Pétanque, then and now

A bit of history

1. Before 1907Provence

   The days of jeu provençal

   In the 19th century, the south of France is gripped by jeu provençal, also known as “la longue”. The pitch is long, and shooters take a three-step run-up before throwing.

2. 1907La Ciotat

   Feet planted

   Jules Hugues, known as “Lenoir”, a jeu provençal champion, can no longer run because of his rheumatism. He draws a circle on the ground, throws the jack 5 or 6 metres and plays without moving, feet firmly planted. In Provençal, that's “pè tanca”: pétanque is born.

3. 1910La Ciotat

   The first competition

   On 11 June 1910, eight teams of two play the first official pétanque competition, with 10 francs at stake.

4. 1945France

   A national federation

   The French federation of pétanque and jeu provençal is founded to bring together the players of a sport that has been holding competitions since 1910.

5. 1949Verviers

   Pétanque arrives in Belgium

   Belgium

   Pétanque takes root in Belgium through Verviers. The club founded there is even the first outside the south of France.

6. 1957Spa

   The idea of a world federation

   Belgium

   At an international competition organised in Spa by the Belgian federation, delegates from six countries decide to create an international federation. It is founded on 8 March 1958 in Marseille.

7. 1959Spa

   The first world championship

   Belgium

   Spa hosts the very first pétanque world championship.

8. 1981 · 2000Worlds

   Two world titles

   Belgium

   Belgium are crowned triples world champions in 1981, and again in 2000 with Jean-François Hémon, Claudy Weibel, André Lozano and Michel Van Campenhout.

9. 1995 · 2005Brussels

   The Worlds in Brussels

   Belgium

   Brussels hosts the world championship twice, in 1995 and again in 2005.

10. 2004France

    An elite sport

    The French Ministry of Sport officially recognises pétanque as an elite sport.

11. 2015Nice

    First singles world champion

    Belgium

    Claudy Weibel, from Arlon, wins the very first singles (tête-à-tête) world championship.

12. 2017Ghent

    The Worlds return to Belgium

    Belgium

    Ghent hosts the singles and doubles world championships.

And today?

Pétanque is on the rise. In France, where the sport was born, the figures speak for themselves. Covid had brought the number of licensed players down to 226,000 in 2021. Since then, the curve has only gone up: 263,000 in 2022, 282,000 in 2023, then more than 300,000 in 2024. By the end of May 2025, the French federation already had 305,470 licensed players, a record. It is now France's largest non-Olympic sports federation.

This success is no accident: pétanque is probably the most accessible and sociable sport there is.

To start with, you need almost no equipment. At Decathlon Belgium, a set of three boules with a jack and a carry bag costs €20. No membership, no special kit, no booking. Even in competition, the outlay stays modest: approved boules start at around €60.

It can be played at any age. In French-speaking Belgium, the federation welcomes players from the age of 6, and there is no upper limit: in France, more than four in ten licensed players are over 60. It is one of the few sports where grandparents and grandchildren really play the same game.

It is also open to people with disabilities. The French disability sports federation points out that it can be played in a wheelchair, with a visual impairment, by people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or with a physical disability. In Flanders, G-petanque welcomes people with an intellectual disability, autism or mental health difficulties.

Another plus: public courts are everywhere. All you need to do is turn up with your boules. And that's where pétanque shows its best side: an afternoon with friends or family, where you talk as much as you play, and often meet new people.

Don't be fooled, though: while you need no skills at all to play your first game, pétanque is also played at the highest level. World championships have been held since 1959, and Belgium holds its own: in triples, it is the nation that has most often made the podium, after France.