Coffs 7’s I Everything Thread

[Northwest Kalactin]

Coffs 7’s I

Welcome to the everything thread of the Coffs 7’s I!

Teams Signed Up
1. Northwest Kalactin
2. Yerapia
3. Elejamie
4. Nova Anglicana
5. Hebitaka
6. The Grearish Union
7. Sannyamathland
8. Abanhfleft
9. Copper Cuprum
10. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
11. TJUN-ia
12. Kriegiersien
13. Saint Domingues
14. Devonta
15. Lisander
16. HUElavia
17. Heemstra
18. San Ortelio
19. Qasden
20. Natanians and Nosts

Pots
Pot 1
Northwest Kalactin (Hosts)
Elejamie
Abanhfleft
Lisander

Pot 2
Devonta
Kriegiersien
Copper Cuprum
Natanians and Nosts

Pot 3
HUElavia
Nova Anglicana
TJUN-ia
Qasden

Pot 4
San Ortelio
Heemstra
Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Sannyamathland

Pot 5
Yerapia
Saint Domingues
Grearish Union
Hebitaka

Groups
Group 1
Northwest Kalactin
Copper Cuprum
Royal Kingdom of Quebec
San Ortelio
Grearish Union

Group 2
Elejamie
Kriegiersien
HUElavia
Qasden
Yerapia

Group 3
Lisander
Natanians and Nosts
TJUN-ia
Sannyamathland
Hebitaka

Group 4
Abanhfleft
Devonta
Nova Anglicana
Heemstra
Saint Domingues

Schedule
December 11 - Group Draw
December 12 - MD 1
December 13 - MD 2
December 14 - MD 3
December 15 - MD 4
December 16 - MD 5
December 18 - QFs&Bowl Semifinals
December 19 - Semifinals&Bowl Finals
December 20 - Finals

Cutoff Times
Cutoffs are planned for 8:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (11:00 PM EST, 04:00 UTC)

Format
4 Groups of 5; Group Winners+3 Best Second Place Qualify towards Trophy, Next 8 Best Placed Teams Qualify for Plate, Last 4 Qualify For Bowl
In knockouts, teams will be seeded and drawn based on their overall record. So the best placing team will play the 8th placing team, 2v7, 3v6 and 4v5.

Tiebreakers
Points
H2H
H2H PD
PD
Fair Play (OOC: RP Bonus)

Useful Links
NSRB Ranks
Signup Thread
My Bid

[Northwest Kalactin]

Basic Info
The tournament will be hosted in the Kalactanian City of Coffs Harbour. Coffs Harbour is the city that is known most for Rugby in Northwest Kalactin. They are home to the Coffs Harbour Hawks, who are one of the strongest teams in the Kalactanian Rugby Union Championship. They also have one of the strongest Rugby League clubs in the nation, who managed to qualify to a IRLCC. The tournament will be held at the Coffs Rugby Centre, which is the largest stadium in the nation.

The climate in Northwest Kalactin is a very hot one, reaching temperatures over 100 in the summer, despite this, the tournament will be hosted in the Late Fall in NWK, were the weather tends to be around 65 Degrees Fahrenheit. There is usually no rain, although the Coffs Harbour area tends to experience more rain than usual, due to the close proximity to the coast.

Northwest Kalactin is in anarchy, due to a series of tragic events. Security can be promised for foreign visitors and players, however, partly due to the fact that foreign nations are able to extradite and try Kalactanian citizens for crimes in the courts of a victim's nation.

Stadia
Coffs Rugby Centre

A stadium that can hold a total of 20,000 people in the stands, the Coffs Rugby Centre is perhaps the best stadium in the entire nation. Home to the Coffs Harbour Hawks, this stadium is a cornerstone of Kalactanian rugby, and is famous among Kalactanians.

IC Schedule
Day 1
Group Stage Matches 1 in morning, Group Stage Matches 2 in afternoon.

Day 2
Morning: GS matches 3.
Afternoon: GS Matches 4

Day 3
Morning: GS matches 5
Afternoon: Break

Day 4
Morning: Quarterfinals
Afternoon: Semifinals and Finals

[Elejamie]

Elejamian national rugby sevens team
Selección de rugby 7 de Elejamia
Elejam rubi 7 tim

Style Mod: 0 (as always)

Rugby is the third most popular sport in Elejamie, behind ice hockey and football (or soccer; American football is called "gridiron" and is considered a niche sport at best). Rugby union is the most popular form in Elejamie, with rugby league having a small but loyal fanbase. However, it wasn't until 2016 when there finally was an officially sanctioned rugby sevens tournament was announced: The ERC 7s, which begins on the fourth Friday of August and lasts for three days. Simply put, all twelve teams in that season's ERC (Elejamian Rugby Championship) are divided into two groups of six and play a single round robin tournament to see whether they'll play for the Cup, the Plate or the Bowl. The first group's games are played on the Friday, the second group's games are played on the following Saturday and the semi-finals, 3PPOs and Cup/Plate/Bowl finals are played on Sunday afternoon/evening. The fifth tournament in Playa de Rocas saw the Coventry Wyverns come from 17-10 down at half-time to beat the Murgon Bullfrogs 28-20 and win the Cup, the Mainsborough Delphi just narrowly missed out on winning the Plate when they went down 19-7 to the Iceland Panthers and the Auckhampton Birch Trees absolutely blitzed their competition when they beat the Edgebaston Warriors 30-3 to win the Bowl after a sluggish group stage. The tournament was also the first time the competition was hosted in a city without an ERC team as CR Los Reyes were relegated on the very last day of the 2019-2020 season.

The last sevens tournament, the sixth edition of the Alpen View Brew Festival, saw Mike Decker make an unexpected return as a last-minute replacement for what would've been his replacement in Vili Cinorim. It also saw Elejamie drawn into Group B where they absolutely trounced the competition, getting a 35-7 opening win against HUElavia on the morning of the first day, a 38-14 demolition of the hosts Neu Engollon that afternoon despite an incredibly close first half and a 26-10 against newcomers North Alezia (a nation that also competes at the WorldVision Song Contest) to round off the first day. The second day saw Elejamie trounce Terre Septentrionale 29-5 in the morning before grabbing a 24-12 win over Quebec to finish their group stage with five wins out of five. However, things seemed to have slowed down for them in the knockout stages, as they grabbed a narrow 28-24 win in their rematch against Neu Engollon before falling 26-19 to eventual Cup winners Abanhfleft. And with the XV-a-side's finals loss to Ko-oren (again) still fresh in everyone's memories, they're hoping they can avenge that loss and bring back some silverware.

Due to me having no proper internet at the AVBF Sevens back in September, I had to pretty much copy and paste an old roster post, which is why the ERC Sevens results were the same as from 2019 and why no one really aged up. I'm also retconning a team's name but that's more because I was too lazy to fix my typo for years, which is why it's now CR Los Reyes and no longer RC. I'm keeping Mike Decker on board for that competition, though, as it'll cause too many headaches otherwise.

Home:


Away:

Coach: Aaron Kim
Vice coach: Kevin Gabriel
Captain: Diego Molina
Vice-captain: David Kramer

Forwards

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
1	Marcus Ruiz		32	P		Coventry Wyverns
2	Riley Kroger		27	P		Avon Knights
4	Diego Molina 		28	H		Auckhampton Birch Trees

Backs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
3	David Kramer		33	SH		Auckhampton Birch Trees
5	Gary Toda		31	FH		Davenport Commandos
6	Paul Koppel		25	C		Iceland Panthers
7	Adam McCracken		30	W/FB		Murgon Bullfrogs

Subs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
8	Vili Cinorim		23	P		Rosetta Sparrows
9	Tom Correy		33	P/H		Davenport Commandos
10	Tim Crespin		26	SH/FH		Edgebaston Warriors
11	Patrick Hayden		30	C		Elejamie City Eagles
12	Adam Gates		27	W/FB		Iceland Panthers

P - Prop
H - Hooker
SH - Scrum half
FH - Fly-half
C - Centre
W/FB - Winger/Fullback

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y (Longest they can be out is 2 matches. One injury per match and wait for the first injury to go away before injuring another player. No deaths)
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (See above)
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y (one suspension per match. Longest they can be suspended is 1 match)
Godmod other events: Y (It might be a good idea to TG me first)

[Kriegiersien]

Kriegiersien Rugby 7 Nationalteam

For the Coffs 7's the old Olympic teams were reactivated. After the mediocre results in the last tournaments this is called “The last chance” for most of the squad and the returning Coaches.
As further support an old soccer player, a doctor from the Lacrosse team and a psychologist were hired. Also a fitness coach.

Kriegiersien comes as always in their black Olympic rags.. jerseys.

Coaches
Sgt. Hammond Hammerstein
Lt. Amanda Ant

Squad
Men’s team
• Forwards
◦ 1 – Prop Theodore Hernandez
◦ 2 – Hooker Saoul Bastian
◦ 3 – Prop Phelix Yuda

• Backs
◦ 4 – Scrum-half Yukko Kiivraz jr.
◦ 5 – Fly-half Damian Druid
◦ 6 – Centre Wolfgang Betracci
◦ 7 – Wing Barney Stealson

Women’s team
• Forwards
◦ 1 – Prop Major Jutta Jürgenwürgen
◦ 2 – Hooker Barbara Bonebraker
◦ 3 – Prop Kara Kent

• Backs
◦ 4 – Scrum-half Charlene Chocolate
◦ 5 – Fly-half Dora Druid
◦ 6 – Centre Dulug Toothdrawer
◦ 7 – Wing Glob

Further Reserves
Kai Alberz



Medical Department
Dr. Jack Ill
Witch Doctor Doloroes

Fitness Coach
Brigadier General Doris Mombota





RP-Permissions:
If I can somehow work with it, it is allowed.

[Heemstra]

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heemstra_rugbyunie
Here we have the 12 selected for #TheGazelles first #NSRB competition! Good Luck to our guys in #CoffsSevens!
320 loved. 40 shared it.

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RP Permissions: Go wild.

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[San Ortelio]

Rugby, in general, is not the most popular sport of San Ortelio, yet holds a special place in the communal hearts over the existence of La Cinqua. The small yet arduous community of ruggers catches the limelights two months a year with this tournament, which is the pinnacle of the sporting rivalry between the five regions which constitute the nation of San Ortelio, hence the name. Whilst all players have a club for which they turn out, they are most commonly referred to by the region which they represent in La Cinqua, which is why we have listed those below. This region is determined by birth or by residence, but cannot be altered after representing the respective region.

Whilst the regular season rarely draws crowds, the games of La Cinqua form festive occasions and as such are as much part of the local folklore as they are sports events. However, as the population of San Ortelio is limited and, as a consequence, the number of rugby players notably small, Rugby Sevens is as popular amongst the players as the internationally more widespread code of Rugby Union (in which La Cinqua is played). However, there is nearly no specialisation, with all players turning out in both disciplines.

The backbone of our line-up is based around two strong partnerships which click well both for their club and region. The forwards are based around the up-and-coming San Pancrazio/URS Catrallo duo Baffi and Bottarelli. The former forms a peculiar allrounder but is positioned as prop due to his chemistry with and blind confidence in the latter. They are shored up with Cimini, a veteran of many wars and a weak spot when it comes to speed - but a cunning source of experience. Sergio Zanatta turns out in La Cinqua for San Mamerto, usually the wooden spoon of the tournament, but it is a testimony to his quality that he is an uncontested starter in this line-up. Behind him, the nephews Stefano and Simone Di Basco add quick transitions and fast breaks to the playbook. The tactically difficult wing position is reserved for Daniele Carcano, the captain of this line-up.

Nr Position      Name                   Age  Region
 1 Prop          Gianluca Bottarelli    26   San Pancrazio
 2 Hooker        Giorgio Cimini         33   San Servazio
 3 Prop          Paolo Baffi            24   San Pancrazio
 4 Scrum-Half    Sergio Zanatta         31   San Mamerto
 5 Fly-Half      Stefano Di Basco       28   San Servazio
 6 Centre        Simone Di Basco        24   San Servazio
 7 Wing          Daniele Carcano        34   San Bonifazio

 8 Prop          Marco Vairetti         27   Santa Sofia
 9 Hooker        Claudio Lietti         23   San Pancrazio
10 Scrum-Half    Fabio Bianchini        25   San Servazio
11 Centre        Ercole Pagnin          20   San Bonifazio
12 Wing          Alberto Gelfi          29   San Servazio

Manager for this tournament is Luca Valletti, a 68-year old journalist considered the neutral outsider required. Yet, the team is fairly self-governing and will make tactical decisions themselves whilst Valletti functions as the external face of the team.

Schedule
MD1 - Quebec vs San Ortelio
MD2 - BYE
MD3 - San Ortelio vs Grearish Union
MD4 - Northwest Kalactin vs San Ortelio
MD5 - San Ortelio vs Copper Cuprum

Don’t kill ‘m. Feel free to use characters, although a nudge is appreciated if you want to apply certain character traits.

Style Modifier: 3

[The Grearish Union]

Grearish Rugby has never been on the international stage before the Coffs 7s. The Harriers have been an unofficial team known only to fans of rugby, and specially international rugby that has seen its viewership increase quite steadily for almost the entirety of the last four years or so. The AVBF Sevens and the Rugby Union World Cup saw TRP ratings go through-the-roof for the broadcasters, GBC Sports, who have declared their interest in broadcasting the Coffs 7s in the Grearish Union far before the tournament was actually brought into being. It is expected that the long-standing RFGU (Rugby Federation of the Grearish Union) will looks after all codes of rugby that the nation participates in, and it might be exciting times ahead for the Harriers who will find themselves pitted against some of the best in the world.

The Harriers will find themselves led by the very amicable John McColgan who will feature in the team as a hooker, and is known to be both friendly and stern as required, which will hopefully count positively towards the team's discipline in a tournament like the Coffs 7s, where fair play points will play a major role. It will therefore be very important for the Harriers to be on top of their behaviour in the games which will mark their debut into proper competition rugby.

 # Position     Name             Age   City (or nearest)
 1 Prop         George Allan      24   Plibury
 2 Hooker       John McColgan     26   Colk
 3 Prop         Elaine Dunn       22   Salvador
 4 Scrum-Half   Vincent Joseph    17   Edgenorth
 5 Fly-Half     Steven Bell       17   Salvador
 6 Centre       Patricia May      20   Sjalfstead
 7 Wing         Mary Carmichael   26   Forsho

 8 Prop         Martin South      34   Salvador
 9 Hooker       Gareth Marksson   17   Sjalfstead
10 Scrum-Half   Emma Clarke       26   Edgenorth
11 Centre       Ian North         24   Erawann
12 Wing         Diane Whyte       22   Plibury

What is evident from the team selection is that large-bodied highlanders from the north and island-people from the coastal areas form the biggest part of the rugby fanaticism in the country. Sjalfsteadic people also are big fans of the game, while the South Newlandian immigrant community has their representative in the 24-year-old Ian North who has surprised everyone by featuring in the team. It remains to be seen how these players will perform on the given day, but the Grearish people have certainly put their entire faith on these individuals - and they'll be unanimously accepted as the Harriers - soaring above the Grearish skies.

The Harriers will play in their age-old gold-on-white hoops that are very loved by the small, but hardcore supporting community in the nation. The alternative, or away kit would be a gold-on-black variation that is also sure to carry the Grearish heritage into the tournament while showing their skills to the world. The rights for kits have been won by Grearish kit manufacturer Equinox, who will be producing these brilliant shirts for fans and players alike. With the proper introduction into international rugby, the company expects to see its sales boom over the next few years especially while owning the kit providing rights.

Ferideia of Tikariot will be the primary sponsor the Harriers in a three-year deal that has been agreed between the brand and RFGU. It is thought to be of paramount importance, as this will be the first opportunity for the RFGU to earn revenue from the sport - putting it firmly ahead of other sports vying for national and international spotlight from the GU in terms of transitioning from their amateur status to being a fully professional sport in the nation. The professionalism will be furthered by the probable inclusion of the Grearish Rugby League into the RUCT from the next cycle onwards. Things are looking up for the Harriers!

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Should my opponent RPs first, they may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y (No killing/ending careers, each injury not more than a single match)
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y (One suspension per match. Longest they can be suspended is 1 match)
Godmod other events: Y (Please get in touch first)

[Northwest Kalactin]

Northwest Kalactin AVBF 7’s Roster

Rugby In Northwest Kalactin
A relatively new sport to the nation, Rugby, especially the 7’s code has grown greatly since the team made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the most recent 7’s cup. The nation has a national league that holds competitions in both major codes, and a 7’s tournament. All Union teams have 7’s affiliates, which is where almost the entire national squad plays. The nation is looking to put themselves on the map of one of the top teams in the world, and they see this tournament as a shot too just that.

Head Coach: Wayne Jones

Position	         Name	Number	Club
Starters			
Prop	        Shawn Butler	13	Gold Coast Storm
Hooker	         Billy Long	19	Coffs Harbour Hawks
Prop	          Todd Bell	41	Grafton Lions
Scrum Half	   Nick Long	6	Armidale Kings
Flyball	          Ryan Ward	14	Coffs Harbour Hawks
Centre	    Bobby Washington	78	Harbour City RC
Winger	       Justin Parker	8	Toureres Gunners

Reserves			
Prop	         Eric Johnson	42	Harbour City RC
Hooker	        Albert White	43	Gold Coast Storm
Prop	           Paul Price	44	Toureres Gunners
Scrum Half	Henry Garcia	45	Gold Coast RC
Flyball	      Harold Russell	46	Scranton Island
Centre	        Jeff Bryant	47	Coffs Harbour Hawks
Winger	        Thomas Edwards	48	Gold Coast Storm

Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
Injure my players: Y
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: N
Style Mod:+4

[Nova Anglicana]

Nova Anglicana National Rugby Sevens Roster

Manager: Denís Ferrer

Starting VII
Prop: Matt Ford, 30
Prop: Erik Hansen, 26
Hooker: Brian Ward, 27
Scrum-half: Émile Landry, 32 (captain)
Center: Brock Bolden, 28
Fly-half: Dirk Niewmeijer, 30
Winger: Robbie McCracken, 28

Reserves
Forward: Mark Poole, 28
Forward: Mitch Morgan, 25
Forward: Peter Hudson, 27
Back: Hank Caldwell, 30
Back: Damon Gurley, 31
Back: Colin Foster, 24
Back: Jean Tremblay, 23

Kit:

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, nothing serious
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y, only if you also give a red to one of your players
Godmod other events: N

[Saint-Domingues]

Saint-Dominguan national rugby union team
Équipe nationale de Saint-Domingue de Rugby à VII (French)
Equipo nacional de rugby de Santo Domingo (Spanish)
Ekip nasyonal rugbi Santo Domingo (Creole)

Information
The Saint-Domingue national rugby sevens team (French: Équipe nationale de Saint-Domingue de Rugby à VII) represents Saint-Domingue in men's international rugby sevens and it is administered by the Saint-Domingue Rugby Football Union (SDRFU). They traditionally play in orange shirts, with white shorts and orange socks; thus they are commonly referred to as Les Oranges. The team is coached by Hugues Ballouhey.

A Saint-Dominguan rugby team made their first appearance in multiversal competition earlier this year when the XVs appeared at the Rugby World Cup, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage. Nonetheless, the SDRFU has expressed optimism at the performance of the XVs and wishes to see further representation of the country in international rugby, and has thus prepared a team for the Coffs 7s. It is hoped that building a squad for this tournament can help lay the foundations of a Dominguan 7s side competing at a future Olympics.

Head Coach: Hugues Ballouhey
Captain: Christiaan Cocu
Nickname: Les Sept Oranges
Style: +4

Expected starters

Player	Pos.	Age	Caps	Club
Jean-Louis Amalfitano	Prop	26	0	Artibonite
Kylian Montanier	Hooker	23	0	Le Cap Université
Thibaud Fouché	Prop	25	0	Sans-Souci
Denis Bélanger	Scrum-half	24	0	Delmas
Christiaan Cocu	Fly-half	22	0	Sans-Souci
Tristan Mossé	Centre	24	0	Le Cap Université
Médard Nkulu	Wing	21	0	Racing Ouanaminthe

Expected substitutes

Player	Pos.	Age	Caps	Club
Édouard Ballesdens	Prop	22	0	Jacmel
Jacques Aliker	Prop/Hooker	24	0	Tortuga
Javier Zoido	Scrum-half/Fly-half	21	0	Unión SD
Álvaro Aparicio	Winger	19	0	Unión SD
Valérien Kyungu	Centre	21	0	Abricots

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: Y
Suspend my players: Y
Godmod suspension events: Y
Godmod other events: Y (no death)

[Hebitaka]

Team Hebitaka

Personel

Head Coach: Harold Remonik
Asst. Coach: Narayan Gupta

Playing Seven

Prop: Ram Nandan#1
Hooker: Namako Bakugo#2
Prop: Rajesh Choudhary#3
Scrum Half: Kemono Tatsuya#4
Fly Half: Harui Totuko#5
Centre: Flick Ronin#6
Wing: Brijesh Marath#7

Substitiute:

Mathew Naven#8
Rock Lease#9
Hiran Joshi#10
Eeshaan Verma#11
Tanushi Tatsuya#12

RP:- Just don't kill or cripple my players

Kit

[Abanhfleft]

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
National rugby sevens team

This will be the first time that Abanhfleft will participate in the Coff's 7's, but that is because this is also the first and inaugural edition of the Coff's 7's. Rugby sevens is, quite frankly, a fringe sport in the Democratic Republic, with most of its players being either rugby union or rugby league players in their professional careers. However, the country simply couldn't resist the temptation to go for some sporting silverware, and therefore the rugby sevens national team has been assembled and sent to Northwest Kalactin to pick up that cup after winning the Maracalo Cup in Neu Engollon.

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Official history: This will be the first time that Abanhfleft will be participating in the Coff's 7's.
Team colors: Blue, orange, and green
Style modifier: +3. Offense will be the team's focus.

STARTING SEVEN
Key: Number, name, position, age
#1 Adam Jaden Sforza (Left prop, 32, captain)
#2 Mile Foreman (Right prop, 30)
#3 Abdulrahman al-Thabsi (Scrum half, 33)
#4 Justiniano Reid (Hooker, 30)
#5 Marouane Mahout (Fly half, 29)
#6 Moritz Zilner (Center, 30)
#7 Paul Partridge (Fullback, 32)

RESERVES

#8 Rupert Dearth (28)
#9 Emanuel Gilbert (27)
#10 Sean Wilkins (26)
#11 Emery Schmoll (27)
#12 Levi Moran (26)
#13 Radomir Rakitic (31)
#14 Ken Greathouse (26)
#15 Bradley Votaw (Utility player, 26)

RP PERMISSIONS
Anything except killing my players is fair game. But if you've got something crazy in the works, do drop a TG and let's talk about it.

[Copper Cuprum]

THE CHIEFDOM OF COPPER CUPRUM
NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS TEAM

This is the first time that Copper Cuprum will be participating in the Coff's 7's since this is also the first edition of the Coff's 7's. Rugby is the most popular sport in Copper Cuprum, and although rugby league is the more popular code in the Chiefdom, both rugby union and rugby sevens still have a decent following. Copper Cuprum had been long isolated from the international community since it is a small island archipelago located deep in the middle of the Lazarus Ocean, far from any regular shipping lanes since man first sailed ships. The nation was only discovered by the Fleftic Navy in 1914, when they were searching for the daughter of President Rufus Wole Mensah, whose ship was wrecked in the general vicinity of the islands. Arriving in the capital of the islands, they discovered that Chief Zed had made the President's daughter his queen, generating a sudden alliance between the two countries. And Copper Cuprum was also rich in copper, so that was a good thing for Abanhfleft too...

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: The Chiefdom of Copper Cuprum
Demonym: Copperite
Kits: Initially, the Copperite national rugby sevens team was not supposed to wear any kits as ordinary people know them. Instead they would have played wearing only white loincloths and nothing else. However, in the interests of modesty and compliance with the international standard, the Copperite team has elected to wear a new uniform with alternating black and white hoops and white shorts.
Team colors: Black and white
Style modifier: +1.00 (A balanced team with a slight focus on offense)
Head coach: Count Tumale Boweba (51 y/o, Copper Cuprum)
Notes: It is Copperite tradition to slit the throat of a live chicken before a game and then spread the spilled blood on the field. However, after the Valladar authorities advised the Copperite Football Federation against performing this tradition after local audiences were shocked by this tradition, it has been decided that in place of this tradition, Copperite players will now cut off the head of a rubber chicken before a game and then toss the head around like a hot potato. The Copperites hope to turn this tradition into their version of the haka.

STARTING SEVEN
Key: Number, name (in boldface), position, age
#1 Mabuda Oweda (Left prop, 29)
#2 Homeka Omega (Right prop, 28)
#3 Tabuta Isoka (Scrum half, 30)
#4 Satusa Heyedy (Hooker, 29)
#5 Banunu Honele (Fly half, 34, captain)
#6 Irakta Kasugna (Center, 25)
#7 Vobeda Polema (Fullback, 27)

RESERVES
#8 Isama Ubedo (25)
#9 Rex Barber (25)
#10 Isali Umatu (28)
#11 Noel Berry (23)
#12 Ismail Govore (32)
#13 Fenoktu Gefora (31)
#14 Chorode Hizekte (28)
#15 Hiram Massoudoglu (27, Utility player)

HOME STADIUM: FIRST COPPERITE BANK STADIUM

First Copperite Bank Stadium (capacity 50,000) is the Copperite national rugby union, rugby league, and rugby sevens team's home stadium. Located in Wa Deg, the capital of Copper Cuprum, it is also the home ground of the Wa Deg Giants of the Copperite Rugby League, Wa Deg Carabiners of the Rugby Coalition and Wa Deg Giants A.F.C. of Copperite League Two.

RP PERMISSIONS
Anything except killing is fair game.

[TJUN-ia]

Nation Name: TJUN-ia
Trigram: TJU
Nickname: Jaguars
Governing Body: Rugby TJUN-ia (RT-U)
Head Coach (7s): Brutas Excillius (35)
Home Jersey: Blue Shirts/Orange Shorts
Away Jersey: White Shirts/Blue Shorts
3rd Jersey: Orange Shirts/White Shorts

The Bowl winners at the Alpen View return to Sevens play for the first edition of Coffs 7's in Northwest Kalactin. Many are still a bit perplexed by Rugby TJUN-ia's decision not to participate in the Rugby Union World Cup despite the reason of "development over struggles at the moment" being given at the time. Still, Brutas Excillius will be hoping for better than the Bowl this time around and with the talent on display, who knows where they could end up come the end?

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FORWARDS
P: #1 Derek van Oosteren (24)
H: #2 Wyn Gwyneth (c) (25)
P: #3 Dan McCrawley (22)

BACKS
SH: #4 Jose Valbuena (21)
FH: #5 Carl Crorker (23)
C: #6 Suke Hoshinawa (24)
W: #7 Kennedy Vakatawa (22)

SUBSTITUTES
P: #8 Lasha Tetrasvili (22)
H: #9 Frederico Giabueno (24)
SH/FH: #10 Vittaly Rossi (24)
C: #11 Roman Hevnostanivich (23)
W/C: #12 Beka Chkoidze (22)

RESERVES
P: #13 Paul Verdunois (19)
H: #14 Enrique Carlos de Guzman (23)
P: #15 Caoimhín O'Carolan (23)
SH/FH: #16 Michael Jeferson (21)
FH/SH: #17 Chris Lincoln (22)
C/W: #18 Jackson Stall (20)
W: #19 Emmerson Gawakali (18)

---

PERMISSIONS
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Injure my players: Y
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: Y
Style Mod: (-0.5)

[Northwest Kalactin]

The tournament begins, will you get off to a good start, or bomb out early.

Cutoff 1

please keep in mind the Pot 1 squad is not playing during session 1.

Pool 1
Copper Cuprum 22–14 The Grearish Union
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 0–40 San Ortelio

  Pool 1                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 San Ortelio                  1   1  0   40   0 +40    3
2 Copper Cuprum                1   1  0   22  14  +8    3
3 The Grearish Union           1   0  1   14  22  −8    0
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1   0  1    0  40 −40    0

Pool 2
Kriegiersien 36–7 Yerapia
HUElavia 29–5 Qasden

  Pool 2                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Kriegiersien                 1   1  0   36   7 +29    3
2 HUElavia                     1   1  0   29   5 +24    3
3 Qasden                       1   0  1    5  29 −24    0
4 Yerapia                      1   0  1    7  36 −29    0

Pool 3
Natanians and Nosts 12–22 Hebitaka
TJUN-ia 33–14 Sannyamathaland

  Pool 3                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                      1   1  0   33  14 +19    3
2 Hebitaka                     1   1  0   22  12 +10    3
3 Natanians and Nosts          1   0  1   12  22 −10    0
4 Sannyamathaland              1   0  1   14  33 −19    0

Pool 4
Devonta 41–5 Saint Domingues
Nova Anglicana 12–28 Heemstra

  Pool 4                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Devonta                      1   1  0   41   5 +36    3
2 Heemstra                     1   1  0   28  12 +16    3
3 Nova Anglicana               1   0  1   12  28 −16    0
4 Saint Domingues              1   0  1    5  41 −36    0

[San Ortelio]

What on earth had just happened? The Ortelians huddled together, trying to understand the one-sided scoreline in their opening fixture. In a way, you could say that the Quebecois simply had not shown up but many would choose the wording that they had collapsed. Whilst more experienced at the international level after a modest yet proper AVBF debut, they appeared shut out by the speed our side possessed. Especially Simone Di Basco caught the international attention, picking up two tries early in the first half with a third one rounding up his points tally in the tail-end of the game. His presence forced the opposition to play out of position, which in turn opened up opportunities for the other backs such as Daniele Carcano, an uncharacteristic wing player who shows this is a position not just for the physically but also the tactically astute.

“We’re gonna roll over this tournament if we keep this up,” youngster Lietti grinned, but the roars of approval he aspired were less clear than hoped for.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Carcano reposted, “for this one we could run with the element of surprise. And you only make a first impression once.”

Whilst not outspoken by all, most shared the emotions from the veteran over the puppy enthusiasm from Lietti, immediately knocking the bottom out of the upbeat post-win atmosphere.

“But,” Carcano continued, “we can use that to our advantage as well. This win does away with any pressure. We can go home without being tarred and feathered, to speak so. Now we can give it our best to force a stunt and slip into the battle for the actual Trophy, rather than the Plate. We’re rested now for a few hours before facing the Grearish Harriers, but let’s try and pick up some of their tricks. Someone checked out their first game?”

A long silence, with a few awkward coughs in between.

“Anyone?”
“Well, they’ve lost,” Baffi tried to add do the conversation and when noticing that that was not exactly what Carcano was looking for, he mumbled further, “and ehm… They looked good in those shirts so…”
“Jezus, it’s not the bloody Nottori Fashion Week over here. About their tactics, I mean!”

Some scratching, some staring to the floor.

“Oh boy, let’s hope Valletti paid attention.”

The veteran journalist had been picked as the official manager but most of the players had elected him as he would not really bother them in their decisions. The man himself called it a ‘liberal approach’, others jotted him down as a pushover.

“So… If Valletti takes care of that,” Lietti continued, “we can hit the beach for a second?”

A deadly stare if there ever was one.

“What. On. Earth. Are you talking about?”
“Well…” Lietti tried, “They say Coffs Harbour has these really hot days with…”
“Have you looked up?”

Out of an automatism, all twelve players glanced to the sky in unison. A tad grey, with potential for rainfall later on. Lietti nodded as if in agreement but cursed internally. They had sold this to him as a friendly game, but it was clear that the others were looking for glory in the first place. Deep down he wished he had brought a second pair of shoes rather than his diving goggles.

[TJUN-ia]

Despite the confusion about missing a debut Rugby Union World Cup, the Sevens Jaguars were looking to build off of a Bowl Victory at Alpen View last year, which saw them climb to 22nd the latest rankings. Brutas Excillius was hoping for improvements from the Bowl this time around at that journey here in Northwest Kalactin against a newcomer in the form of unknown Sannyamathaland - which is a very long name for a nation indeed.

No matter what you decided to call our opponents, they were the obvious underdog here but, to be fair to them, they put up a good fight in the first half. Both teams traded tries in the first seven minutes and while we don't know who scored for our opponents, we do know that both of TJUN-ia's tries in the first were scored by Wyn Gwyneth and the extra points by Jose Valbuena. 14-14 at the half and it certainly was entertaining to see but once the 2nd 7 arrived, the Jags took complete control of this fixture. 3 more tries would be scored bu the Jags in the second half, Lasha Tetrasvili getting 2 off the bench and Derek van Oosteren getting one for himself near the end. Valbuena went only 2-for-3 in the resulting kicks but missing 2 points wasn't the end of the world here. The Jags kicked off on the right track with a 19-point victory in a group where it will be important to get as many wins as you can.

We don't actually know who we will play next in MD2 if we are playing at all. But Brtuas will still prepare his men the same way, for whatever challenge may be up next for us. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group 3)
MD1: vs Sannyamathaland (UR) W 33-14 (1st)
MD2: vs ???
MD3: vs ???
MD4: vs ???
MD5: vs ???

Potential Opponents: Lisander (1), Natanians and Nosts (11), Hebitaka (UR), BYE

[Kriegiersien]

The Schoenwetter Herald

Sport – Rugby

Coffs 7’s in Northwest Kalactin started

Kriegiersien 36–7 Yerapia

The underdog from Yerapia was beaten clearly by the favored Kriegiersien side, even though the team played a sometimes confusing style.

Kai Alberz as Hooker attempted to score not only conversions, what he was mainly nominated for, he even tried sudden drop kicks when getting the ball in the game. Even though this worked the first time from 80 feet, his further two missed kicks from over half of the field ended in his substitution.
Barbara Bonebraker, who replaced him, got a card for knocking an opponent down head on, but later complained that “I was the one who lost a teeth. Ok, it was mainly because I bit on something hard during breakfast, but still…”

Even playing very chaotic, the team was able to repeatedly overrun the defense of the newcomer and score consistently with different players.

“Without being arrogant, but beside Elejamie no one in this group is on our level”, said Barney Stealson, who made one try and is known for being very arrogant.

[Saint-Domingues]

"RTD News, we now go live to our reporter Robin Farage who is with Saint-Domingue's sevens coach Hugues Ballouhey."

The screen shifted to the Coffs Rugby Centre, where a bespectacled younger man was holding a microphone in the direction of a grey-haired man clad in the training gear of Saint-Domingue. "So, Hugues, what did you think of the match?"

The old man smiled, replying coyly. "I had many thoughts today!" To some chuckles between both he and the reporter. Noting that Farage did not say anything, the coach elucidated his thoughts to fill the lapse. "But yes, it was really tough today. I thought Devonta played some really good rugby - they're a top 25 nation and were in pot two for a reason. I think they play some very intense, attacking stuff. I really like [REDACTED], he's a top athlete. He can just run and run, a top athlete. We struggled against him, but he's a top player so of course you might get that. The whole team is good, lots of top players."

"Do you think your players were intimidated by the gravitas that the Devontanians had?"

Ballouhey smirked again, recognising the devious intentions in the question. "Well of course not, the players weren't just starstruck on the pitch. The red carpet wasn't rolled out for [REDACTED] or [REDACTED] to run in and score those tries, but we're facing a team with a lot more caps than us, a lot more experience at major competitions than us. I think the score flatters them a little, we weren't as bad as the score suggests. But the best sevens sides are ruthless, we can learn a lot from today. Not every game is going to be as hard as this."

"A lot of lessons dealt out to your team then, did you take many positives from your side and the way they played?"

"Yes, I thought the players communicated excellently and they never let their heads drop. They showed good spirit, a lot of unity and a desire to work together. In the dressing room they're talking about how much they enjoyed playing a sevens game on the big stage, and that they had fun despite the scoreline looking like we were battered. Being positive in these circumstances is great, and I feel positive that we can do better as this goes on. We're not arrogant, we don't expect a lot - just some passion and desire to play for the shirt. I got that today and you will from the three more games."

The screen cut back to the warmer, more cosy studio. Three men were sat around on sofas, musing on the day's game.

"He talks about positives and he spoke of Saint-Domingue very much as a unit, emphasising team chemistry and mentality. But here in the studio we want to talk about individuals, are there any positives for you there, Justin?"

"Yes there are, I thought Nkulu looked dangerous. He talked about how much [REDACTED] ran for Devonta but I reckon this guy did even more!"

"Yes, the stats do back you up there."

"He was on fire, man. So much energy. That's what us boys from Ouanaminthe are like. I think on another day he does a lot of damage to a team. And there are going to be heads raised back home, too. Youngest player to start, maybe not the most experienced and a bit of a surprise pick but it's a good one. That boy has so much potential, he's gonna develop into such a top player."

"Yes, there are even rumours of some interest in him from higher up the league table with a few of the papers mentioning..."

*FLICK*

The screen turned off, and the remote was cast aside. "Transfer gossip, what a load of bollocks." Came an irritated grunt.

[Elejamie]

---

Dave Carrey's Guide to the Coffs 7s - Pool 2
Dave Carrey - Coffs Harbour, Northwest Kalactin

The AVBF Sevens was kind of a mixed bag for us. For a start, what would've been our newest player somehow managed to get himself injured in between the ERC Sevens and the start of the new season, so we had to drag Mike Decker out of retirement just so we could get a full squad. He still showed plenty of promise and was enough to keep things going but it was clearly obvious that he wasn't as good as he was years ago. Regardless, we got off to an excellent start in Burgenden. We kicked things off with a 35-7 thrashing on HUElavia (more on them later), a 14-14 draw at half-time that turned into a 38-14 win for us against Neu Engollon, a 26-10 win over North Alezia (who should really make a return to rugby), a 29-5 win over Terre Septentrionale and finally a 24-12 win over the Royal Kingdom of Quebec (which funnily enough was our narrowest win in the group stages). However for whatever reason, we just seemed to slow down when it came to the knockout stages. We had a rematch against Neu Engollon but were only able to pull off a narrow 28-24 win. We were up against Abanhfleft but fell short, losing 26-19. Maybe our offence just scored themselves tired, I'm not entirely sure. On the upside, Yevgeni Kolyanov was a referee for the final (where Abanhfleft beat Lisander 38-12) so at least there was some Elejamian representation there.

Riley Kroger, seen here in action for Avon last season, replaces
the outgoing Mike Decker up front for the sevens squad.

But let's put that into the past now. We've got the Coffs 7s! It's held in Coffs Harbour in Northwest Kalactin and it seems a bit anarchic at the moment due to some tragic events that went on. I've no idea what they were or the circumstances that lead to everything going to hell but all I know is that extra security has been added to protect fans and players. Some associations have even provided some security of their own just to make doubly sure that nothing bad happens to their players. On the upside, at least we're near the coast and we're in the Autumn so the cooler weather can easily add to the beautiful sights even when it's raining. Rugby-wise, we're at the Coffs Rugby Centre and, while I'm not sure what the total capacity is, I do know that it's the biggest stadium in the nation so there'll be plenty of fans in the stands watching some high-class sevens action.

But enough about the host, let's get right into the groups! And we are in Pool 2. While I have no idea what the order will be since there isn't a whole load of information on that front, all I know is who we're facing. It's not really group of death material for us or for another team I'll mention later on but it will be for the other three teams. One of them will be a newcomer, one is a team that comes and goes and the other is a team making their second appearance in a sanctioned tournament. Other than that we've got a team that's fairly decent and can be quite entertaining to the watch and, well, us. Obviously. Without further adieu, let's get right into them.

So who's the first opponent I should talk about? Kriegiersien. A team that usually does well when it comes to the Olympic side of things but still does respectably well when it comes to officially sanctioned tournaments. Case in point, the last sevens tournament where they were drawn into a group with Lisander, Copper Cuprum, the Hannasean Federation (or just Hannasea as I'll call them for the remainder of this article), Boda and Ko-oren. They thrashed the one-and-done team 38-0, beat Ko-oren 31-7, lose their next two to Lisander and Copper Cuprum before finally getting a narrow 21-19 win over Hannasea to make it 3-0-2 and through to the plate stage. They then beat the Natanians and Nosts 26-12 to make their way to the semi-finals, where they would be beaten fairly badly by Nova Anglicana (who went on to win the Plate) 31-19.

Next up, HUElavia. They were also with us in Burgenden. As in, they were in our group back there. And we blew them out of the water in our opener when we beat them 35-7. They managed to get a narrow 19-17 win over Terre Septentrionale but they were shut out in spectacular fashion in a 36-0 loss to the hosts. A 24-10 defeat to the Royal Kindgom of Quebec followed and a 29-5 loss to North Alezia rounded off their group stage run and saw them finish dead last in our group. They had the same record as the RKQ but they lost out on points difference: -34 to -100. I am not making that up. They would also go on to lose their Bowl quarter-final match up to The Jovannic, 26-12.

Then it's Qasden to talk about. They weren't at the last AVBF Sevens, though. I actually can't remember the last sevens tournament they were in. They weren't in the last Union World Cup either. They weren't in the last League World Cup either, though since I don't follow league that much I would've had to have asked Elan about how they did if they were. I think it's fair to say that they're a team that occasionally shows up to tournaments but doesn't stick around enough to get a proper momentum, which is sad because there are some bright spots that shine through but they don't really do a whole lot with it.

Vili Cinorim, in action during
the last ERC Sevens back in
Playa de Rocas.

And, finally, we have Yerapia. The obligatory one-and-done team. The sort of team that shows up to a tournament and you don't know who's playing for them or what the scene's like there. Essentially a team to pad out stats. They might grab a win or two and they might even pull off a shock win against a team much better than them but it's not something you should really bet on. And indeed I think we're going to get an easy win here, maybe we might end up allowing a try or two or maybe even a penalty or drop goal but overall it's nothing we should really fear.

So where do I think we'll end up? First or second, of course. Hard to believe that in just a few short years of existence our sevens team's turned into quite the formidable force. They're not perfect, of course, and I suspect that Kriegiersien will give us a hard enough time that a first place finish will seem doubtful. HUElavia, Qasden and once again Yerabia will be easy enough and I suspect that it'll be a hard-fought battle to see who'll be competing for the plate and bowl but overall it'll main be a two-horse race between us and Kriegiersien.

Any other big names? Yes. Abanhfleft, who again won the Cup back in Neu Engollon, are drawn into Group 4 alongside the United States of Devonta, Nova Anglicana, Heemstra and Saint-Domingues. Lisander are drawn into Group 3 where they take on the Natanians and Nosts, the bowl-winners in Burgenden in TJUN-ia, Sannyamathland and Hebitaka. And finally Group 1 has our hosts in Northwest Kalactin, the chicken slaughterers in Copper Cuprum, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, San Ortelio and the Grearish Union. Yes, we're the only group that doesn't feature a newcomer from the AVBF Sevens or the most recent Rugby World Cup.

Any other big news I should talk about? A second yes. This will be Vili Cinorim's first tournament since graduating from the EUXV. The 23-year-old from Rosetta normally plays as a centre when it comes to the 15-a-side side of the sport but, when it comes to sevens, he'll be a prop. Kind of a surprise because Mike Decker was a prop in both sevens and union but hey, maybe he really wanted to play sevens for the international squad. Besides, I've seen his work at the last ERC Sevens and he actually did a fairly amicable job at it, so I'm sure he'll easily slip into the role. He won't be starting any matches, of course, as Riley Kroger got that promotion instead but should he start or be substituted on I'm sure he'll make his presence known and felt. Other than that, it's been fairly quiet on the sevens front but hopefully there'll be some big news coming soon.

I believe that'll be that for this article. There's nothing else I should say, other than there should hopefully be fewer union and union-related tournaments in the next few months. I'm starting to get a bit travel-sick from flying from home to Neu Engollon then back home then to Hutanjia then back home then to Northwest Kalactin and then back home once more. Plus I'm sure there are some Bullfrogs games I would happily sit down and watch and be just as entertained. With that out of the way and my piece now over I'm just going to sit back and enjoy some quality rugby. I hope you all are doing the same thing. Dave Out.

---

More from Dave Carrey:

• Dave's Blog: Let Me Show You My Kalactin
• Dave Carrey's Brief Guide to the 2020-21 ERC
• Dave Carrey's Brief Guide to the Sixth AVBF Rugby Sevens, Group B
• Dave's Blog: In With The Neu (Engollon)

[Hebitaka]

Hebitaka takes the first points

Hitt onn! The Coff's seven has begun. And it is the Hebitaka team that took on the first game, taking 3 points with them in the standings board. The team played their first with the Natarians and Nosts. The game seemed a hard one for the newbie Hebitaka to play a team ranked 11. But guess what! They won. Not just a simple victory. A smashing one by 22-12. The game was a spicy one with N Bakugo being the highest scorer as well as the MOTM.

The game began with the Hebitaki team kicking off. The Natarians took the ball and ran for it. But the half was soon tackled by Tokuto. There was a crucial turnover with Hebitaka getting the ball as the Prop Nandan ran with it. He was soon to face the Center of the Natarians. The Center was about to tackle when he throws the ball to Bakugo. Bakugo catches the ball to run, as the center and the fly half goes after him. But the backs were too slow as Bakugo reaches the endzone to place the ball on the ground as the first try was scored. The two point kick conversion went all the way inside the poles to take the team ahead by 7-0.

Hebitaka restarts the game with another kick off. The receiving team gets the ball. The fly half tries to get forward. When about to be caught by Tatsuya, the fly passes it back to prop. The prop keeps moving and goes ahead. He then sees Marath coming towards him and passes the ball back to the Hooker who goes forward easily to score a try. The conversion, however was a miss.

With about a minute remaining in the clock the Hebitaki team moved forward as soon as they received the ball. But moving a bit forward the man is taken down. The ball is though taken back by Hebitaka. With only a few seconds left Choudhary takes the drop kick. The ball goes high and falls through the goal for a score. The half time whistle blows with the score stationed at 10-5.

The next half begins as the falcons kick the ball to reach the Natarian Wing. The wing moves a bit forward to pass the ball back to the hooker. The hooker runs all the way dodging the defense to score a try. "Magnificent try! Showing the perfect way to score through an Olympic run!" noted the commentator. The conversion, this time was a successful one with the score moving to 10-12 for the Natarians.

The Natarians kicks off again for the Hebitakish scrum half, Tatsuya to receive. The man takes the ball up, reaching up high. But before he could pass, he was taken down by the center. The ball on the ground was taken and thrown to Bakugo by Ronin. But it was blocked by the Natarian prop, who charged forth all the players to go for the goal. Just when it was looking like the Natarian had another Try, the man was tackled by Marath and the possession was overturned as Choudhary ran with the ball and then passing it back to Bakugo. Bakugo goes all the way for another Try. THe conversion taken was not a success and the score tended to 15-12.

Only two minutes remained. A try from the Natarians would mean their victory. The team center received the ball and moved forth. He then passed the ball to the hooker. But soon the whistle goes out as the hooker realizes he was a bit ahead of the center when he was thrown the ball. A scrum was performed only for the Hebitaki to gain the possession. The Hooker Bakugo moved forward. But he was soon marked. He realized that both the center and the wing were on for his tackle. He swiftly passes the ball back to Choudhary, who then puts all of himself to score the try in the final seconds. A successful two point conversion was taken and the game ended 22-12, with Hebitaka winning by a ten point difference.

[Northwest Kalactin]

Cutoff for Session 2!

Pool 1
The Grearish Union 17–19 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Northwest Kalactin 14–28 Copper Cuprum

  Pool 1                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Copper Cuprum                2   2  0   50  28 +22    6
2 San Ortelio                  1   1  0   40   0 +40    3
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      2   1  1   19  57 −38    3
4 The Grearish Union           2   0  2   31  41 −10    0
5 Northwest Kalactin           1   0  1   14  28 −14    0

Pool 2
Yerapia 0–38 HUElavia
Elejamie 14–26 Kriegiersien

  Pool 2                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 HUElavia                     2   2  0   67   5 +62    6
2 Kriegiersien                 2   2  0   62  21 +41    6
3 Elejamie                     1   0  1   14  26 −12    0
4 Qasden                       1   0  1    5  29 −24    0
5 Yerapia                      2   0  2    7  74 −67    0

Pool 3
Hebitaka 47–7 TJUN-ia
Lisander 24–12 Natanians and Nosts

  Pool 3                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Hebitaka                     2   2  0   69  19 +50    6
2 Lisander                     1   1  0   24  12 +12    3
3 TJUN-ia                      2   1  1   40  61 −21    3
4 Sannyamathaland              1   0  1   14  33 −19    0
5 Natanians and Nosts          2   0  2   24  46 −22    0

Pool 4
Saint Domingues 14–22 Nova Anglicana
Abanhfleft 24–17 Devonta

  Pool 4                     Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Heemstra                     1   1  0   28  12 +16    3
2 Abanhfleft                   1   1  0   24  17  +7    3
3 Devonta                      2   1  1   58  29 +29    3
4 Nova Anglicana               2   1  1   34  42  −8    3
5 Saint Domingues              2   0  2   19  63 −44    0

[San Ortelio]

Rugby as a Kaleidoscope for a regional identity
What their style, result and fan experience of a La Quinta team tells us about a specific San Ortelian region

As the internal rivalry between the five constituting regions of San Ortelio is almost always playful, fierce but never bitter, there is no better place to witness its characteristics as on the sporting field. The quintessential tournament which offers such an occasion is without any doubt La Quinta, a rugby tournament which pits the five regions against one another, under their respective moniker. Whilst it unites the country in an interest for otherwise often underexposed sport, it also offers an opportunity to highlight the differences between the regions – both in a sense of internal identity building and as a canvas for those from the other regions to contrast themselves against their neighbors. As such, five clearly outlined communities become visible within the framework of La Quinta.

San Pancrazio – With nineteen victories amassed across the year, this is the hegemon and the one that is, across all regions, the most disliked one. For many, a victory against the side from the capital is just that little bit more prestigious than against the others. It’s a reputation those from Catrallo take on with pleasure as they, after all, do consider them a tad more special than the others. It gets reflected in their game, which not only praises winning but also underlines doing it in style. However, it must be noted that the team has been falling back lately, having to retrieve players from the western tip more and more. The lack of stylish figurehead such as Ercole Mazzoli or Romollo Berardi caused a downturn in results, yet they still consider themselves the favorites ahead of every edition because that's the kind of arrogant bastards they are.

San Bonifazio – The sole region bordering to Nyowani Kitara considers themselves the spiritual leader of the opposition, a visualization of a certain rebelliousness simply underlined in their tendency to vote against everything proposed by the delegate from San Pancrazio. Although drawing from a sizable population, they usually were a bit more on the backfoot when it came to rugby and it took the presence of Daniele Carcano to manage them their very first back-to-back title. In the stands, you will find more regional flags (with prominent blue) and the fans make a point out of singing ”La Sabbia”, the folk song from local heroin Clara Cappellotti, during half-time. Whilst Pancrazioni consider them slightly obnoxious (the irony of that is not lost on the rest of the country), most find their Freudian need to be ‘just as big a peninsula as San Pancrazio’ merely tiring.

San Servazio – To the east of San Pancrazio one can find the current dominant force in national rugby. San Servazio is notably smaller than their bordering region but carved out an identity which centers around being down-to-earth, hardworking, regular folks – without being anywhere near hillbillies of course. Nothing of the high-and-mightyness of the capital, just decent folk who know what they are worth. That is bringing them quite some success in La Quinta of late, having captured the trophy in three of the last four editions. Even the simple, some would say plain, black-and-white outfits match perfectly with this persona. These quarters boomed greatly with the economical diversification (because apparently there are jobs aside from fishing and banking) and this financial force sees them prosper on the sporting field. Or at least, that’s why they believe, being hardworking and all. It's probably just luck.

Santa Sofia – The geographically smallest of the five regions never attempted to make themselves more important than they are. It’s about being clever, not strong, they say – but on a rugby pitch that gives you fairly mixed results. Santa Sofia only won the tournament four times, but managed to do it in spectacular fashion when it comes around. Their victories usually appear when the bigger three make mistakes, by example on the occasion when San Boni’ and San Pan’ drew on the final day to keep Santa Sofia atop of the table. Their mildly artistic side, with a well-known painters school being housed in the region, speaks through in the daring color combination of pink and blue, and in being the only team with an officially commissioned badge. There is never pressure on the team because that’s considered not cool and every once and a while, that actually works. But very rarely, as they're a bit soft.

San Mamerto – One of the only things the other four regions can agree on is that whatever you do, you’re not allowed to lose against San Mamerto. Always considered the wooden spoon of the group of five, they have been reestablishing that image after a few surprise wins a good decade ago. As the only landlocked and as such agricultural region, they carry all negative stereotypes of the archetypical farmer: socially inept, speaking an unintelligible dialect, uncultured and at times just a bit too dumb to make use of those few occasions where they can overcome the fact that, being from a less populated bit, they’re lacking in personnel to make up for all their other weaknesses. The few fans are fanatics and should have learned by know that losing is their faith.

“That’s it?”
“Well, sure, professor, but this is just the outline of my research.”
“You are two months into your PhD and all you’ve got to offer for me is this one-pager full of… Stereotypes, platitudes and potentially a few slurs which I believe go against the code of conduct of our university.”
“… Ehm… Yes?”

A long silence.

“On the other hand…”
“Yes, professor?”
“You are quite right about the San Mamertans. What a bunch of backwater hillbillies.”

[Saint-Domingues]

"I'm a late bloomer, I didn't start playing until I was 14!" - In-depth with Dominguan Sevens' Médard Nkulu

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The Dominguan Sevens might have lost their first two matches at the Coffs 7s but the atmosphere both in Northwest Kalactin and back home is not all doom and gloom. Former Dominguan international Justin Bittencourt was waxing lyrical about winger Médard Nkulu in the aftermath of the game against Devonta, and another strong showing in the defeat to Nova Anglicana has led to even more praise from pundits, coaches, and the general public across social media. Today, we speak to the Racing Ouanaminthe man to learn more about his upbringing and how he got into rugby.

Ouanaminthe is a border city. A stone's throw from the city limits brings one to the Massacre River, and across there to Dajabón, in the traditionally Hispanic lands of Dominica. Many people of both tongues have moved between the regions, and though a Francophone Nkulu found himself based in the Spanish part of the city.

"I grew up in the inner city. Ouanaminthe is right on the border of the Spanish side of the island, so there were a lot of Spanish-speaking kids at my school. They all knew the city as Juana Méndez. There weren't a lot of black kids at my school, though. And because most people there spoke Spanish first and foremost, I would hang out with the French kids. They'd shout at us 'Gabacho, Gabacho,' - to them I was basically just another white Frenchie, it was weird." He laughs.

"It was all about football there. Apart from the football team the only other sport our school played was baseball. I didn't like either of those. Everybody was talking about Lionel Messi or whoever at school when he scored some goal - and I barely knew who that guy was. I was big for my age so the football coach really wanted me on the team, but I wasn't any good. They put me in defence but I wanted to run all over with the ball, I didn't have the discipline to defend and I couldn't kick well enough to be a goalscorer."

"So I mostly did athletics. I love to run, I've been doing it pretty much all my life. Obviously pays off now! I was doing the 100m, the 200m, all the way through to cross-country. I loved it so much, took part in the city marathon when I was fifteen. There wasn't an age requirement, but they did require my parents' consent. I didn't do that well though, there is an age requirement now. I think you have to be eighteen to do it. But I thought it was great fun anyway."

It was by chance that Nkulu found his calling, when Racing Ouanaminthe reached out to local schools.

"Around that time Racing had decided to send some of their youth coaches out to the nearby schools, do rugby taster sessions. It was a few of the local schools, but I did really well. Scored more tries than anyone." Nkulu says with a twinkle in his eye.

"From there I ended up in the youth teams, under-15s. The coaches there were great, they were really sympathetic and always looked out for me and my family. They made it clear from day one that they not only wanted to help me developing as a rugby player but as a person too. It was nice for them to give that support when I was in a tough spot at school, because the coaches there all knew how important education was too. I progressed through the ranks and then early this year I was lucky to get my chance in the first-team. I don't think I did the best but everyone was so positive and upbeat. I started the next game and when I scored my first try I was flying, it's been amazing ever since."

Not only is Nkulu breaking through the lines to score tries, but he is trying to break barriers as well.

"The thing about sport in Saint-Domingue, is it's divided by race. There's a lot of stereotyping going on. The perception is if you're Spanish, then you play football. That's just how it is. And if you're black, then they think you're into football or basketball. Rugby is seen as something for white French boys, because that's what all the players are. And the cycle repeats itself because kids see that all the rugby players are white and only speak French and think that it is only for those of people. But now we have black players getting more and more in the game, and we have two Spanish lads too in Javi [Javier Zoido] and Álvaro Aparicio. We're trying to eschew those stereotypes and show that anyone can play rugby. The more people play, the better we can be."

Nkulu forms part of a relatively young sevens squad competing in Northwest Kalactin. Prop Jean-Louis Amalfitano is the most senior player, at 26. The average age of the squad is 22.6 years. Both Hugues Ballouhey and the SDRFU have talked about the Coffs 7s being an opportunity for development - they want young players to get more experience of the sevens game in hopes of qualifying for a World Cup. And along the way, Ballouhey's side is giving focus to a new generation of rugby players - who can come from any background.

See the full interview with Médard Nkulu here.

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[Kriegiersien]

The Schoenwetter Herald

Sport – Rugby

Elejamie 14–26 Kriegiersien

An important victory against the other and older Powerhouse Elejamie raised the Kriegiersien chances to reach the quarterfinal for the trophy.

As always the two teams only learned of their opponent when the lights in the stadium suddenly turned on and the two teams were presented to each other.
The shock, meeting the predicted rival for the first place in the group at matchday two already, only lasted a moment, then the Kriegiersien team tried to impress the the squad from Elejamie with a northern warrior shaman dance they had learned from their Witchdoctor, which wasn’t choreographed and practised very well, as some players skipped rehearsal and was more comical than threatening.

They had the laughter on their side again with two excellent tries at the beginning, just messing up a third because Wing Barney Stealson missed a pass as he was flirting with a spectator.

Even without Alberz, or maybe because he was ‘spared’, the team was able to make 3 conversions after four tries thanks to Damian Druid, the captain of the team.


“We played very good. We made many points, was very good. I stopped all on my side”, summarised Glob the match sophisticated as usual.