Inter-Regional Championships 2026

Sand Bay Holiday Village, Kewstoke, Somerset
5–6 September 2026

The Devon & Kernow joint team gathered at Sand Bay Holiday Village on Friday 4 September, ready for a weekend of pétanque at the 2026 Inter-Regional Championships.

We were allocated a place in Championship Division 2, which proved to be considerably more of a challenge than the aptly named “Challenge” division in which we would otherwise have played. Our participation did, however, help to balance the numbers in Championship Division 2 and avoid an odd number of teams.

For a variety of reasons, we were also missing quite a few of our stronger players. Nevertheless, those who represented Devon & Kernow certainly made a good impression on our opponents, approaching every game with good humour, friendliness and a determination to enjoy the weekend.

The weather was very Good — and the capital G is intentional! It was hot and windy throughout the weekend.

The playing conditions presented their own challenges. The lanes were extremely narrow, varying from around 2 to 2.1 metres wide, which meant there was very little room for players to stand without encroaching on neighbouring games. At times it became particularly difficult when a player in an adjacent lane stepped backwards to study the head, just as someone next door was preparing to throw!

The terrain itself was equally unpredictable, ranging from areas of very thick gravel to extremely thin surfaces over tarmac. A boule could — and often did — stop almost immediately, while another apparently similar shot might run on for several metres. Adapting to the terrain was very much part of the challenge.

Across the weekend, our teams recorded 21 wins from 88 games played. There were inevitably a few painful moments along the way. Our No. 7 team of John, Bob and Irene had the dubious distinction of completing a 0–13 defeat to Mercia 7 by 9.38 on Sunday morning! Not a great experience and no excuses — Mercia simply handled the difficult terrain far better than we did.

A special word of thanks must go to Karen Bird, who did a tremendous job managing the team throughout the weekend. Karen calmly shepherded everyone from one playing area to another and somehow managed to ensure that the right players were on the right lane at the right time. Great work, and our huge thanks to Karen.

The results may not have been what we would have wished for, but Devon & Kernow showed the flag for our regions and thoroughly enjoyed the friendship, spirit and camaraderie that are such an important part of our sport.

And now we know what comes next: more coaching and more competitive matches this winter!