Rugby League World Cup XV (Everything Thread)

[Neu Engollon]

"Magda Wertauer with you fine Neu Engollians, and you're watching the NETV 7 Sports Update. Today I have my sometime co-host, Karl Demais, with me and we want to give you a good preview of what to expect over the next couple days."

"That's right, Magda! The Goats made it to the Round of 16 for the 15th Edition of the Rugby League World Cup in The Royal Kingdom of Quebec."

"Karl, after that horrible match with Borax...Borxonopi..."

"Borixonia, Magda. We owe them some respect, after all. Certainly after their newcomer, un-ranked squad held us to a big Goose-Egg-for-all draw during this Group stage. Holy...So, yeah, anyway. The Goats got served on that one and it was a wake up call. Like every International competition this year, Neu Engollon's athletes have had supremely underwhelming performances and it has...well, let's say not made sports talk pleasant in the pubs."

"I'll agree with that, Karl. Hockey, association football, gridiron, tennis..."

"I would say that tennis, other than rugby, is where we have had our best showing, to be honest, Magda. Thanks in part to Lizbet Rittenhaus, Marla Gerard, and even the oft despised Paul Quiront."

"Accorzu, I can see that, Karl. Let's get back to rugby though. We leaped that hurdle finally of the cursed Group stage. People are holding out hope that our League squad of the Goats can succeed where the Union squad failed miserably...Bringing home some precious metal for the hurting sports fans of the Confederacy."

"Magda, right you are. Tonight was that glimmer of hope as the Goats triumphed over the Sword Bloke in a grueling, low scoring match. Much blood was shed as the Goats proved that they were still in this Cup to prove something. One try only for the match...to Giancoli, racked up four points. Where Leo Uzecci has flubbed up before, he was able to bring this conversion home with that kick."

"Karl, we've seen Leo, Luc Tremault and Alfie Goertz all taking turns to attempt kicks with little success over the last couple matches and to the notice of the International sports media. It was nice to see them finally step up and get it together in time to clinch the Group for Neu Engollon. Penalties and field goals to build up that margin against The Swordians unconverted try."

"Magda, I would absolutely say you're right...up to a point, but I don't think any pats on the back are deserved for them doing the job they should have done all along. The true credit should go to the pack who held off the Swordians with quick support and ability to plug those gaps."

"Karl, you may have a point. It's going to be a tooth and nail fight for every match, I think. Next up, a review of the Round of 16 and possible opponents in the finishing stages of the Cup. Stay tuned, Neu Engollon..."

"...and the World."

"Stay tuned..."

[Ko-oren]

Union of Ko-oren - Falling Apart

The team of the Union of Ko-oren, still called the Dragonflies, spends the break between the group stage and the knockout stage in St. Johns, where it also played the previous three matches. Here the players and coaches have attended a fan event where Unionites, Quebecois and others can catch a glimpse of their favourite players and get an autograph and perhaps some small talk off of them. The other two days will be resting days, with the final day leading up to the move to the Round of 16 venue.

Reporters and fans traveling with the team have found there's trouble in paradise, though. Seeing as this is the first time it is not just Ko-orenites on a team, but also Waratines, Novosororitans, Santa Teresans and others, the players have a hard time associating. Previously it was just the players clashing over languages (with Ko-oren's five official languages), now it is also culture and other prejudice.

The Waratines and the Ferns, in total seven out of eighteen players (and arguably also the two Milyuae and Gary Peregrine, a Crux Island native), keep to themselves and demand to train together. They do not demand playing time for the two Waratine players on the bench, but it is clear that they have a big grip on the team, while Ko-orenite players (three in total, and one more Dragonfly Islander) feel like they deserve more as they have always been in charge of the entire team themselves. Lastly, the Novosororitans and Santa Teresans, being from Union member states that have only recently sought inclusion in the Union (while Waratah and the other states on Crux Island have been involved in treaties for hundreds of years) are distrusted and not included, even though these two states have four players on the team.

Dominic and Cedric Gallagher, brothers from Waratah, are reported as being the largest source of trouble on the team, ignoring players not from Crux Island. Adair Sims, another Waratine, was awarded the position of skipper prior to the tournament, but that honour has been taken away from him. Yesterday, Valentin Parent was announced to become captain of the team, as a Ko-orenite. Ties between the camps have become better since, but there will need to be more cohesion before the team touches another ball again.

So far, these clans have not been apparent on the field, but sources close to the team claim that is only a matter of time. The Union is in the final 16 now, and it would be a great sign to the entire Union if the team could get to the semis or even the grand final, but instead the noble intentions of including the entire Union seem to collapse on themselves. Let's hope the coaches can inspire the team to at least perform on the field, and that national teams from the Union can perform together as a whole.

[Elejamie]

---

The Story So Far...
Dave Carrey - St. John's, NF

If I were to describe Elejamie's run at the 15th Rugby League World Cup, it would simply be "Three days, three games". No giant killings and no amazing victories for Elejamie, sadly, but still enough moments to prove that we aren't pushovers. And, indeed, we aren't; we defied expectations and secured our place in the Round of 16. Granted, the only challenge was Ko-oren; Patistan came dead last in RLWC14 with a point difference of -73(!) and Maltta were also newcomers, but it still wasn't easy for Elejamie to make their way to the next round. So, without further adieu, let's take a look at Elejamie's Group Stage run.

The first match with Ko-oren was, to be brutally honest, a massive failure all around. I mean, it wasn't as bad as the goalless draw between Neu Engollon and Borixonia - how was that even possible? - but it still wasn't our finest hour. A try, a conversion and a penalty, all from Sims, saw Ko-oren walk away the 8-0 victors. It wasn't the best debut in the world and, indeed, AEtomir's high tackle on Kiaran Fletcher didn't help matters either; although Ryan Pritchard's near try did help matters. And I guess that the score could've been worse, really, since our boys did a good job of stopping the Ko-orenites from adding to it.

Vice-captain Sataeveni Renayil scored
Elejamie's first set of points; a try against
Patistan in the 30th minute of the first half.

Luckily, the guys learnt from their mistakes and went in to their next match with Patistan with high hopes. The Patistanis were the first to score; in the 12th minute of the first half, their fullback managed to score the first try of the night; fortunately, they didn't make the conversion. After a while, things started to look up. In the 30th minute, Sataeveni Renayil scored Elejamie's first try, with a successful conversion being made not long after. Eventually, when the half time whistle blew, the score was 6-4 to Elejamie.

After the start of the second half, Elejamie simply buckled up and put some effort on preventing the Patistanis from coming too close. And, indeed, the closest they ever got was in the 56th minute, when Paul Webber managed to get the ball off of their prop. And then tragedy struck. Towards the end of the 59th minute, Liam Agar was tackled and landed on his right arm so badly that he ended up breaking it. However, despite the horrible pain he was in, he still managed to soldier on, not wanting to let his team or the fans down. Three minutes later and in great pain, he made it 10-4. When he finally agreed to come off the pitch, he received a standing ovation as he headed back into the dressing room. With just 78 minutes on the clock, Mulley managed to score a drop goal. In the end, Elejamie moved into second place, thanks to Mulley's drop goal giving them that extra point.

Captain George McFarland, seen here in action for the Alvis
Mechanics, scored one of the quickest tries in the tournament,
in just under a minute.

After that, there was Maltta. Two straight defeats - 15-10 to Patistan and 14-0 to Ko-oren - and, from the looks of things, not a hope in the world either. So, obviously, Elejamie were going into the match confident that they'll take it. And, indeed, they proved their confidence in spectacular fashion; in just forty five seconds, Elejamian captain George McFarland took advantage of a lacklustre Malttan line and managed to score the first try of the night; he then followed it up with a successful conversion to make it 6-0. Just over halfway through the first half, Jose Díaz Escobar made it 10-0. At the end of the first half, the score was 10-0 to Elejamie.

In the second half, they got more dangerous. Five minutes after the start of the match, the Malttan stand-off half tackled Harry Rutledge... which wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that it was Renayil that had the ball. Fortunately, Renayil made it 12-0, with the penalty just making it over. This was then followed six minutes later by a try from Rutledge himself; unfortunately, he didn't make the conversion. In the end, with just one and a half minutes left before the end of the match, Maltta finally managed to score, thanks to their right winger beating the Elejamian backs and scoring a try; he then managed to make the conversion, bringing the score to 16-6. Despite Elejamie's best efforts, they couldn't add to the score. In the end, it didn't really matter as the score was enough to take them through to the next round, with Ko-oren's 8-0 victory over Patistan being the cherry on top of the cake.

So, here we are, scraping our way into the Round of 16. Despite Agar still being out, with him returning for the quarter finals should Elejamie get that far, we're sure they can keep this run of form going. And, even if they don't, they made it further than we imagined, so they'd probably end up getting a hero's welcome home. Of course, we don't know who they're up against but we're sure it's going to be a thrilling match. As for me personally? I'm going to order another GeeCee and then head off to bed.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Hey guys, sorry for the delays. I was unable to use my laptop for most of the time since my arrival in Korea, due to various reasons involving my laptop and RL. With that being said, it's all good and I'll be able to finish the rest of the tourney.

Here are your Round of Sixteen CutoffResults

Royal Kingdom of Quebec 18–19 Elejamie
Ko-oren 8–0 The Royal Barangay
Neu Engollon 15–6 United States of Devonta
The Sword Bloke 16–14 84733842
The Jeckish Union 15–3 New West Guiana
Uitbregen 25–0 Wesleyia
Green Jello Salad 10–0 Nassau-Hessen
Hutanjia 43–8 State of Europa

Quarterfinals Fixtures
#B2 Elejamie vs. #A1 Ko-oren @ Stade David J.Tremblay, Val d'Or
#C1 Neu Engollon vs. #D1 The Sword Bloke @ Steelers Stadium, Saint John
#E1 The Jeckish Union vs. #F1 Uitbregen @ CSKA Stadium, Quebec City
#G1 Green Jello Salad vs. #H1 Hutanjia @ City of Attawapiskat Stadium, Attawapiskat

[Ko-oren]

Greenblues are doing the laundry: another clean sheet

It sure was a cold night out in Quebec City, but not as cold as Attawapiskat was. The Dragonflies played in a mostly empty stadium, seemingly as many Quebecois didn't want to watch a nothing game between Ko-oren and the Royal Barangay. That said, there still were over 20,000 fans, many of which Ko-orenite or Ko-orenite expats living in Quebec. And occasionally some Quebecois too, but they were probably cheering on the Royal Barangay. The truth was that some 26,000 tickets were sold but that approximately 5,500 fans were not allowed in after a barcode failure. In the second half, those fans that were still waiting outside in the cold were allowed in anyway just to fill up the seats (and some fans snuck in for free this way), and so a crowd of 26,620 saw the second half of the Round of 16 game. That still means over 100,000 seats remained empty, giving the stadium an eerie vibe despite 26,000 fans. Huge stadiums are fun, but only when full.

The Greenblues had another stellar display, and we are starting to believe in their abilities. The Barangay weren't allowed through, even though they repeatedly banged on the doors to the try line. The stadium, home to the Rafales, was livened up once by a try, once more for the conversion, and one last time for a penalty goal, with Ko-oren winning 8-0. That marks the fourth straight game without conceding a point.

The try came from a moment of inspiration by Gwilym Merrick. As the third tackle in the set, he found a gap in the line, dashed through and was off. He was tackled just outside the try line, and then Mason Phillips went for the hitup, leaving two of the Barangay's forwards on the try line. Preston had a lightning response by taking the ball from Phillips, passing to Parent, who found Bronte with two less forwards in front of him: 4-0. Parent made short work of the 6-0. Bronte pressed the ball down between the goal posts in the first place, which made the kick one of the easier ones this tournament. Late in the second half offside was called on the Royal Barangay, and Parent kicked the penalty goal for 8-0. The rest of the game Ko-oren was looking for a one point field goal just to make it harder for the Royal Barangay to chase down, but neither team looked in great shape to score any point. Gary Peregrine tried once, but his shank landed about 19 metres from where he stood, still 20 metres short of the goalposts.

Next, the team will be going to Val d'Or to meet with old friends Elejamie from the group stage. The first meeting between the two teams ended in 8-0. Elejamie reached the Quarterfinals by defeating Quebec 18-19. That wasn't the highest scoring Round of 16 game: Hutanjia destroyed State of Europa 43-8. Uitbregen won 25-0, and Green Jello Squad won 10-0. As said, we can be glad they are in the other bracket until the semifinals.

*OOC: I don't think I saw any stadium assignments, so I decided that Ko-oren would play in Quebec City.

[Elejamie]

... The Blackport Raiders have yet to confirm or deny the rumours, but they have said that there is a chance that Kitahara will be their new coach.

Meanwhile, in the Rugby League World Cup, Elejamie has stunned the tournament by clinching a spot in the quarter-finals, beating the Royal Kingdom of Quebec 19-18. Quebec, who are currently hosting the tournament, came top of Group A thanks to a 4-0 victory over runners-up The Royal Barangay, a 16-1 thrashing of Welcomzia and a 13-9 win over eventual last-placed Kernansquillec; whereas Elejamie overcame an 8-0 loss to eventual Group B winners Ko-oren and slid into second place, thanks to a 16-6 win over last-placed Maltta and a 11-4 victory over Patistan.

The first half saw things get off to an exciting start as, little under four minutes after the start of the match, Étienne Moose managed to get the first try of the evening; unfortunately, he couldn't make the conversion. However, their victory was shortlived as, roughly nine minutes later, José Díaz Escobar managed to not only score the try but also make the conversion, making the score 6-4 to Elejamie. Thirty one minutes into the match, Quebecois prop Eric Martel high-tackled Nathan Westerman, resulting in a penalty for Elejamie and a stay in the sin bin for Martel. Fortunately, Westerman was able to kick the ball in between the posts, showin. When the ref blew his whistle for the end of the first half, the score was 8-4 to Elejamie.

The second half was where all the action was. First up, Quebec bounced back in the 48th minute, thanks to a try from Tyson Betts. Betts then made the conversion, bringing the score to 10-8 to Quebec. Seven minutes later, the Quebecois scored again, with Mitt Schabas - who replaced Claude Letang in the 50th minute - not only scoring the try but also making the conversion, bringing the score to 16-8. Although things were beginning to look bleak for Elejamie, they managed to shake off the bad omens and give Quebec a run for their money.

First, in the 69th minute, Tim Mulley scored a try for Elejamie; even though he didn't make the conversion, it showed that there was still a chance. Two and a half minutes later, Sataeveni Renayil not only put Elejamie ahead once again, thanks to a try and a successful conversion, making the score 18-16 to Elejamie. However, AEtomir accidentally performed a mid-air tackle on Schabas; this allowed him to level the scores, making it 18-18. However, in the last thirty seconds of the match, the impossible happened:

"De Vargas has the ball. De Vargas passes it to Rutledge. Rutledge over to Mulley. Mulley races past Harvey, Tronzeowski, Strilchuk... He looks like he's going to try for a drop goal. He kicks it... And it's over the bar and between the posts! Quebec 18, Elejamie 19! And with only 17 seconds left to go!" Once the match was over, Elejamie celebrated a job well done and started preparing for their next match in Val d'Or.

After the match, coach Mark Wallace said "I think me and the boys did a good job out there! I mean, going into the match, I wasn't expecting us to win, so I told the boys that they should go out there and play to the best of their abilities. In fact, when I saw that we were leading at the end of the first half, I could barely contain myself! I thought to myself about how we could actually win it. And we did.

As for Ko-oren? We all know what happened last time. And we all know what they did afterwards. So, obviously, they're one tough customer. I'm not expecting us to win it. At the bare minimum, we're hoping to actually score a try, a penalty or a drop goal against them. End their streak, if you will. However, if they do beat us - which is probably the likeliest outcome - then I wish them the best against whoever's next."

Elsewhere in the Rugby League World Cup, Group B winners Ko-oren defeated Group A runners up The Royal Barangay 8-0, with Valentin Parent scoring a try, the conversion and a penalty; and current world champions Hutanjia demolishing the State of Europa 43-8, to name a few matches. Next up, we have the quarter-finals, where we'll see Hutanjia take on Green Jello Salad; The Jeckish Union play against Uitbregen; New Engollon be up against The Sword Bloke and, of course, Elejamie vs Ko-oren: The Rematch! Who will win? And who will be going home? Find out on ETV2.

Meanwhile in rugby union, Coventry Wyverns flanker Bruce Hernández has confirmed that he will be staying with the club for two more seasons...

[Hutanjia]

ROCK LEDGE IN
A HUTANJIAN JUNGLE

“Ya jus sleep n drink all day, dat wot ya heya ta do?”

“wzzaah?...hrrmm.” He struggled up to a sitting position, feeling the creaking in his neck, his back and the rest of his aching muscles. He blinked the sleep and grogginess from his eyes. It was her again, the girl that should not exist, but continued to visit him...And speak the truth beyond the knowledge of any young girl.

“Nah...I heya to mek peace wit meh famalee.”

“Den do it, mon. Or do ya keep expectin’ meh ta bring ya fud lik ya in some uppitee cah-fey? Jus laze about all day and...whar ya do de biznus?”

He ignored that question.
“Whar de fud come from?”

“De villuj. Whar else?”

“I dunno. Listen, Emelita. Ya bin great n’ I canna thank ya nuff, but ya right. I gotta git down ta ma familee.”

“Good. Dey waitin’.”

He nodded.
“I needed de coo-raj, ya know? I think I git it now.”
He punctuated it by trying to boost himself up from the rock ledge, but his hand slipped on the moss and meanwhile, his body had stiffened and atrophied while he sat, laid and drank on the rock overlook. He tumbled back down. The young girl tittered and chortled. Something in that laugh convinced him that this was no imposter or earthly girl. It chilled him to the bone like nothing else had in the past couple days.

“I got dis. I kin do it.”

The giggle again.
“Yeh, okayuh.”

He tried again. Willing himself to deliberately raise up...slowly. His right arm and legs were scraped up from the fall, and he was trying to focus through the hangover, dehydration and the now raw, albeit slight, pain. It was not the tranquil way he had imagined walking down to beg for forgiveness from his parents and brother. Although Benton had come to visit the rock, he still owed him a public apology, or one in front of their mother and father, anyway. He needed this, but he knew he would still never forgive himself for what he had done, even should all those around him. He was assuming too much. There was no telling what reaction his appearance in the village square would garner.
If he ever got there.

He was pushed up on his knees, but not sure how he had got there.

“Ya gittin’ der, rugbee playuh.”

It was all he could do to crawl towards the leafy opening that led down the rise. He started to work his way down, finding it hard to believe that he had somehow made his way up to the ledge, with bag and cooler in hand. Of course, he hadn’t been in the condition arriving that he was departing the rock for the first time in...two days? His musing cost him grabbing on to a key branch. As he missed it, his hand slid down and lost purchase, and his feet followed.
He skittered, trying to brake and hit a sloped bit of rock, launching off it like a slide.
He let out little more than a surprised grunt as he flew through the air like a super hero, sans the cape. Then his fall was stopped by a tree, to which he had a superb impact. Everything went dark quickly.

---

“Hendricks Ruzaga here on the Hutanjian News Network Sports Desk. The Spiders prepare for their match up in the Round of 16 against the Salad Shooters. A solid team that has fought their way up as hard as the Spiders have. It was not expected that they would face this opponent so early on, but they are sure to be ready.

The match against the Europans was not all that tough for them, but it wasn’t the shut out some might have hoped for. After the first Hutanjian try during minute 8, the opponents from Europa were able to get a try with conversion on the board and take advantage of a penalty on Kaulanga for a high tackle.

From there, it was all Hutanjian domination as they rallied and plowed through the Europan defense and disrupted other attempts to move toward the Hutanjian claimed meters. We had tries from Samson Wakala, Zangaka, Sokota, Ketsangu and Tony Gjemeru. Kicks were spot on by Monty Apegku to ensure the highest total points of a match so far for in the Cup, and by far one of the greatest victories for the Spiders. They are reportedly celebrating right now in their hotel rooms, drinking root beer and eating pizza. Let’s hope they don’t overdue it before their morning warm ups.

One can only hope they bring some of that same fire from today to the Green Jello Salad match tomorrow.
Stay tuned for more coverage…”

[Neu Engollon]

"Karl Demais here tonight on the NETV 7 Sports Update. Evening Neu Engollon! Magda Wertauer has the night off. We look to the first Round of 16 match for the Goats and are treated to a near heart attack for some of our Confederacy rugger fans as we saw a close one with Devonta. 15 to 6, with the last clincher try to cross the zone in the arms of Goertz in the final minutes of the match. Up until then, it was a complete slug fest as Neu Engollon's Goats tried to surmount the Devontans converted try. The Goats had just one try, unconverted due to a return to sloppy kicking.

It was through a series of drives that they were able to get in range for Gabe Serza and Franky Cornette to finally get a field goal and penalty kick through the posts and even it up and even pull ahead slightly. Another penalty kick by Cornette and they could see a chance forming to pull ahead and cement the match. This one after the Devontan outside left center inexplicably winged the ball out to the sidelines as they attempted to get a reset scrum. A number of offsides and other foul ups beset the Devontans and allowed the Goats to pull ahead with awarded kicks where regular play was getting them nowhere against their opponents defense. Even then, twice as many kicks went wide as were true. With the try from Goertz and the whistle, Neu Engollians could breathe easy.

Rumors are that the betting parlors down in Panoli were doing a brisk business and a few folks were cleared out of small fortunes.
We hope you viewers out there didn't bet on a wide margin. When we come back, we'll review the upcoming match with The Sword Bloke and the Goats chances for advancing beyond their position from last year's Cup. Stay tuned..."

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Here are your cutoff for the Quarterfinals

Ko-oren 10-5 Elejamie
Neu Engollon 29-7 The Sword Bloke
The Jeckish Union 7-11 Uitbregen
Green Jello Salad 15-25 Hutanjia

[Ko-oren]

Elejamie ele-minated after Dragonflies almost face loss themselves

Good old Elejamie was back from the 8-0 group stage win and this time they were serious. They just came back from a 19-18 win over the hosts and now were ready to take the Greenblues head on - and they almost succeeded. 78 minutes in, the team from the East Pacific was doing way better than expected and scored a field goal to go up 5-4. The Unionites ruined the party with a late try and a conversion for a 10-5 win. Still the Ko-orenites have been warned with Neu Engollon coming up next.

After 30 minutes, Saunders caught a line dropout for Elejamie and advanced up the field. He had a great return and was tackled 26 metres into the field, halfway to the 50-metre line. AEtomir took it from here and within four tackles, the collective from the Hanson Brews League was at Ko-oren's doorstep. On the sixth tackle, Rutledge saw no way other than to kick it into the in-goal area and here Webber stunned all onlookers by pressing the ball down before it went over the line, and Elejamie was leading 4-0. This happened after 30 minutes of bad rugby from both sides, and Ko-oren was looking particularly complacent. The try woke them up, and De Vargas' conversion miss motivated them more. In the next four minutes, the Ko-orenites surrounded the Elejamians on all sides when Waratine Adair Sims kicked the ball into the in-goal area, but applied far too much force and sent the ball bouncing across the dead ball line. Merritt, looking very inspired, dove for the ball and passed it back before he or the ball hit the ground. Elejamie players were petrified seeing Vincent, a Ko-orenite player, receive the present and score: 4-4. Parent missed the kick and Elejamie was still hanging on.

In the second half, Elejamie was still miraculously surviving with three potential Ko-orenite tries sent to the video ref. The first was rejected on the basis of an earlier foul by forward Sancho Prieto who hasn't looked like himself all tournament. The second wasn't pressed down inside the in-goal area but on the far right side of it after a last-minute tackle by Jason Saunders. The third one was the shadiest of them all, but the video referee decided that downward force was not applied all the way and the ball hit the ball by gravity rather than by the hands of Kiaran Fletcher. Then Saunders scored the field goal for 5-4, hoping to catch Ko-oren offguard and win by that one lousy point. This is a perfectly valid tactic, and pretty much the only use for field goals, and suddenly Ko-oren was on the defensive. In the dying minutes of the match, Tane Preston made two hitups before walking straight through the exhausted Elejamian line for 8-5, and now Parent did not make a mistake for the 10-5.

Ko-oren survives, concedes points, but advances, and now meets Neu Engollon in Montreal for the semifinals. The other semifinal (Hutanjia v. Uitbregen) is played in Winnipeg, with the final in Chicoutimi and the third place playoff in St. John's.

The Goats of Neu Engollon won 29-7 against the Sword Bloke. We expect the sole field goal at the end to be just for show, but we haven't seen the footage yet. It does make the third consecutive win for Neu Engollon all with an odd score for the Goats (odd meaning 'not even')... so the obvious tip for the Dragonflies would be to look out for those single-point field goals. Now there is a sentence that never showed up in Rugby League coverage.

[Hutanjia]

THE VILLAGE

There was a buzzing. Faint flashes, or was that his imagination? It was all darkness, so it must be his mind playing tricks on him. The buzzing was human voices. Familiar voices. They were talking about him, but like he wasn’t even there. Had he finally passed on? Was this what it was like to be dead? To have darkness, and vague, faint voices? And the pain! The incredible pain! How could the Lord allow such pain even in the afterlife? Perhaps this was his final justice for what he had done. To endure eternity in this state. Still, why the pain?...

“He took a knock fo’ sho. I don’ think he ginna be walkin anytime soon, if at all. But we see.”

“Wot ya mean? Nah walkin? Don’ he need ta be onna plane? World champion rugbee o’ somethin?”

“He hit de tree hard n fast. Jar de spine. We see, but he gin need time. We see if der damuhj. I dunno bout git on de plane o’ playin’ rugbee.”

“Fideh! Won jus’ be ironee if de legs don’ work on ‘im? Dat jus’ be full ironee.”

“Benton! Ya shut ya mout’. Ya jus’ shut it.”

“I nuh wishin’ fer it. Jus’ sayin’. Iroh-neee.”

“Ya cannuh say such tings! Ya cannuh! Ya jus’ cannuh!”

“Calm yaself, mama. Just calm yah.”

“Ya watch ya talk ta ya mama! Sho de respect.”

“Pa, I was jus’ sayin’...”

“Stop...Look! He be comin’ round!”

Janson was indeed struggling to open his eyes. It was as if every bit of him was sluggish and resisting. Every single muscle refused to work when he gave it the impulses to go to it. Perhaps this was how it felt to be paralyzed. But he was moving, even just centimeters, but it was movement. Then the eyelids parted and light came in. He then blinked rapidly as his corneas struggled to adapt. He moved his head to look upon his mama and papa. They looked back at him, his mother’s mouth open in wonder. His father’s a thin line, his face imperceptible as always. His brother further down, eyebrows wide.
He tested his voice. It came out raggedy, but understandable. At least as far as he could tell.
“I be fine. Jus sore.”

It took all his effort just to raise himself up on a slightly bent elbow.
They didn’t answer back. Instead, he felt arms wrap around him. Four...then six of them. His brother had hold of his legs, but not in a harsh way. Despite the immense pain racking his body, it felt wonderful. It was warmth and light. It was acceptance and familiarity and a blank slate being wiped clean. It was his life back. A vast, vast void filled. He looked over his mother's shoulder and saw a small face in the window through the family shack. He knew who it must be, despite there being a number of children in the village. He closed his eyes. He just wanted to relish this moment more, before figuring out how bad he had screwed up his life from here. None of that mattered now. None of it.

---

“You’re watching the Hutanjian News Network Sports Desk. I’m your host, Hendricks Ruzaga. The Salad Shooters quarterfinals match is past and now the Spiders look for the next step, the semi finals. The final obstacle to their being four time consecutive champions, a feat that hasn’t been seen in rugby league for a long time, if ever.

First, a review of the Green Jello Salad match. A tight one for the Spiders. Very tight and brutal... Glorious and frustrating as they continued to try to get points over the Shooters and widen the margin, while the Shooters kept trying to close the gap. Monty Apegku’s foot must be sore from the amount of penalty and field goals he had to punt, but he did have help from Joe Charopa and Tony Gjemeru on some of them.

Tries from McIntyre and Hines on the Salad Shooters were answered with tries by Wakala and Vitagu, but still, it was a kicking game as the two sides duked it out. That ball sailed back and forth over the Attawapiskat pitch and it seemed that it seldom touched down for scrums or to be scooped up for a run in. Somehow, with the smoke clearing, we saw the Spiders running it close to the Shooters 20 meter line, forcing an offsides from Captain Campbell which gave Monty Apegku the final penalty kick through the sticks.

Next up, frequent and legendary foes Uitbregen. This will be another tough match and we hope that the Spiders have not exhausted themselves on the climb up. Two more matches until they can again secure the Cup for the Republic. Two more. Ease up on the pizza, boys!”

[Neu Engollon]

"Hi Neu Engollon and friends! I'm Magda Wertauer.

"I'm Karl Demais and you're watching the NETV 7 Sports Update. Once again, another year and the Goats close in on the big prize, Magda. Can this be the year they take it?"

"It is close enough to taste, but first they must beat an old foe, one they have faced on many a pitch, union, sevens and league. The Greenblues. The Dragonflies. The Greenflies...Dragonblues?..."

"That's enough of that, Magda...So, our Goats face Ko-oren again. We know it is going to be an epic battle on that pitch and we know that each have an equally good chance to walk on to the final match for the Cup. Before we take a look at the Greenblues performance so far in this tournament and what the Goats are up against, let's take a look at this quarterfinals match."

"Karl, the Swordians were in the match for a brief time, but the Goats shut them down. Three tries on the board, Giancoli, Du Plesse and Uzecci each slamming one home in the zone. Hand it to Serza, our star kicker for the match who was able to convert all of them, as well as blast through some key goals."

"Sword Bloke answered with one converted try and a field goal of their own, then seemed to fall apart in the second half. So, moving on...The Greenblues..."

"Bluedragflies..."

"Right, anyway...So, the first match for Ko-oren of the Cup was against Elejamie. 8-0. This was all Fletcher's match. The man was a machine and one to be marked as serious potential trouble for the Goats."

"Agreed. Maltta, their second opponent, who they also took down without letting them score. This one was 14 -0."

"Which leads us to the last group stage match against Patistan. Another 8 points, another no scoring match for the opponent. I see a pattern."

"Karl, that brought us to their Round of 16 match. Once again, guess who scored zero points?"

"Uh, their opponents?"

"That's right, the Royal Barangay. Another 8 points for the Greenblues. Low scoring every time, but the defense concedes nothing."

"Well, Magda, let's not forget the rumbling about team dissension. Ko-oren is a union of several nationalities and apparently, there was some ethnic tension that needed to be overcome before they continued on."

"Ah, a weakness. Perhaps why they finally conceded points in their second match with Elejamie, this one in the quarterfinals. 10-5. Karl, what are the chances they will implode with this ethnic tension before or during the upcoming match?"

"Magda, they may, but I don't buy into this theory that it will effect their game all that much on the pitch. The fact of the matter is that the Goats need to play their hardest out there. They have been one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament. They need to rack up the points like they have been doing and also hold the Ko-orenites in check. This will be Neu Engollon's offense against Ko-oren's defense. One has to give and we hope it's the latter."

"Amen to that, Karl. Catch the match right here on NETV Sports 7 later tonight. WIth more pre-match coverage coming up..."

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Here are your Semifinals results

Ko-oren 12–16 Neu Engollon
Uitbregen 11–12 Hutanjia

Third-Place Match Fixture
Ko-oren vs. Uitbregen @ Blue Point Stadium, St.John's (kickoff time: 19:30)

Final Fixture
Neu Engollon vs. Hutanjia @ Stade Lorne-Goonja de Dosan, Chicoutimi (kickoff time: 20:30)

[Hutanjia]

PAQATE HOUSE

He started to sob as the feelings overcame him.
“Day-soh-lay! Dayzohlayy! I’m so sorreh, mama...Papa...I canna...I’m so sorreh…”
Despite their arms around him, he couldn’t quite help but feel that he had failed and would still be rejected by his family, even now.
“Son, it is okay. We fo’give ya. It will all be okay. Benton fo’give ya and dat mo impotunt.”

His father was of course, more reserved, but his hand still remained on his arm.
“Ya okay? We thot ya ginna be dey-reh-glay, de way ya be mashed up ginst dat tree.”

“Yeh...yeh...okay..agh...awwk. Nah...” Janson still felt the aches all over. His head was pounding, but he struggled to focus.
“I rilly am sorreh. Ya know…”

“We know, son. I...I canna say dat I’m nah upset and deepleh troubled by ya actions, but...we jus’ glad ya heyah...and okay.”
“Jus lik dat? Jus...all is good?”

“Well...nah...Ya gotta pay penance ya know. Ya run off…”

His mother interjected,
“I think we kin allow dat he play fo’ de nation. He do some good...We talk bout dis.”

“Yeh...I know. He still gotta do somethin’...Ya bro kin nevuh walk agin. I know dat bothah ya.”

“Yeh...Course it bothah me. Wot kin I do?” He wiped at tears as they threatened to renew. The emotional pain was far outweighing the physical right now.

“We don’ know...but we figyuh dat out...togethuh.”

“Yeh, okay. I unduh-stand. I agree. Course ah do.”
Cathartic feelings washed over him. He was alive. He was forgiven, he would be able to somehow make it up to the family. He felt like things would be on track, but at the same time, his life would never be the same.

“Ya doc is heya. He checked ya ovuh wen ya waz still out.”

The doctor walked into the main room of their shack from outside, hearing his cue. He wasn't a man that Janson remembered. He wore the typical tropical colored short sleeve shirt that was the style for most all Hutanjian men for daily wear.
“Hello, Janson. How are ya feelin’?”

“I hurt, but...I’m okay. I need ta play, tho. I kin take de pain. Ya jus help me get ta Vesselle.”

The doctor sort of shook his head and smiled sadly.
“Um...no. Ya won’ be able ta play rugby. Not fo a long while anyway. Ya have broken ribs, a displaced vertebrae and several torn muscles. I’m waitin fo’ a truck ta bring splints and bracing materials. We will be gettin’ ya ta de hospital.”

“I gotta play! Doc!”

“Listen dat admira-buhl, but ya in no condishun. I’m sorreh. Ya dun. I gave ya some pain killuh while ya was out. Ya got no idea how much worse ya feel wit’out dem. Nah lie back, stop movin’ so much.”

Janson had nothing else left to say. There was no use arguing about it. The doctor left and his family had filed out. He laid back, but then felt that someone was in the room. He looked to the side, taking the doctor’s advice to not try to prop himself back up. It was Lil Em. She stood there watching him. She wasn’t wearing the same pink shirt and purple shorts. She had on an airy white dress that went to her knees and a smug expression on her face. He waited for her to speak first, but she didn’t.

“Ya did good, Em. Ya helped me wit meh familee.”

“I jus kept ya live. Ya stupid.”
He laughed, then winced as he felt shooting pains.
“Yeh, ya right bout dat. Imma stupid. Ya sho me de way, tho...Ya kep’ me goin wit da fud n watah. Ya were wit me by de tree, too, weren’ ya?”

“Yeh. Got help first.”

How did she do that? If she didn’t exist but to him, how could she make it known that there was an emergency? There wouldn’t be an answer, he was sure.
“Ya did, huh? Well thank ya. I nevuh be able ta thank ya nuff. Ye got me ta me ma and pa...and me frayur. Me bro.”

“I didn’ do it fo’ dat.”

“Ya didn’?”

“Nah.”

“Den why?”

“Cuz. I need me Daddy back heya. Mama sad all alone. Ya had yoz, now I need me familee.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. He looked up for a minute, trying to process what she had said, then looked back. She started to fade before his misting, clouded eyes. Too late, he realized it wasn’t his eyes. He reached out and touched only statically charged air. A whisp and she was gone from the room.

---

“I’m Hendricks Ruzaga, your host for the Hutanjian News Network Sports Desk. Today we watched the Spiders hit the pitch at Sobaeksanmaek Field in Winnipeg. They danced the Panehu, the traditional Hujana tribal warrior dance. Then the match began and they fought like they had never fought any harder. Right away, Uitbregen got a try in past the struggling Spider defense. With a conversion up, it was up to Hutanjia to catch up. Finally, they did in the 34th minute. A sprint up the outside and Vlad Sokota was able to time it right to catch a hole in Uitbregen’s rush.

Unfortunately, the conversion kick was missed by Monty Apegku, falling short. The right winger of the opposing team was able to make a break from a quick scrum, giving the pass to the Uitbregen right center man, who ran it through to the try zone. This time, their kick was wide and it left the score 10 to 4, Uitbregen. Before the half, Monty was able to redeem himself and knock a penalty goal up and over, bringing the Spiders two points closer.
After the half, Uitbregen was able to punt a drop goal through, bringing their score to 11. It was then that the Spiders buckled down in order to hold off the enemy offense and enable the backs a glimmer of hope of racking some points up.

Harry Fengelu snapped a pick out of the air from a wonky pass as Uitbregen were convinced they were heading in for their third try. Instead, Fengelu was able to flip it to Lintanu before a hit, who ran it all the way into the zone. Monty, having some luck with the foot at this point, was able to make good the conversion.
11-10 Uitbregen.

On another bad pass, the fate of Uitbregen was sealed. Another close drive brought the Spiders into goal range and Monty was on it. Still recovering, Uitbregen wasn’t ready for another rush drive up inside. Still, they stopped the Spiders short, and our boys had to settle for one more tie breaking drop goal to break the dead lock. From there, it was back to the center of the pitch as the two teams dug in hard to gain more advantage. With a last minute kick out of touch, the clock ran out and the Spiders hung on to their one point advantage to get into the Final.
That’s right! The Spiders have another chance to retain the Cup and become unprecedented four time champions.

They play the mighty Goats of Neu Engollon at Stade Lorne-Goonja de Dosan in Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec next. You can catch that match right here on this network. Stay tuned for more preview coverage and review of the Goats in action so far...”

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Here are your final results of the tournament

Final
Neu Engollon 3–19 Hutanjia

3rd-Place Match
Ko-oren 6–0 Uitbregen

Congratulations to winner, commiserations to loser.

Thank you for letting me be your host for this RLWC. Hope you had a great time in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and good night.

[Hutanjia]

As it dawned on them that this was finally the end and they had won their struggle to keep the Cup another year, the celebrating began in earnest. They had retired down to the locker rooms and some of the adjoining press rooms of the stadium. Liquids were dumped copiously on heads, dousing players and coaching staff alike. First it was the sport drinks, then water, then champagne, then beer...When they began to run out of that, they might even consider cracking open the root beer, but the beloved beverage was the last on the chopping block. It was valued more than any of the other beverages, due to its scarcity on the islands. Yes, even more than genuine beer and alcohol, Hutanjians loved their root beer, as much as they loved good pizza.

Samson stood propped in a corner a bit detached from it all, although he had participated earlier. He was soaked like anyone else, but his mood had changed. He had a wistful melancholic smile. Coach Malaptra walked up next to him, putting his hand on the wall. Immediately, a puddle started to form around his feet of reddish sports drink, mixed with something else, probably champagne.

“Ya not ginna join in?”

“I will, I jus’ needed a moment. Ya know?”

“Yeh, I do. Take ya moment, son. Ya earned it. Enjoy dis moment too, tho…” He waved his arm around.
“Ya sad. Bout Janson.”

“Yeh. Mebbe. A bit. His loss.”

“He ya best friend.” It was hard to hear over the ruckus happening in the next couple rooms. The team were practically shouting themselves hoarse as they ran out of liquids to throw at each other.

“He be a good friend. He be missed, but we move on.”

“Don’ bull me, son.” The coach was like a father to Samson, especially as his own father had tragically died. He could read Samson Wakala like a book. They made a good team. The younger man deferred to Coach on some things, but when it came to leading the team on the pitch, there was no one else that could get them riled like Samson.
He had nothing in response to the Coach, but a sigh.

“Wot did he say ta ya, dat last talk before we left?”

“I tried ta git him ta be der fo’ de plane. Said dat was it if he nah sho’ up.”

“Den he knew wot he doin’. Wot was his reason?”

“Don’ rilly know. Odder den he sed he had ol ghosts dat he had ta put ta rest.”