Staff at the South Wales Evening Post have been having some fun in the run-up to a weekend charity boules tournament.

Sixteen teams – including one from the newspaper – will take part in the French sport on Sunday (April 9).

But the newspaper has reported that the entente cordiale between two of the teams has been “shattered” following allegations of “dubious tactics” by one of them.

A team from Swansea’s Queen’s Hotel won last year’s event, the first to be held, and was favourite to win again.

But now the Pontardawe Inn, a newcomer to the tournament, has been made joint favourites with the Queen’s after an Evening Post scout caught the new boulers putting in a bit of unscheduled practice.

Queen’s manager Will Rees, told the Post: “It’s just not cricket! The rules quite clearly state that participants should not have had any previous experience in the sport. They should be disqualified.”

But Pontardawe Inn licensee Peter Clayton explained that his pub was the only one for miles around with boules pitches – and the players seen chucking boules outside were not members of the official team.

“None of our first side has ever played boules before,” he insisted.

“The fact that they were seen playing under torchlight in the dead of night is irrelevant – they just couldn’t sleep.”

Bookmakers have made the Evening Post third favourite for the tournament, which is jointly sponsored by the newspaper and the Queen’s Hotel.

The day-long tournament is expected to raise more than £1,500 for charity.

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