Adelys and Lani Taraunu have qualified for the world petanque championships in Rome after winning the New Zealand Mixed Doubles competition in Dunedin last weekend.
It is the second time the pair, both members of the Ashburton MSA Petanque Club, have won the national title; they last won it in 2018, but this time their success was unexpected.
Lani said they were a last minute entry into the tournament but, after last week’s torrential rainfall event in and around Dunedin, were concerned about reaching the venue in the southern district.
Road closures and forced stops saw them arrive late, and they lost the first round by default.
‘‘As last minute entries into the tournament (we), along with a couple of other competitors, had to sit through traffic stops for hours, waiting for roads to reopen due to heavy rain, flooding and slips.’’
‘‘The tournament organisers delayed start times to give the players every chance of making it on time, however with a further traffic stop an hour out from Dunedin, play had to commence by 1pm,’’ she said.
They arrived in time for the second round with no time to warm up for the match. They won rounds two and three, losing their last round by one point.
The day ended with them ranking 17 out of 32 teams.
Day two saw the pair win the first two rounds with enough of a margin to move to position eight on the ladder, she said.
They were the last team to qualify for the championship section.
They won their quarter final match then a tightly contested semi-final which came down to a tie-breaker end.
And went on to win their final 13-8 against a team from Christchurch. Both finalist teams qualify to represent New Zealand at the Petanque World Championships in Rome, in September 2025.
