Another exciting Boules Finals took place recently at the Hotham Park boules piste in Bognor.  This was the conclusion of the annual boules competition, which is organised by the Bognor Regis Town Twinning Association.  Starting in March each year, teams play against each other, trying to gain points for a place in the Finals.  Four teams eventually competed in the Semi-Finals on a very sunny Sunday in August. The winners of the semi-finals were the Amiaboules team and the Incrediboules team. These two teams then played each other in the Finals for the chance of winning the coveted cut glass trophy. It was an extremely close game, which had spectators on the edge of their seats at times, with skilful boule throwing from both sides as well as some occasional luck.

The winners were the ‘Incrediboules’ team, comprising Joelle Marsh, Leo Turner and Maralyn Green, who were congratulated and presented with the trophy by Twinning Chairman, Heather Perrott.

The game of boules or pétanque, pronounced ‘pet-onk’ as it is sometimes called, is played by around 20 million people in France. It is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and very much so in Bognor! Anyone can easily and quickly learn to play and enjoy this ancient sociable game, which is believed to have originated either in Egypt or from an ancient Greek game of tossing stones or coins in about 6 BC.

The purpose of the game is to win by throwing your boules to land closer to a smaller coloured ball, called a jack or cochonnet (which literally means piglet), than those of your opponent.   In the past the game was played anywhere: on half-hardened places, sunken roads, farmyards and even in the sand dunes or meadowlands.  Nowadays, whilst still being played in village squares across France, the game is gaining more importance by being played in specially constructed boulodromes.

Although boules was on the Summer Olympics programme way back in 1900, it has never been an official Olympic game. However, that is hopefully changing as Pétanque will be making its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics in Dakar. To this end, the Confédération Mondiale des Sports de Boules, which was created in 1985 by several international boules organizations specifically for this purpose, has been lobbying the Olympic committee since 1985 to make it part of the Olympic Games.

Bognor Regis is fortunate to have its own boules piste in Hotham Park, located near the Adventure Golf.  Many groups play regularly, including those from the U3A and from Twinning groups.  The piste is open to the public with boules available at the nearby kiosk.