Petanque pair play for nation
The boules will be in Safety Bay Petanque Club players Helen Bayet's and Hina Vert's hands this month when they compete in the Trans Tasman Petanque Challenge.
The women were chosen by Australian coaches for the competition after their stand-out performance in the interstate challenge last year.
Bayet is set to compete in the over 60s competition, while Vert will play in the open category.
Bayet said the object of Petanque, a form of French boules, was to get your balls as close as possible to the cochonet to score points.
"If a ball of the opposition is sitting near the cochonet, then you can shoot it out and hopefully stay yourself and score back the points," she said.
Vert, who learnt to play Petanque from her French father, said shooting was her favourite part of the game.
"I gained a lot of skill and knowledge from my father a long time ago - I've been playing since I was about eight," she said.
"I took it up more seriously as a teenager and I grew a love of it."
Now 32 and representing Australia for the second time, Vert said it was an honour to play the sport she loved for her country.
Bayet said she was introduced to the game by her French husband Daniel 20 years ago.
"He used to play many years ago on a dirt track in Safety Bay," she said.
"We ended up getting together and we established a club in Rockingham."
Bayet said she had represented Australia a few times and competed over east in the national titles and enjoyed teaming up with Vert in other competitions.
"I'm double Hina's age, I'm like a mother to her, but we play well together," she said.
"We've won the State doubles twice now and the State triples.
"It took me a long time to become a good player, because I was one of the worst to start with, but it is just about being focused and having dedication to the sport and enjoying it."
The challenge is being held in Avoca, Victoria on March 12.
Bayet said the club had re-established itself at the Safety Bay Bowling Club, on the corner of Gloucester Crescent and Penguin Road and had new grounds on which to play.
For more information, phone 9527 5938.
