The Londonaise is delighted to announce World Champion Pétanque players Claude Weibel, Michel Van Campenhout and Michel Loy have signed up to play at this year's International Pétanque Festival, the largest UK prize fund of £5,000, at Barnard Park on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June.

“We are extremely pleased to have both of these superb World Champion players on board for The Londonaise this summer. The Pétanque festival is an international event and alongside our generous sponsors Eurostar and Islington Council, we are seeing many international players signing up for the event coming from Sweden, Estonia, Spain, France and Hungary to date. We have set the tournament entry fee at just £10 per triples team on the Sunday, in order to open up the festival and encourage everybody to come and have a go throwing some boules for fun” commented co-founder of The Londonaise, Thierry Tomasin.

Parisian-based, Claude Weibel and Michel Van Campenhout are two of the most acclaimed and respected Pétanque players in the world, having earned their reputations from playing and performing with a high level of skill at several Championship games around the World.

The World Champions will be playing and interacting with players and the public at The Londonaise weekend festival

• Saturday 6 June there will be a free fun mêlée open to the public with a highlight celebrity Chef mêlée game.

• Sunday 7 June £10 entry fee for the main tournament event with a £5,000 prize fund and a chance to meet two World Champions, on the Boules pitch in London.  

The Londonaise, will also be raising funds for its charity of choice 'The Mercury Phoenix Trust' which was set up in memory of Freddie Mercury and is responsible for raising awareness and funding charities globally in the worldwide fight against AIDS.

The Londonaise International Pétanque tournament will have lots of activities around the event with pop-up food stalls, bands, face-painting and lots of fun attractions throughout the day for Londoners and visitors coming to enjoy playing a fun game of boules.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors: For further information, menus, images, and interviews or to arrange reviews of the restaurant, please contact:

TAYLORMADE PR http://www.taylormadepr.com

Contact: sarah@taylormadepr.com

Tel: +44 (0) 203 632 8402

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Saturday 6 June 

• The Mêlée will start at 1.00pm
• Celebrity Chef mêlée game will start at 2.30pm

Sunday 7 June

• Registration should be pre-registered online www.thelondonaise.co
• £10 per triples team to play in tournament
• Tournament sticker and card can be collected from 09.00am

Claudy Weibel

World Champion in 2000

World Champion runner-up in 1994, 1999, 2004 & 2005

World Champion Finalist in 2001 & 2003

European Champion de in 2009

Belgium Triples Champion in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 & 2003

Belgium Doubles Champion in 1998

Belgium Triples Champion in 2012

World Quarter finalist of The Marseillaise in 2010

New World Triples Veteran Champion in 1993, 2000, 2002 & 2011

Masters Championships of Pétanque in 2006

World Champions Cup of France clubs in 2007 & 2012

Champions Trophy Canal+ in 2000

Michel Van Campenhout

World Champion in 2000

World Champion runner-up in 1994, 1999, 2004 et 2005

Belgium Triples Champion in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 et 2003

Belgium Doubles Champion in 1998

New World Triples Veteran in 1993, 2000 et 2011

European Finalist in 2008

Champions Trophy Canal+ en 2000

The Londonaise International Festival of Pétanque http://www.thelondonaise.co

The overall aim of the event is to raise awareness of the Pétanque game here in the UK and to bring people together of all abilities and levels for an annual weekend Festival of Pétanque. We also want to involve children and local schools to introduce them and their families to the game of Pétanque  - to get them started and keep them involved for future years. The tournament will have some exciting fun moments as well as artisanal food markets, entertainment and kids' activities throughout the day in Barnard Park in London, N1 0ER.

The Mercury Phoenix Trust:

 http://www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com

The Mercury Phoenix Trust was set up in 1992 in memory of Freddie Mercury and is responsible for raising awareness and funding charities globally in the worldwide fight against AIDS. Freddie For A Day is a fundraising initiative of the Mercury Phoenix Trust which encourages friends and fans around the world to spend the day dressed as Freddie Mercury, to raise money for the Trust as well as awareness of HIV/AIDS.