Ultimate Cup 4: Everything Thread

[Yttribia]

Ultimate Cup 4

After a long time, and long hiatus, the Ultimate Cup is once again up for grabs, this time in the Yttribian capital of Fontvieille. The best Ultimate teams are going to fight for the right to call themselves "the Ultimate champion," and for national pride and glory.

OOC Information
Ultimate
As with the previous Ultimate Cup, the seven-a-side format of Ultimate will be used. The size of the field will be following USA Ultimate's regulations of 120 meters by 37 metres with the endzones being 23 meters deep. If you don't know about Ultimate, please take a look here.


RP Bonus
I'll be using a 0 to 4 grading scale, with quality topping quantity. So, writing a great match report, or a storyline, or even a great quintain (poem with five lines), will get you a nice bonus, but a single sentence? Not so much of a bonus. Rosters will count to your RP bonus as a day's worth of RP. There will also be RP Challenges throughout the competition, that will double your RP bonus for the day, which will be announced on the cut-off post for the previous MD.

Scorination
I'll be using xkoranate 0.3.3's Ultimate function. If I am to qualify to the knock-out round, I will be using a third party scorinator.

Format
A double-round-robin group stage will be used. As this is a twenty team tournament, five groups of four will be used, with the top nation from each group will qualify to the knock-out rounds. The top second place team will qualify directly to the knock out rounds, while the other four second-place finishers will play-off to determine the final two teams going to the knockout rounds, reducing the field to eight teams.

The knock-out rounds will be one match only, until the final and third-place-play-off, which shall be a best of three series.

In the event of a tie in the group stage, the following tiebreakers will be used: points, goal difference, goals for, h2h points, h2h goal difference, h2h goals for. If at the end of this, the tie is not broken, then a play-off between the teams will be played.

Confirmed Schedule (pushed back a day)
April 22 - MD1 1v4 2v3
April 23 - MD2 1v2 4v3
April 24 - MD3 2v4 3v1
April 25 - Off Day
April 26 - MD4 4v1 3v2
April 27 - MD5 2v1 3v4
April 28 - MD6* 4v2 1v3
April 29 - Off Day
April 30 - Play-off matches
May 1 - Quarter-Finals
May 2 - Semi-Finals
May 3 - Off Day
May 4 - Off Day
May 5 - Final/3PPO MD1
May 6 - Final 3PPO MD2
May 7 - Final/3PPO MD3 (if necessary)

Scorination Times for all matches are to come between 19:00 and 21:00 UTC -7, except for April 28. April 28's scorination is to come between 15:00 and 17:00 UTC -8. Remember, my time zone is likely different than yours.

Group A
Yttribia
Britonisea
New North Aqmuland
The Sarian

Group B
Jeckland
Equestrian States
Darmen
Cosumar

Group C
Vettrera
Avissian Union
Gregoryisgodistan
Otakuverse

Group D
Hutt River
Andiatia
Alpaira
Macquarrie

Group E
Estenia
Electrum
Celter
Menukten

Yttribia is to automatically be placed in Group A, as they are the hosts. Live group draw scheduled to take place at around 14:00 UTC -7, on irc.esper.net, with the channel being #ultimatecupdraw. Remember, my time zone is likely different than yours.

RP Permissions:

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Y/N
Godmod any scoring events: Y/N
RP injuries to any of my players: Y/N
Godmod injuries to any of my players: Y/N
RP Penalties to any of my players: Y/N
Godmod any other events: Y/N

Once again, welcome to Fontvieille, and welcome to Ultimate Cup 4!

[Yttribia]

Welcome to Fontvieille! While the tournament is branded as "Ultimate Cup 4: Yttribia", the tournament is going to take place within the city limits of the city of Fontvieille.

About Fontvieille
The city of Fontvieille was founded more than five hundred and forty years ago, in the year 1674, as the City-State of Fontvieille, by Orson Voigt. Fontvieille was a kingdom under the rule of Voigt, in which the Voigt House ruled over the city until the year 1921, when revolutionaries, led by Perry Fields and Marguerite Castro, overthrew the king, at the time Brand III, and established Fontvieille as a Republic. Castro and Fields helped fund the renovation of the local government building, which was originally a casino during the Voigt era, and is one of Fontvieille's premier tourist attractions. The City-State of Fontvieille was left alone, until when government leaders from the other five regions in what is now Yttribia asked the Fontvieille nation to unify under one country. Originally reluctant at first, the City-State of Fontvieille eventually accepted the offer, under the condition that Fontvieille would become the capital of the new nation. The other regional leaders reluctantly agreed to the offer, and the six regions unified as the Federal Republic of Yttribia. The city of Fontvieille was the new capital of Yttribia, and was given special rights that the other regions (now unified under one government) did not get. With a new nation rising, a new political family wanted to take control, known as the Grimaldi family. Generation by generation, the Grimaldi family began to rise up the ladder in Fontvieille politics. From council member, to president of the Fontvieille Parliament, to mayor of Fontvieille, that was how the Grimaldi rise to power happened. Slow, but steady. One day, Andrew Grimaldi, mayor at the time, declared his candidacy for President of Yttribia under "the Convergence", and won with staggering support. However, Urellian independence supporters began the snowball known as the collapse of the Grimaldis, which gave each region more liberties, such as a better regional government, the end of the Federal Republic, and start of a Confederation, and most importantly, the fall of the Grimaldis. After the fall from grace, thirty-six year old Jeanette Kemp, of the Partit Verde, took over as Fontvieille mayor, and as a collective head of state for Yttribia, as she is a member of the Federal Council. Her term is expected to expire during the next month.

Stadia

Group A, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final - Stadia Suprema

Group B, Quarter-Final - Casino Peak

Group C, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final - Fontvieille Park

Group D, Quarter-Final - Harrison Field

Group E, Play-offs - Brambleton Cove

Final Series/3PPO - Le Nid Violet

More information to come in later.

[Yttribia]

Since these fourteen blokes decided to get high, and play Ultimate, they formed the "Association for the Advancement of Ultimate in Yttribia" while on marijuana. They are also the president, coaches, trainers, and whatever else. Basically, these fourteen losers made the Yttribian bid to host Ultimate, but one of their parents funded it, and rented out the venues, hence the large venues being used.

Starters
Jaquelyn Agresta
Edgardo Nenci
Roderic Geier
Rosina Winchester
Pris Agnelli
Yannic Myles
Freddie Forest

Reserves
Marcelo LeMaire
Zander Scheinberg
Brigitta Tracey
Rita Hart
Emiliano Verona
Judicaël Sebastino
Marko Carman

RP Permissions: Basically, don't kill them, or injure them to the point where they're forced to retire. Also, don't publicly humiliate them in any sort of way, they just wanna have fun.

[The Sarian]

Royal Isles of The Sarian National Ultimate Team

Formation: Vertical Stack
Nicknames: The Bustards
Coach: Ronan Burley
Assistant Coach: Chris Fisher
Captain: Harry Finette
Vice Captain: Samuel Mead

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

#1 Pablo Antonio (27)
#2 James Fresher (18)
#3 Matthew Canio (23)
#4 Samuel Mead (24)
#5 Terry Evans (29)
#6 George Handle (22)
#7 Harry Finette (25)

Bench

#8 Henry Duke (19)
#9 Joshua Williams (23)
#10 Stephan Black (21)
#11 Gord Maniki (25)
#12 Jasper Grey (26)
#13 Chris Anderson (22)
#14 Darren Kinatra (25)

About The Sarian

On the third of March, 1843 a green and white flag was raised above a group of sixteen barren, cold and mountainous Islands for the first time. In the three centuries that have followed, The Royal Isles has faced separation, war and more crisis then can be remembered.

In the last 100 years, The Sarian has faced the rise and fall of communism, two civil wars , the independence of Lojal, the near independence of Kongelige and that Free Republics incident. But the new United Liberals government promised all of that was to change, so of course the exiled President of Yttribia, Andrew Grimaldi comes to The Sarian and destroys relations between to isles and their Esportivan neighbours , a member of the Executive Council (Cabinet to non-Sarian folk) turns out to be a paedophile, the capital city moves and scientists are warning of impending natural disasters (Which the National Front blaims on homosexuals). Unsurprisingly, the government was recently taken down by a Parliamentary vote, with elections happening in a months time. As for the monarchy, King Nicholas III is one year away from his Bronze jubilee, and he has never been more unpopular, with some people calling for his abdication, in replace of his eldest daughter, Isabella.

RP Permissions:

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Yes
Godmod any scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to any of my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to any of my players: Yes
RP Penalties to any of my players: Yes
Godmod any other events: TG me before hand, should be fine though.

[Menukten]

Menukten Ultimate Team Roster

Menukten is home to the Discaligwa, NationState's premier Ultimate League (or so we like to pretend). The massive two year season and following third year season having concluded, players from Menukten's most successful Ultimate clubs are eager to prove their skills internationally.

The Menukten Ultimate Team will be using the Feature offensive formation.

Nicknames: The Mutterers

Roster

Coach:

Hinutet ock Namaeshanne. 67. A veteran Ultimate coach, Hinutet coaches the Discaligwa's runner ups Namaeshanne among the Blue Gills.

Cutters:

1. Kekeleksu ock Colapechen. 34. Playing mid for the Discaligwa champions Colapechen Scattered with Pebbles, Kekeleksu leads the league in assists and is known as an ingenuity playmaker.
2. Kwenakw ock Hachkihacanink. 31. A cutter for the Third Year League's runnerups Hachkihacanink where we Plant, Kwenakw has the speed and the vertical leap to strike deep in the oppositions formation.
3. Kwenemuchkw ock Tulumopeck. 23. From Wulumopeck place of Frogs, Kwenemuchkw plays initiator for the Menukten team. An excellent cutter, Kwenemuchkw is a team player who coordinates with his teammates to open up space for a deep strike and a long huck.
4. Opalanie ock Namaeshanne. 36. A cutter for Discaligwa runner-ups Namaeshanne among the Blue Gills, Opalanie is swift and tireless, always attempting to throw off his mark and receive a deep pass for significant yardage or a score.

Handlers:

1. Alemahe ock Cuwuceck. 43. A handler for Cuwuceck of the Pine Spirits, Alemahe is the expert at the hammer and slipping a pass by even the most determined defenders.
2. Amankanike ock Hackihacanink. 47. Handler for Hackihacanink where we Plant and Kwenakw's teammate, Amankanike, Amankanike leads the Third Year League in number of successful deep passes and hucks.
3. Ansipelaon ock Kikhituck. 30. Known as "the Scoober Queen," Ansipelaon plays for Kikhituck of the Canoes and is famous for defeating defenders with a well-placed pass.

Reserves (able to play any position):

Chulens ock Calapachink
Tentay ock Silehend
Lusikte ock Wihlink
Menepekwtet ock Calapachink
Lepakamekele
Motnik ock Dkehanne
Yakweha ock Pocohontes

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Yes
Godmod any scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to any of my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to any of my players: Yes
RP Penalties to any of my players: Yes
Godmod any other events: Yes.

[Jeckland]

Jeckland Roster for Ultimate Cup 4

Starters
Jacob Blazyski (25)
Domimas Quento (30)
Jim Tildrige (22)
Ian Weale (20)
Marcus Gomm (27)
Timothy Trimble (35)
Ollie Hastings (23)

Reserves
Ali Afawagi (31)
Richie Roberts (19)
Fred Bonson (26)
Vincent Salietti (24)
Greg Hopkins (21)
Billy Joel (32)
Derek Clintock (28)

The team don't really know how to play, so they don't have set positions.

RP permissions: TG me if you plan anything crazy.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

The team doesn't know how to play so they don't have fixed positions. We basically just had tryouts and only 12 people showed up so they all made the team. None of them are good.

Starters:

#1 Youth 128SXBBCBA (Age 12)
#2 Retiree B1838012881WA (Age 78)
#3 Goat Herder PAPAPS8183 (Age 31)
#4 Spy [Redacted] (Age 24, allegedly)
#5 Slavemaster J1U182389DA (Age 32)
#6 Pervert Chaser MMMGOODAU128 (Age 38)
#7 Youth OOO818AHHZBXB (Age 14)

Reserves:

#8 Slaughterer QXUAUXN138 (Age 41)
#9 Retiree UKEL913719320B (Age 90)
#10 Barber BABAFGAJZ (Age 61)
#11 Actor EU1829CBABA (Age 25)
#12 Actor CNANANZNANNANAN (Age 26)

The two actors are trying out for the lead role in the new movie Frisbeeteria, which stars a professional Ultimate player. They are researching the role. Details on the movie will come in a future RP.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

Movie preview for Frisbeeteria:

Frisbeeteria is about a professional Ultimate player who is also a moderator on a nation simulator website called RealNations.net. His nation name on RealNations is Frisbeeteria, hence the name of the movie. One day, he discovers that New Corn, a user who he banned for spamming, has disappeared in real life as well, and suddenly realizes that banning RealNations users causes them to vanish for real. At first, he tries to figure out what is causing this and make it stop, since trolls deserve to be banned from websites, not reality, but then he decides to use his power for evil. He encourages his upcoming Ultimate opponents to register for RealNations, then bans them, causing them to disappear. Eventually, both Ultimate League authorities and law enforcement authorities become suspicious of Frisbeeteria, and he needs to hide his secret from them while investigating what really happens to banned users on RealNations. This movie is coming to theaters this summer, and will be the hottest thriller in Gregoryisgodistan.

[Cosumar]

Cosumar National Frisbee Team - Ultimate Cup 4
Roster and Information

Basic Team Information

Nation - Cosumar

Team Name - Dragons

Demonym - Cosumarite

Team Colors - Blue and Silver

Based In - Figueroa, Cirdaw, Cosumar

Home Venue - Myrkgrav Field, Capacity 13,400

Experience - Though Cosumar has been active in the international sporting community for many years, this will be their first Ultimate Cup. The sport has just started to gain enough traction for us to field a competitive team.


Starting VII
Number - Name - Position - Age

09 - William Reams - Cutter (Striker) - 24 *

22 - Felix Iglesias - Cutter (Striker) - 26

49 - Alex Torre - Cutter (Popper) - 30

45 - Thom Harrison - Cutter (Popper) - 19

08 - Arven Eldjarn - Handler - 27

32 - Thrayden Umbraid - Handler - 29

11 - Morgan Chang - Handler - 21


Reserves
Number - Name - Position - Age

65 - Karvun Hedepolly - Cutter (Striker) - 33

71 - Barton Oswald - Cutter (Striker) - 28

01 - Rhymus Smelton - Cutter (Popper) - 20

94 - Grant Valli - Cutter (Popper) - 23

50 - Jakk Klyde Jr. - Handler - 18

10 - Trevor Moraself - Handler - 25

96 - Gideon Vylon - Handler - 32


Coaches & Staff

Head Coach - Orellius Mason

Cutters Coach - Ernesto Sanchez

Handlers Coach - Doug Robb-Jackson

Strength and Fitness Coach - Horatio O'Connell

* Team Captain - William Reams (Cutter)


Schedule

TBD

Matchday 1 - Cosumar vs. ???


OOC Information

Team Style - Moderately Offensive (style modifier of +2)

This should be a light-hearted competition to have fun with. Essentially, I'll allow anything short of killing off my players. Use your imagination and RP however you like when playing Cosumar. However, I do ask that you telegram prior to injuring my players.

[Anditia]

Anditia Ultimate Frisbee Team

Nation - Anditia

Protanic Prolific Pandas

Demonym- Anditon
Team colors - Neon green and powder blue
Based in - Protanic Province
Home Venue - Shared between Jarben University Stadium, Grabon Stadium at the College of Orodun and the University of Protanic Stadium at the Oriden Campus.
Experience - Made as an all-star team from the three Universities listed above, the team has not participated on an international level.

Anditia would like to proudly announce their representative to the Ultimate Cup #4 - the Protanic Prolific Pandas. Known for their clean execution of a modified vertical stack strategy, the Protanic Prolific Pandas were able to surpass the Helsar Huckers in the Anditon Ultimate Championships held last weekend in Helsar province. Most of the team comes from the college scene of Protanic province but has gelled recently under the leadership of their core players.

Starting Line-up
C - Marc Vartas (21)
A - Ian Schinn (19)
Sam Nappton (20)
Jules Sted(22)
Rask Scott(23)
Gar Vartas(20)
Rav Shett(19)

Reserves
Mike D'Aru (22)
Jim Carlsen (19)
Allie Tubot (21)
Janus Yark (18)
Torb Scott (21)
Vlad Beam (20)
Ken Schott (18)

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Yes
Godmod any scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to any of my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to any of my players: Yes
RP Penalties to any of my players: Yes
Godmod any other events: Yes.

[Electrum]

National Ultimate Frisbee Team of Electrum
National Team for UC4 - The "Dibbly-Dos"

Background
In the same vein as the lacrosse team, this team is composed of members of Centralis University. Two of the players are faculty staff whereas the rest of the team is made of students, both young and old. Although Ultimate Frisbee is not very popular in Electrum, it is very similar to rugby, except that a frisbee is used instead, therefore the team is half-made from the Centralis University rugby team. They are a mix of professionals and amateurs. In the same way as the lacrosse team, the team has funded their way into Fontvieille, Yttribia though this time with some help with the other rugby team members and a fundraiser as well. They are in no way endorsed by the Ministry of Sports. The team has chosen the school's mascot, the Dibbly Do bulldog as it's mascot - and it may come to Yttribia for a visit.

Team Colours: Blue, White and Red
Official Team Name: Dibbly-Dos
Mascot: Dibbly Do Bulldog

Roster
Rugby team members bolded, age is to the right of their name

Starting VII
1. Chantelle de Vries (c) - 26
2. Thomas Palais (vc) - 24
3. Monty Kucan - 19
4. Bella Marks - 23
5. Jim Chen - 22
6. Prof. Ingrid Masters - 34
7. Ted Krishna - 29

Bench
8. Sam Smith - 26
9. Prof. Greg Lavoisier - 43
10. Lisa Fine - 17
11. Mia Pennington - 22
12. Timothy Parkson - 26

RP Permissions: Anything is OK as I have a bench

[Macquarrie]

Starting Line Up
(Name - Age - Strength* - Weakness*)
* - For your RP use. See permissions.

1. Owen Solomon - 24 - Long pass - Weak in heavy wind/rain
2. Jonathan Nield - 27 - Good at reading the game - Bad right knee
3. Tim Booth (c) - 25 - Creative player - Overly ambitious
4. Tom Rogacki (vc) - 30 - Good vision (for passes/plays) - Short
5. Anthony Shepherd - 21 - Top athlete - Inexperienced
6. Ken Shepherd - 19 - Top athlete - Inexperienced
7. Angus Holmes - 28 - Tall, Good catcher - None

Subs
8. John Greenfield - 26
9. Matthew Dowle - 29
10.Pete Warner - 36
11.Charles Bulmer - 30
12.Chris Gardner - 27
13.Steve Campbell - 27
14.Lachlan Yates - 23

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Y
Godmod any scoring events: Y
RP injuries to any of my players: Y (upon confirmation through TG request)
Godmod injuries to any of my players: N
RP Penalties to any of my players: Y
Godmod any other events: Y

For my player strengths and weaknesses I am perfectly happy for them to be used in RP's, but I would ask for no espionage style fact finding missions on my team for them please.

---

Is There a Need for Professional Ultimate Frisbee Leagues?

With the Ultimate Cup IV in Yttribia beginning tomorrow, we look into the possible need for a professional ultimate frisbee league in Macquarrie. Macquarrie's Ultimate Frisbee community is primarily based on an increasing number of amateur clubs, company social teams and primary school competitions for the sake of getting children to exercise. While the upcoming cup has generated an increase in interest and playing numbers, Ultimate frisbee is still one of the least played and viewed sports in the nation.
"With all of the big sports, there's two common factors of appeal. International success and a strong domestic game," said national team coach Matt Smith. "The two have to go hand in hand for any kind of progress. Most of the other nations in this contest have professional leagues and professional national sides who can compete for the honours at this level."
When asked what can be done to improve the standard of ultimate frisbee, Smith replied, "Macquarrie is a proud sporting nation, primarily due to our support of sporting organisations and competitions. How are we supposed to send out that message by sending an amateur team from a sport only at amateur level to a professional tournament? It's the first major competition that Macquarrie is participating in this year and a poor performance doesn't set the scene for the rest of the world to take us seriously in anything. The UAM (Ultimate Association Macquarrie) needs the funding to bring ultimate frisbee to the professional stage."
However, the opinion is not shared by the Ministry of Sports. Spokesperson Belinda May said "The reasons that these sports obtain professional status are that they are commercially viable, there's talent to nurture or support and enough of a fan base to keep it afloat." May did reveal that there is still hope for ultimate frisbee fans in Macquarrie: "Considering that we are an amateur side in a competition of professional, a strong showing could well be enough to begin seriously considering the creation of a national league."
This news could serve as some well needed inspiration for the Gulls ahead of their opening group stage match.

[Britonisea]

Britonisea at THE ULTIMATE CUP: YTTRIBIA
I cannot RP because my computer is not working. When it is working, I will summerise wgat has been happening. (Editied 1st May)

Nation: Britonisea
Demonym- Britonish (Look below for options (The Britonisean Way))
Team colors - Red, White, black and Blue
Based- Doportedas
Home Venue - A stadium in Doportedas, Olympic Park

We are very excited to take part in this tournament in Yttribia. I hope that we will put on a great performance.

---

Players

Age Range 16-23
-Boyst Lucky, Oliver Mates, Peter Britonisea, Bruce Willis, Sam Thompson, Christian Lanley, Kington Quebois

Reserves

Age Range 14-27
-Jack Slumber, Jayce India, Jake Bruton, Sammie Thompson, Mark Anthony, Tyrone Junis, Hugglie Killernon

---

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Yes
Godmod any scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to any of my players: No
Godmod injuries to any of my players: No thanks.
RP Penalties to any of my players: Yes.
Godmod any other events: Telegram me and I will say yes or no.

The Britonisean Way
Britonish: Means a person who was born or raised in Britonisea.
Britonisean (1): Means a person who has a Britonisean passport but they're not born in Britonisea.
Britonisean (2): An object or a thing belonging to Britonisea or a Britonish person.
Like: Books, pens, flowers, mountain, trees, paper, document.

RPs you will see me doing.

Britannual News- News hungry news article that will report them every thing. Even a sneeze.
The Talk. Britannual News-The Talk, will be the most fluent RP interviewing players and other nations players. Also the coaches.
Coaches- The coaches are John Hardley and Jude Xianly. They will be interview throughout the tournament.

[Hutt River]

Bury University Ultimate team
Also known as the Students

Ultimate isn't known across much of Hutt River, most people thinking frisbees are only used to play with dogs or children. Bury University however, has a thriving Ultimate scene with a long-running inter-collegiate league and cup competition between the eight colleges.

Coach: Rolf Tyrell, 34. An alumni of the University who coaches Hatfield in his spare time. In his reign as coach they have won two titles, including the most recent season, and three cups

Roster
Name - Age - College
Starters
Mortimer Milford - 19 - Hatfield
Connor Osbourne - 21 - Greene
George Anson - 18 - Dorrans
Will Church - 18 - Hatfield
Robert Beck - 19 - Central
Edward Woodward - 20 - Hatfield
Jasper Porter - 21 - Birkbeck

Subs
George Gardner - 20 - Aston
James Nixon - 18 - Greene
Richard Starkie - 19 - Hatfield
Paul Boardman - 18 - Aston
Gareth Snyders - 21 - Greene
Thomas Linton - 20 - Central
Callum Garnett - 18 - Hatfield

[Estenia]

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to: I only allow him/her to RP when I scored a point.
Choose and RP my scorers: Y
Godmod any scoring events: Y
RP injuries to any of my players: N
Godmod injuries to any of my players: N
RP Penalties to any of my players: N
Godmod any other events: Y

Starters

Leonid Gorbunov
Sergei Gorbachyov
Timur Zhirov
Igor Zharkov
Vladislav Loginovsky
Viktor Matveyev
Pavel Ryabov

Bench

Mykola Timofeyev
Boris Toropov
Vladimir Filippov
Pyotr Usenko
Roman Yazov
Kyrylo Kadnikov
Aleksandr Lavrentyev

[Electrum]

Although we are not taking into account style mods, I will still be using them to describe how teams play, even though it has no bearing on the result, if you want it changed, just TG me ASAP

Sports Section - Centralis Herald - Jane McNamara

Group Draw hands Electrum a playoff spot... or will it?

In the obscure sport of Ultimate Frisbee, players will score 'tries' (as in rugby), but instead of the ball, they just need a frisbee in the endzone. Any drop of the frisbee is also penalised as a turnover. Players have 10 seconds to get rid of the frisbee. Those are pretty much the rules of ultimate frisbee, and as you can see, it is very similar to Rugby. The one key difference is the lengths players go in order to score a turnover. Players slip and slide in pursuit of the frisbee, and yes -- even marking on other players (Aussie rules term for catching something by leaping on another person's shoulders) is allowed. The turnovers will be spectacular and that will be the thing that most teams will focus on as that, for some teams, is the key to victory.

In the eyes of some pundits, Electrum has been given a relatively easy draw, being drawn into Group E with Estenia, Celter and Menukten, the proponents of this very tournament that we are playing in.

Celter - MD1 and MD4

Celter's team, known as the Nighthawks is a full-on attacking team. Although they like to go on the attack, it is their defense which is sorely lacking, and fortunately, the Electrum team will be looking to play a fairly balanced team to simultaneously exploit their defense, but also go on the attack. The team will be working very hard to make sure that the loose ends are tied up, but we are projecting wins here for Electrum. Marking (in Ultimate, not Aussie Rules) is probably what is the most important here, or the ability to block the throwing of frisbees. If the team can do that very well against Celter, there will be fewer opportunities for them to attack, and more for us as they have low defenses. Unusually, although Celter is not well-known on the world stage, they actually tried to bid for the event, but failed because of infrastructure issues regarding their stadiums and also the fact that in the eyes of many nations, very suspicious. They could come into this cup with a nefarious motive.

Estenia - MD2 and MD5

The Estenian team, which calls themselves 'The Gates of Hercules' is also a full-on attacking team. Electrum will be looking to repeat it's strategy against Celter in regards to Estenia. We are a bit confused as to why they called themselves 'The Gates of Hercules' as we have searched far and wide as to where it is, or where does it come from. Only when we looked at an intersecting multiverse, called 'Reality' that we saw that it refers to the two points that serve as the entry into a place known as the "Strait of Gibraltar". With such exotic names as 'Hercules' and 'Gibraltar,' we wonder, what universe do they really come from? And what nefarious plots do they have in store for us as well? They are projected to do better than Celter, but only just. Electrum should win comfortably against Estenia.

Menukten - MD3 and MD6

Finally, a team that is worth their salt! Menukten or the "Mutterers" is a well-balanced team. They are the biggest threats to Electrum in the whole competition, and it is very likely that they will both contend for the first spot, to gain entry into the finals series. Menukten was actually the nation which restarted the Ultimate movement again, and we thank them for bringing such an ingenious sport back again. They are home to probably the world's most insane competition, The Discaligwa where 166 teams all play each other twice over 2 years - which leads to an average of a match every two days! This is completely bonkers, and we love it. They really do love their Ultimate over there, but we have the experience in the rugby team to match them, so this match up will be extremely close.

Conclusion

Electrum stands a good chance in making either the playoffs or qualifying directly into the finals. We cannot see Estenia or Celter doing well enough to nab second position away from Menukten or Electrum. Here is our prediction as to how the team ladder will look like at the end of the six match days:

1. Electrum (We had to! Go the Dibbly-Dos!)
2. Menukten
3. Estenia
4. Celter

In fact, I reluctantly say this, but we are in with a good shot in going deep into the finals. Anyways, let's wish this Centralis University team luck with their future matches! Matches will be broadcast live on Centralis UNITV, and pending ratings, may also be broadcast on other channels. You can also watch it on livestream on the University website if you want as well.

[Menukten]

Coach Hinutet stared at them from across the isle, his eyes barely visible beneath his wraps. Behind him, the small window was open, and Ansipelaon could see the fluffy, ethereal tops of the clouds like great castles slip by. She felt as if she was traversing a magical landscape.

"Now we got put in Group E," the coach was saying, "and to tell you the truth, I think the Group is a cakewalk. The only nation I'm wary of in our group is Electrum. From the looks of it, they have a promising team. And since many of their players are from rugby, they will be more physical. Expect a lot of fouling."

Hinutet paused to readjust his wraps which had slipped off his lips, and then went on.

"Now you know we will be playing a strange form of Ultimate for the Cup. First one to score 17 points wins. Now I know that's now what you're used to, but it shouldn't be a problem. Just remember to stop at 17."

There was a rumble of appreciative laughter while the coach slipped some papers out of a briefcase.

"Well, here are the schedules," he said, "and, as you see, the only games we have to worry about are the 24th and the 28th."

Menukten's Schedule:

April 22 - Estenia
April 23 - Celter
April 24 - Electrum
April 25 - Off Day
April 26 - Estenia
April 27 - Celter
April 28 - Electrum

Note: You may have noticed that Menukten teammembers have the same last names as the clubs they play at. This is because there are roughly 166 "communities" in Menukten (though even in these communities, squonks rarely ever see their neighbors) and each of these communities has a Sporting Guild that administers all sporting activities by members of that community. The guilds themselves are named after the community plus something the community in known for, either a description, a place where certain animals live or certain plants grow, or a place where certain activities happen. Thus one such name is Cuweuhackink among the Porcupines, because Cuweuhackink is a place where porcupines live. Thus squonks receive first names and are described as being from a certain community. Lepekamehele ok Cuweuhackink means "Lepekamehele of Cuweuhackink" or "Lepekamehele from Cuweuhackink".
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@Discaligwaforums@

Thread: Who are the principal threats to the Menukten international Ultimate team?

Puchel: We all, or course, except Menukten to make it far in the UC4, probably to the finals. Who do you think are the teams Menukten should be watching out for as we prove to the world that Menukten Ultimate is the best?

Ohtas: The Hutt River. Definately the Hutt River. We've kept our eye on them for a while now and their inter-collegiate league at Bury University is nothing to laugh at. They have a well balanced style and from what we've seen their defense can be hard to penetrate. I'm most worried about Robert Beck. We've all seen him slap down those deep drives from the handlers, and snatch a disc from the outstretched hand of a cutter. He has the speed to be where he needs to be, and the disregard for his body to do whatever he needs to do to slap that disc out of the air. And along with Mortimer Milford from Hatfield who has demonstrated his ability to slip by his marksman, I can see Hutt River giving Menukten a really hard time.

Opaskwi: I disagree. I think Anditia is the team to look out for. Anditian players are intense, we were only able to tie them in the WLC, remember. The Protanic Prolific Pandas are a strong team. The Helsar Huckers are no pushovers, and they defeated them soundly in the Anditon Ultimate Championships. I'd be on the look out for Captian Marc Vartas and Rask Scott to really make a name for themselves in the UC4, and to give Menukten a lot of trouble.

Chasquim: I'm more worried about the hosts, Yttribia, actually. The stoners have the experience to make some waves. And we all know how marijuana improves hand-eye coordination.

Hopenis: Oh, please, Yttribia won't make it out of their group. The Sarian Bustards are the team Menukten's going to be playing in the finals.

Ohtas: The Sarian? Are you serious? With all the political problems at home, they won't be able to keep their mind on the game. They'll be swept aside, probably won't even make it out of their group.

Otaes: I think you all are looking to far afield. Electrum's a strong, physical team that will give us an ulcer trying to get out of our group. They're pretty much evenly balanced defensively and offensively; but I think their main threat lies in how many of our players they are going to put in the hospital. And they also have that strange strategy of jumping off each other's shoulders which the International Federation of Ultimate, unfortunately, recently ruled perfectly legal.

Hopenis: You say we're gonna get defeated by a bunch of leapfrogs?

[Alparia]

The Alparian National Ultimate Roster

Basic Info :
Tean Colors : Blue, and Yellow
Trigram : ALP
Team Style : +3
Team Name : Hawks, The Hawks

STARTING 7

Jake Raine
Simon Ponder
Lance Stage
Duke Crawson
Gabriel Sanders
Johnathan Sylvain
Darbey Grant

BENCH

Scott Gardner
Blake Baines
Robert Neal
Issac Paterson
Bryan Roman
Kieth Prince
Danny Lewis

PERMISSIONS

If my opponent RPs first, I hereby allow them to:
Choose and RP my scorers: Y
Godmod any scoring events: Y
RP injuries to any of my players: Y
Godmod injuries to any of my players: N
RP Penalties to any of my players: Y
Godmod any other events: TG me first..

SCHEDULE

MD1 : Andiatia v. Alparia
MD2 : Macquarrie v. Alparia
MD3 : Alparia v. Hutt River
OFF DAY
MD4 : Alparia v. Andiatia
MD5 : Alparia v. Macquarrie
MD6 : Hutt River v. Alparia

[Jeckland]

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING

Freddie Barlow's Ultimate Cup Blog

So somehow, I managed to blag my way into the draw. I told them I was the minister for minor sports in Jeckland or something, and they believed me. Ha! I'm not even sure we have a minister for minor sports. So anyway, the draw was happening, and we were put with Equestrian States in the first half of the draw in Group B. They're ponies. How a pony can catch and throw a frisbee is beyond me, but they probably know the rules, which is more than we do. Then at half time something weird happened. The person from The Sarian starts shouting about how awful Yttrbia is and how everyone stabs everyone or something. I didn't really believe him, he seemed a bit mad. But get this - just before the draw starts up again he faints. Anyway the draw goes on, we get put with Darmen, who played at the last Ultimate Cup so they know the rules, damnit. But then the scary thing happens. The Sarian get drawn in Group A with Yttribia. Now I think I see the fainted guy stirring, so I get the heck out. But just as I am leaving, I hear Consumar are in our group. Well, I have no idea how good they are. Why am I here again?

[Yttribia]

And with that, let's get the discs flinging, time for your MD 1 cutoff. Expect results to be edited in here shortly now.

Group A
Yttribia                  3
The Sarian               17

Britonisea               17
New North Aqmuland       11


  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 The Sarian              1   1  0  0   17   3 +14    3
2 Britonisea              1   1  0  0   17  11  +6    3
3 New North Aqmuland      1   0  0  1   11  17  −6    0
4 Yttribia                1   0  0  1    3  17 −14    0

Group B
Jeckland                 17
Cosumar                  10

Equestrian States        19
Darmen                   17


  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Jeckland                1   1  0  0   17  10  +7    3
2 Equestrian States       1   1  0  0   19  17  +2    3
3 Darmen                  1   0  0  1   17  19  −2    0
4 Cosumar                 1   0  0  1   10  17  −7    0

Group C
Vettrera                 17
Otakuverse                5

Avissian Union           14
Gregoryisgodistan        17


  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Vettrera                1   1  0  0   17   5 +12    3
2 Gregoryisgodistan       1   1  0  0   17  14  +3    3
3 Avissian Union          1   0  0  1   14  17  −3    0
4 Otakuverse              1   0  0  1    5  17 −12    0

Group D
Hutt River               18
Macquarrie               19

Andiatia                 17
Alpaira                  15


  Group D               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Andiatia                1   1  0  0   17  15  +2    3
2 Macquarrie              1   1  0  0   19  18  +1    3
3 Hutt River              1   0  0  1   18  19  −1    0
4 Alpaira                 1   0  0  1   15  17  −2    0

Group E
Estenia                  13
Menukten                 17

Electrum                 17
Celter                   13


  Group E               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Electrum                1   1  0  0   17  13  +4    3
  Menukten                1   1  0  0   17  13  +4    3
3 Celter                  1   0  0  1   13  17  −4    0
  Estenia                 1   0  0  1   13  17  −4    0

[Anditia]

Protanic Prolific Pandas Defeat Alparia
James McGrappor -- YTTRIBIA

In an exciting turn of events, the Protanic Prolific Pandas were able to defeat Alparia in 17-15. Using their modifies stack offense lead by Captain Marc Vartas, the PPP were able to quickly march down the field in the efficient manner they are known for on the local circuit. Not much was known about the Alparia team before competition began leading the youngsters from Anditia's Protanic province to struggle with defensive measures for the first half of the game. As halftime approached, Alparia lead PPP by a slight margin - 8-6. During the second half of the game, the Pandas were able to use their better defined plays, switching their stack to a sprint and dump strategy lead by the speedy pair of Scotts (Rask and brother Torb, who replaced Jules Sted during the half) and were fed the disc by Gar Vartas for a stunning 4 point swing in points. The Hawks adapted to the change in offense following the short run, but ultimately (haha) was not able to catch the 2-point lead held by the Prolific Pandas.

Hopefully the young bunch will continue to do well in Group D. They next will face Hutt River followed by Macquarrie. All in all, we figure this group will be wide open with a slight favorite to the Macquarrian team.

OOC: You've got my country's name a bit off in the scorinator - its Anditia - only 2 a's.

[Electrum]

This is a somewhat collab story - it's a bit silly but we hope you enjoy this small arc of stories

News Section - Centralis Herald - Max Gorky

Breakaway island triggers earthquake, moves to new region

Electrum's holds a lot of islands in her possession, including an island to the far east, called Cocoa Island -- that was until last week. Last week, the residents of the islands (approximately 4,000 citizens) voted for secession from Electrum. Of course with it's lax laws regarding politics, the secession proposal was accepted and the island seceded. Yesterday morning, at around 3am, an earthquake was triggered about 50km east of the island.

"Yes, it was us, the islanders which triggered the earthquake," said Island Mayor Jim Snakeoil, "We used our ancient Margaret dance of region moving, as we decided to move to a different region. It took a few chickens and all, but it was worth it." The earthquake, which measured 8.3 on the Richter scale, allowed the island to lift from the Rushmori region, and it moved through an interdimensional warp to find itself in the Jeck Empire. The new nation henceforth called itself 'The Republic of Jeckish Chicken Connoisseurs'.

When Jim Snakeoil was asked for his rationale for moving to the Jeck Empire, he said that, "The Central Government does not recognize our religion, the Church of Margaret, as the official state religion. So we decided to fix that by making our own country, so we can have our own religion." The Jeckish Chicken Connoisseurs have the Jeckish Chicken as both the currency and the national animal. Rubber versions of the chicken are used as sacrifices to the Margaret.

Cocoa Island was renowned for it's Jeckish Chicken, and so they have decided to name that country based on what they are known for throughout the universe -- it made sense to move to the Jeck Empire, the birthplace of the bird. A small right-wing group however, the Electrum People for Keeping Our Country Whole has criticized the government of, "letting go of a small island to some hippies," and that Electrum should go to war with the Jeck Empire to forcibly take back Cocoa Island, however we understand that probably won't happen, given that Electrum doesn't have an army at all.

Interestingly, in the Ultimate Cup 4, the Jeckland roster, which was posted before the move to the Jeck Empire, shows a former Electrumite/Cocoa Islander as a member of the team. This raises questions as to how long this was planned for, and if there are any reasons as to how someone could join another country's national team even before the nation became part of the Jeck Empire.

[Jeckland]

To Jim Snakeoil
We would like to first congratulate you on your independance and movement to The Jeck Empire. As a welcome gift, we have sent a shipment of chickens, so you can make yourselves some Jeckish Chicken. We would also like to stress that you are welcome here, and should you wish to stay here we will do our utmost to protect your right to be here.
Yours sincerely,
Jeck Hitchkin
President of Jeckland

To Electrum,
As I'm sure you are aware, the breakaway island Jeckish Chicken Conisseurs has triggered an earthquake and joined The Jeck Empire. As the main nation in this region, we are writing to let you know that they are welcome to stay here, and if anyone from your country tries to remove them, we will protect their right to live where they want.
Yours sincerely,
Jeck Hitchkin
President of Jeckland

[Menukten]

Menukten bulls past Estenia, faces Celter

Menukten defeated the Estenian Tsarists 17-13 last night, and will be facing Celter today. Celter is famous for its unsuccessful bid that was rejected due to infrastructure problems, lack of experience, and a schizophrenic schedule. The Nighthawks are expected to be similar in strength to Estenia. A good offensive game should do the job and steal Menukten three points.

In other news, Menukten officials were alarmed to learn that a region of Electrum termed the Jeckish Chicken Connoisseurs has used a chicken ritual to connect itself to another spacetime. The Menukten government would like to officially warn the renegade island that a similar experiment replaced the entire male population of Menukten with different Al Gores from alternative universes. The identity crisis was reversed, however many monks sacrificed their lives to do so.

Menukten would also like to express alarm at the gift of chickens to the breakaway island in order to make something called "Jeckish Chicken". As eaters of berries, roots and vegetables, the squonks of Menukten can only be dismayed at this blatant disregard of the sacredness of life. We urge Jeckland and the Jeckish Chicken Connoisseurs to abandon the barbaric practice of meat eating at once and adopt a more civilized, plant-based diet.

[Macquarrie]

We're Completely (Shit!) Lucky!

Let's face it. We (all) never saw this coming (a mile away). Seven amateurs who spend their free time blissfully tossing a disc in a park, competing against trained athletes who specialise in the fine art of ultimate frisbee. End result, an (outright thrashing) unforeseen triumph, one which is seldom seen at the Ultimate Cup. Something along a score line of (25-0.) 18-19. And that is exactly what greeted us when we turned our TVs, tablets and smart phones to the sports news.

As a sports journalist, it is very important for me not to write off a result. But nine times out of ten I'm writing about a game with a roughly level playing field. When I got assigned the article for the Gulls Ultimate Cup opener against Hutt River, I went home and researched the opposition. Then sat down and wrote the opening and closing to it, confident in my assumption that we were going to be heavily out classed. But sure enough, I got taught a lesson in why 'assumptions' make an 'ass' out of 'you' ('u' for all you teenagers).

Macquarrie were not on the receiving end of a humiliating loss, but on the giving end. Just. Two late points unanswered points swung the game in our favour, in what was notably the highest scoring match on day one of the Ultimate Cup. The game was a surprisingly tight affair throughout with no sign of which way the result would fall until the game ended. That being said, Macquarrie were VERY lucky to have walked away with the points. The 2-3-2 formation adopted by the team had more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. Holes that were gleefully exploited by the likes of students Robert Beck, Jasper Porter and Edward Woodward. The well oiled attacking machine of Hutt River academics produced a solid 18 points that would have won then almost any other game in the tournament. However, an erratic attack policy, that saw all team members except Owen Solomon catch a disc in the end zone, just managed to compensate for the lack of defensive ability. Angus Holmes caught the two final discs bring his personal tally to 6 and Macquarrie's to 19. The game could have easily finished 23-19 though, with Hutt River players dropping the disc in the end zone four times.

In the other Group D match, Anditia beat Alparia 17-15. The result leaves Macquarrie (at the bottom of) in second in Group D behind (Alparia,) Anditia (and Hutt River). Unfortunately for any new or existing ultimate frisbee fans, this looks like a (permanent) temporary position for the Gulls as they will (no doubt be dismissed just as easily by) most likely not get just as lucky against both Anditia and Alparia. Bad tactics will lead to bad results and so I still predict the remaining 5 games to all be losses, (exactly) unlike this (one) lucky surprise.