The Vale Petanque Club recently marked a significant milestone as it hosted its inaugural national event – the 2025 Precision Shooting National Championship – at its new home at Wenvoe Playing Fields. The event brought players together, from WPA-affiliated clubs including Caerleon RFC PC, Monkstone PC, Twyn-y-Ffrwd PC, Ystradowen PC, and the host club, Vale PC.
The competition began with a qualification round where each of the 11 players undertook two attempts at each of the five precision shooting disciplines. The top four scorers progressed to the semi-finals, setting the stage for a thrilling series of head-to-head clashes.
Top Qualifiers:
- Kon Tomczyk – 33 points
- Darren Hardwick – 30 points
- David Langeurand – 29 points (three 5-point scores)
- Andrew Rios-Hall – 29 points (one 5-point score)
 |
| 2025 Semi-finalists: Andrew Rios-Hall (Caerleon RFC PC), Darren Hardwick (Vale PC), David Langeurand and KonThmczyk (both Caerleon RFC PC) |
Despite his strong pedigree, reigning champion Sean Smith failed to reach the semi-finals and placed fifth. However, his 2024 rival, David Langeurand advanced once again, showcasing consistent performance.
Semi-Final Drama Unfolds
The first semi-final saw 2018 champion Kon Tomczyk (Caerleon RFC PC) face off against clubmate Andrew Rios-Hall. After the first two disciplines, Kon came out strong, building a 10-point lead. Though Andrew closed the gap in the next two rounds, he could not catch up in the final challenge. Kon’s commanding performance, capped with an 8-point haul in the jack-hitting round, sealed a 24:9 victory.
In the second semi-final, Vale PC’s Darren Hardwick and Caerleon RFC PC’s David Langeurand engaged in a tightly contested confrontation. The two were neck-and-neck through the first three disciplines. David gained a slight edge in the fourth and held on as both players failed to score in the final jack-hitting discipline, resulting in a narrow 15:13 win for David.
All-Caerleon Final Showdown
The final pitched Caerleon teammates Kon Tomczyk and David Langeurand against each other in what turned out to be a gripping contest. David took an early lead with a 4-point advantage after the opening discipline. But Kon staged a formidable comeback in the second round with a dominant 12-point performance.
Maintaining his momentum, Kon extended his lead to 15 points in the third discipline. David rallied in the fourth, narrowing the gap to eight points, setting up a decisive final round where jack-hitting would determine the outcome. Both players missed their targets at the shorter distances, but Kon struck the jack at 8 meters, earning 5 crucial points. David was unable to respond, and Kon emerged victorious with a final flourish.
Final Score: Kon Tomczyk defeats David Langeurand
With his powerful and consistent shooting, Kon Tomczyk claimed the 2025 National Precision Shooting title, returning to the top after a seven-year wait.
 |
 |
| 2025 National Precision Shooting Champion Kon Tomczyk with Tony Smith, WPA President. | Runner-up David Langeurand with clubmate Kon Tomczyk. |
Congratulations to all the competitors, especially the new National Champion, Kon Tomczyk.