Petanque girls from the East

Wanganui East players Christine Strichen (left) and Claire Wilson were part of the New Zealand women's team to post their best ever result at the Oceania Petanque Championships.

Wanganui East Club petanque players had a major influence in the best ever performance by a New Zealand women's team at the Oceania Championships.

Hosted by New Zealand in Christchurch last week, the Kiwi women won gold, silver and two bronze in the 2017 event featuring teams from five countries. Teams of six men and six women from Tahiti, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna (French Polynesia), Australia and New Zealand competed at the biennial tournament.

Claire Wilson (Wanganui East) took gold in the pointing competition. Qualifying third she went on to win the quarter final, semi final and then the final by 9 points with Tahiti taking silver and bronze.

On Day 3 Wanganui East players Christine Strichen and Sharon Cannon played in the women's doubles along with Wilson and Annick Le Guen (Kapiti).

Both teams made the top 8 and then both went on to make the top 4 with two Tahiti teams.

The Tahiti teams went on to contest gold and silver while the two New Zealand teams battled it out for the bronze. Strichen and Cannon went on to win the bronze medal.

Day 4 featured the triples qualification rounds and once again two New Zealand teams made the top 4 with Tahiti and Wallis and Futuna taking the other two spots.

Wilson, Strichen and Cannon won their semi and met Tahiti in the final. After a close fought battle Tahiti went on to win 13-11 for gold leaving New Zealand the silver.

The other New Zealand team of Le Guen, Marilyn Bunce (Alexandra) and Kathleen Wallace (Dunedin) went on to take bronze.

The next major tournament for these players is the National doubles in Kapiti in two weeks.