Action-Packed Weekend for Norwich Players Across County and Regional Competitions

It was a busy and memorable weekend for several members of Norwich Pétanque Club, with players representing both Norfolk Pétanque Team and competing in the opening rounds of the Anglia Pétanque Association Inter-Regional Qualifiers.

Norfolk vs. Suffolk Coastal Thriller at The Cottage

On Saturday 9th May, Gavin Seymour, Tom Ralph and Jonathan Gracie proudly represented Norfolk in the latest Norfolk vs. Suffolk Coastal county match, hosted at The Cottage in Norwich.

Played in beautiful sunshine from start to finish, the annual fixture once again delivered an outstanding day of pétanque. A total of 24 players represented each county, with every player competing in two doubles matches, two triples matches and one singles game across six rounds — creating an incredible total of 64 matches throughout the day.

All three Norwich players made valuable contributions to the Norfolk side. Gavin Seymour enjoyed an excellent day, winning four of his five matches, while Tom Ralph secured three wins from his five games. Jonathan Gracie also added an important victory during the fiercely contested fixture.

The standard of play throughout the day was excellent, with both counties competing hard while maintaining the fantastic spirit and sportsmanship the game is known for.

After all 64 matches had been completed, the overall score stood perfectly level at 32–32, leaving all 48 players waiting nervously for the final result to be decided on points difference alone.

In the end, Suffolk Coastal narrowly edged victory by just six points — an incredibly fine margin considering the scale of the competition. It was a true team effort from both sides, where every point scored across the day proved vital.

The full Norfolk County Pétanque Association match report can be found on the Norfolk County Pétanque Association website.

Straight Back Into Action for Anglia Qualification

There was little rest for the Norwich trio, as Gavin Seymour, Tom Ralph and Jonathan Gracie were back in action the following day, Sunday 10th May, travelling to Great Ellingham alongside Mervyn Bell to compete in the opening round of the Anglia Inter-Regional Qualifiers.

The qualifying series will determine which players go on to represent the Anglia Region at this year’s Pétanque England Inter-Regional Championships 2026, taking place in Weston-super-Mare this September.

This year, Anglia has returned to a round robin qualifying format, with the opening weekend consisting of seven matches against strong opposition from across the region, including St Faiths Pétanque Club, Bob Carter Centre Pétanque Club, 51 Pétanque Club, Sprowston Pétanque Club and Diss Pétanque Club.

Competing against some very experienced regional players, the Norwich quartet battled hard throughout the day and secured two valuable victories from their seven matches, keeping themselves in contention heading into the second qualifying weekend.

The next stage of qualifying will take place on 31st May at British Sugar Pétanque Club, where the team will play a further six rounds as they continue their push for Inter-Regional qualification.

Current standings in the Inter-Regional Qualifiers can be viewed on the Anglia Pétanque Association website.

Norwich Pétanque Club would like to congratulate all four players on an excellent weekend representing both club and county, and wish them the very best of luck in the second round of qualifying later this month.