A New Terrain for Traditional Petanque
As one of the oldest sports to exist, Pétanque, is focussed on ensuring that integrity education is at the forefront of what they do to ensure fairness and safety across the sport.
Originating in the sixth century in ancient Greece, Pétanque has had many iterations, including Bowls and Boccia. The current form of Pétanque was introduced in 1907 in La Ciotat, Provence, France.
Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) has worked closely with the Pétanque Federation Australia (PFA) board to support the implementation of the National Integrity Framework and embedding it across the sport.
For example, the PFA recently hosted the 2024 Interstate Challenge on the Gold Coast which saw representative teams from around the country duke it out for a shot at the finals.
The event provided the opportunity for SIA Sports Partnership Manager Emma Lappin to connect with those within the sport responsible for embedding the National Integrity Framework (NIF).
“It was wonderful to interact with the Pétanque Federation Australia Board and members to gain some insight into how the National Integrity Framework and education resources offered by SIA are supporting the sport,” Emma said.
“It was great to be on the ground to support and answer questions on what the day-to-day operational requirements of the NIF are and what they mean for the sport overall.”
The PFA is managed entirely by a volunteer board, with no paid staff, who are working tirelessly to ensure that integrity is prioritised across the sport.
New leadership within the sport has played a major role in creating positive cultural change and championing integrity.
Naz Saunders, who holds a dual role within the PFA as Board Director and National Integrity & Complaints Manager, maintains the portfolio and requirements for the implementation of the National Integrity Framework.
Naz attended the National Integrity Manager Network Forum in Melbourne earlier this year and said she was able to take away learnings to help operationalise the policies.
On the back of this training, PFA invited SIA to the Gold Coast finals event to ensure sport is fair, safe and inclusive for all involved.
“PFA’s key focus over the past few months has been bringing the Integrity Education Plan to life, with Board and Officials completing the required/recommend SIA e-learning modules,” Naz said.
Learn more about the National Integrity Framework and the support your sport can receive on this page: National Integrity Framework | Sport Integrity Australia
