétanque Club to learn more.

Luke Upton (LU):  Thanks for the time, for our readers who might be unaware, what is pétanque, and how does a suburb of Cardiff have a thriving club playing it?

Katrina Munro (KM): No worries, Luke, Pétanque is an easy game to learn and is suitable for all ages; it is also one of the
few sports where men and women can compete equally. Above all, it’s a great game to play at any level. Pétanque (or boules) is the same game that you see being played all over France. Each player has three metal boules which are thrown
towards a jack, known as a ‘coche'; along a gravel surface called a 'piste';. You get one point for every one of your boules that is closer to the jack than your opponent. The first team to reach 13 points wins! The game could not be simpler, but beware, it's addictive!

Monkstone Pétanque Club has around 100 members ranging from the social player to the Welsh international. The club was established in 1995 and we moved to our present site in Cardiff in 2010. We’re lucky to have secured our pistes within the larger site of the Penylan Bowling Club so we can make use of their facilities including a clubhouse, bar and function room. This is an added bonus for our club as it allows members to socialise after a game or invite family and friends to come along for a game or get-together.

LU: You’ve just received funding from Magic Little Grants. Tell us some more about the project and what it aims to deliver.

KM: Our club is well attended and many of our members play several times per week. However we were aware that other people would enjoy the game too and benefit from being active and meeting new people. So, we held a Public Open Day at the end of last summer and were delighted to be joined by over sixty people of all ages. Most had never played before but they all enjoyed the experience and expressed interest in playing again. Many have since joined the club and are getting as hooked as the rest of us! Some of those that came to the Open Day (pictured below) were aged under 17 years and we recognised the importance of introducing young people to the sport too, to ensure it will be enjoyed by future generations. The Magic Little Grant that we received has helped us to buy more sets of adult and junior sized boules to lend to new young players and visiting groups. We’re delighted to have just held our first few sessions for our brand-new Juniors’ section.

LU: How important is the support you’ve received from Localgiving's Magic Little Grants?

KM: We were struggling to cobble together enough equipment for our last Open Day but thanks to our Magic Little Grant we’ve now got enough sets of boules to confidently hold more events and invite more groups and schools to visit. Introducing more people to the game of pétanque is really important to us and it’s great to see the youngsters playing too now.

LU: Funding aside, what would most help you in 2024?

KM: We’re keen to spread the word about pétanque. There are relatively few pétanque clubs in the country but it’s a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages. We’d love to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us or supporting our new Junior Section in any way. Sponsors for the Junior section or events and competitions are always welcome.

LU: If anyone reading this is now interested in pétanque, what would you say to them?

KM: Give it a go! Contact us or a club near to where you live and I’m sure you’ll always be welcomed to come along for an introduction to the game. It’s a great way to meet new people and no two games are the same so you’ll never be bored.  Being outdoors and participating in a sport with others will make you feel good and keep you active. There’s a social side too that’s really supportive and fun.

LU: Brilliant, keep up the fantastic work!

---> Support Monkstone Pétanque Club by donating here.