National champs in city

As cars speed, squeal and slide around Forsyth Barr stadium this weekend, national honours will also be sought at the opposite end of the sporting spectrum in Dunedin.

The field for the New Zealand senior doubles petanque championship will do battle at Montecillo Park in Mornington today and tomorrow. The distance between the venues should prove enough of a buffer to drown any noise and let the petanque players hold a steady hand as they seek their national title.

The competition has attracted a 48-strong field, with men and women coming from Kerikeri to Alexandra. Last year’s champions, Bill Peachy and Ray Pierce, as well as previous winners Bob Bridge and Clive Bartleet, all of Auckland, are favoured to take out the title.

Players will have the chance to show off their skills in front of New Zealand team selectors who will be attending the tournament. Ten days after the Dunedin competition, they will name senior men’s and women’s teams to play Australia in Adelaide next month.

Though there are a number of local players who have represented New Zealand before, they will not necessarily have a home ground advantage in national selection or in the tournament. The national doubles is the first competition to be played at the newly constructed terrain at Montecillo Park.

Although the development is not yet fully complete, it is tournament-ready. The new facility has been purpose built to national standards to allow the Southern region to host national tournaments. Petanque New Zealand president Stefany Frost said the new terrain seemed as if it would be one of the best surfaces in country. 

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