RWC 35/RLWC 22 - Everything Thread

[Darmen]

Rugby World Cup 35 - Rugby League World Cup 22 - Darmen

The Darmeni Rugby Football Union and the Darmeni Rugby League extend a warm welcome to the nations participating in the 35th Rugby World Cup and 22nd Rugby League World Cup.

For any nations making their NS Sports sub-forum debut, I would like to suggest that you read the Guide to Sports Roleplaying in order to better understand the basics of how sports roleplaying works. For any nations making their debut in either of the two codes of rugby, I would like to suggest that you skim through their respective wiki pages (Rugby union | Rugby league) to get a basic understanding of how the sports work. Out of character comments should be directed to the relevant sign-up threads: Union or League.

It is highly recommended that at the very least you post a roster for your team(s). As part of your roster, you may wish to include a style modifier for your team, ranging from -5 to +5, which -5 signifying a very defensive style of play and +5 a very attacking style of play. If no style modifier is included in your roster, 0 will applied to your team. Please include a set of Roleplay Permissions with your roster, which can follow either the format below or simply be a single line telling your opponents to have fun and not kill your players.

Code: Select all

CODE: SELECT ALL
[b]If they RP first, my opponents have my permission to:[/b]
Godmod scoring events:
RP injuries to my players:
Godmod injuries to my players:
Hand out yellow/red cards:
Godmod suspension events:
Godmod other events:

Cutoffs will occur between 10-11pm CDT, which is the next day at 3-4am UTC. Cutoffs will take place according to the following schedule:

Cutoff  Date   Rugby Union    Rugby League
 -      10/10  Group Draw     Group Draw
 1      10/12  MD 1           -
 2      10/14  MD 2           MD 1
 3      10/16  MD 3           MD 2
 4      10/18  MD 4           MD 3
 5      10/20  MD 5           MD 4
 6      10/22  MD 6           -
 7      10/24  MD 7           MD 5
 8      10/26  Round of 16    -
 9      10/28  Quarterfinals  Quarterfinals
10      10/30  Semifinals     Semifinals
11      11/1   Final/3PPO     Final/3PPO

Participants, particularly those that are participating in both competitions, are reminded that a roleplay about Union will earn roleplay bonus for League as well and vice versa. Therefore there is no need to post both a Union RP and League RP for each cutoff. As there is an unequal number of matchdays between the two competitions and roleplay bonus applies across both competitions, should a nation participating in the Rugby League World Cup post roleplays on both cutoffs 1 & 2 (and subsequently 6 & 7 as well as 8 & 9), then only the higher of the two roleplay bonuses will be applied for the League scorination, while both roleplay bonuses will be applied for the Union scorination on their respective cutoffs. If this explanation doesn't make much sense to you, then feel free to slap me with a fish in the OOC threads and I'll try to explain again.

[Darmen]

Darmen IC Info

The Republic of Darmen is primarily located in the region of Rushmore, bordered to the northwest by Xinhua and to the southeast by Valladares. The nation is subdivided into twelve regions, with one of those twelve, Esportivan Darmen, being located in the region of Esportiva. The most recent population estimate places Darmen’s population at 10.6 million.

Darmen is governed by a presidential republic, the current president being Alexander Woodrow of the Republican Party. Along with the Republicans, the National Labor Party and Liberal Party are major forces in Darmeni politics, although the Liberals have recently suffered several splits which has seen their influence greatly diminished. The capital is Scott City, with a population of 2.67 million at the latest estimate. The national currency is the Darmeni Dollar, which is pegged to the Universal Standard Dollar.

The official language of Darmen is English, while Spanish enjoys co-official status in the Southeast region. In the Tyger region, Acquan, French, Olusanke, Tamar Anglo-Spanic are co-official languages as well, owing to large immigrant populations from Ossidiacqua, Cotdelapoms, Banija and Tamarindia respectively. While Darmen is officially a secular state, the country is overwhelmingly Christian (85.7%), with membership of the protestant Darmenian Church amounting to 70.4% of Darmen’s population. Catholics account for 11.5%, while the largest non-Christian religious group is Islam, which counts 3.6% of the population as adherents. Secularism never quite took hold in Darmen as it did in other developed countries, with only 4.0% of inhabitants considering themselves irreligious.

A slow speed rail system exists, but is well behind the standards found in other countries with high speed rail. Therefore the best ways to travel around Darmen are by car or plane. A ferry is available for crossing the Stórfjord between Cleveland and Sterling City, in order to prevent commuters from having to travel all the way along the coast to reach their destination.

In an unofficial sports census, rugby union was found to be the fifth most popular sport in Darmen, while rugby league was ranked twelfth. The National Rugby Championship (NRC) is Darmen's top rugby union competition, while the Darmeni Rugby League (DRL) is Darmen's top rugby league competition.

Rugby World Cup Draw & Stadium Info

.1 Abanhfleft            10.97
 2 Ko-oren                8.50
 3 Kelssek                8.18
 4 Baggieland             8.16

 5 Darmen                 5.71
 6 TJUN-ia                5.65
 7 Nova Anglicana         5.65
 8 Quebec and Shingoryeo  5.63

 9 Natanians and Nosts    3.34
10 Port Ember             3.20
11 Lisander               3.04
13 Elmyia                 2.72

15 Hannasea               2.47
17 The Licentian Isles    1.74
18 Tangatarehua           1.60
20 Baker Park             1.51

22 Quintessence of Dust   1.33
28 HUElavia               0.78
35 Acadiana               0.23
UR Wanes                  0.00

UR Hundredstar            0.00
UR Alice Bay              0.00
UR Mali i Kuq             0.00
UR Maraonia               0.00

UR Ardsk                  0.00
UR Aust Scor              0.00
UR The Valhallan Union    0.00
UR Tanah Jaya             0.00

MD1: 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5, 1 bye
MD2: 6 v 4, 7 v 3, 1 v 2, 5 bye
MD3: 3 v 1, 4 v 7, 5 v 6, 2 bye
MD4: 7 v 5, 1 v 4, 2 v 3, 6 bye
MD5: 4 v 2, 5 v 1, 6 v 7, 3 bye
MD6: 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4, 7 bye
MD7: 5 v 3, 6 v 2, 7 v 1, 4 bye
The first listed match will be played at the first listed stadium, the second match at the second stadium and third at the third.

Group A
Stadiums: Devon Street Stadium, Eau Claire, 26,000 - Elles Road, Upper Township, 19,000 - Coastal Rugby Stadium, Tim City, 18,000

Tangatarehua (18)
Maraonia (UR)
HUElavia (28)
Tanah Jaya (UR)
Ko-oren (2)
Nova Anglicana (7)
Port Ember (10)

Group B
Stadiums: Rugby Park, Springfield, 25,000 - Snellhill Stadium, Liverpool, 16,000 - Quins Stadium, Tempala, 16,000

Baker Park (20)
Wanes (UR)
Aust Scor (UR)
Natanians and Nosts (9)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (8)
Hundredstar (UR)
Kelssek (3)

Group C
Stadiums: National Rugby Stadium, Scott City, 50,000 - Southwestern Rugby Stadium, Chuckio, 32,000 - Warriors Park, Romanopolis, 11,500

Elmyia (13)
Hannasea (15)
Quintessence of Dust (22)
Baggieland (4)
Darmen (5)
Alice Bay (UR)
The Valhallan Union (UR)

Group D
Stadiums: Westown Stadium, Brham, 28,000 - Southern Stadium, Rogerton, 24,000 - Centennial Centre, Cleveland, 20,000

The Licentian Isles (17)
TJUN-ia (6)
Abanhfleft (1)
Mali i Kuq (UR)
Ardsk (UR)
Lisander (11)
Acadiana (35)

Rugby League World Cup Draw & Stadium Info

.1 Ko-oren               6.15
 2 Abanhfleft            5.36
 3 TJUN-ia               4.95

 4 Copper Cuprum         4.83
 7 Darmen                3.82
 8 Natanians and Nosts   2.90

 9 Ochre Islands         2.16
10 Quebec and Shingoryeo 1.82
13 Acadiana              1.48

13 Cardenao              1.48
UR MuMu                  0.00
UR Taloren               0.00

UR Corporate City One    0.00
UR Sea Dome              0.00
UR Sky Reavers           0.00

UR The Valhallan Union   0.00
UR Mali i Kuq            0.00
UR Balynland             0.00

MD1: 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4
MD2: 6 v 4, 5 v 3, 1 v 2
MD3: 2 v 6, 3 v 1, 4 v 5
MD4: 6 v 5, 1 v 4, 2 v 3
MD5: 3 v 6, 4 v 2, 5 v 1
The first listed match will be played at the first listed stadium, the second match at the second stadium and third at the third.

Group A
Stadiums: Wolves Park, Liverpool, 29,500 - Pittwater Road, Darmen City, 20,000 - Barry Road, Tim City, 13,800

Balynland (UR)
Natanians and Nosts (8)
Ko-oren (1)
Cardenao (13)
Acadiana (13)
Sky Reavers (UR)

Group B
Stadiums: Dairy Farmers' Association Stadium, Johnho, 27,000 - Cumberland Park, Rogerton, 18,000 - West Central Stadium, Romanopolis, 15,000

Mali i Kuq (UR)
TJUN-ia (3)
Sea Dome (UR)
Ochre Islands (9)
Taloren (UR)
Copper Cuprum (4)

Group C
Stadiums: Rhinos Park, Vogler City, 26,000 - WSC Stadium, West Scott City, 25,600 - Bulls Park, Scott City, 18,000

Corporate City One (UR)
MuMu (UR)
Abanhfleft (2)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (10)
The Valhallan Union (UR)
Darmen (7)

[Port Ember]

National Rugby Union Squad of The Republic of
Port Ember
"The Dragons"

Brief Overview of Port Ember

The Republic of Port Ember is a nation comprising a tropical archipelago within the Northern Ocean region, and is considered a regional superpower and international economic giant. The tropical nation is governed as a constitutional democracy in the form of a Republic. The nation considers itself a champion for personal liberty and economic freedom, and is seen as one of the most free and wealthiest nations in the multiverse. The 280 million citizens are considered to be world wise and innovative, considering the art of world trade & travel, making money and engaging in bar brawls as the foundation of their national culture. The nation also possesses two colonies - Braziliztan and Port Arthur, which they have gained as a result of a score of bloody wars to uphold international freedom and human rights.

Team History:

Despite Rugby Union being a very popular sport within the Republic, historically, as it could never garner the sufficient economical and political support it required in order to compete on the international stage - instead remaining confined to university and local private club level.

Just prior to the commencement of the 28th rendition of the Rugby World Cup however, the local and university teams gathered together a ragtag team, and managed to earn an invite to the grandest stage of them all for their sport. As could be expected, it went absolutely terribly. The team played four matches in the group stages - losing all four matches, without picking up a single try.

Despite the utter humiliation that the team, and the entire nation by extension suffered at the hands of the World Cup - it did result in a silver lining. The ruling government realised that there was an ever growing demand for the sport to be taken seriously on a national level - and in reply, the Port Ember Rugby Union (PERU) was established, in an effort to professionalise the sport.

Immediately after its formation, PERU followed the example of the Port Ember Football Association, and established a young international team which consisted of young talent who had zero club affiliations at that moment. The idea was to train up a national team of players, to conform to international standards and skills - who could be assigned to newly established professional clubs, after gaining international exposure and the establishment of a new fan base, which would raise the standard of the sport throughout the nation.

This project was launched with one Garry Keeves as the head coach, training the team everyday for 4 years. Just prior to the commencement of World Cup 29, Garry left the project, and hired a Neu Engollian in his place, one Alex Renvier, to lead the team to glory and experience. World Cup 29 was thus considered to be the first "unified, professional" attempt at international rugby for the nation. Despite achieving poor results on paper, failing to move past the group stages, the team did manage to show tremendous promise, putting up spectacular displays of skill and passion against some of the best teams in the sport.

Unfortunately however, just as they started to gain momentum, Port Ember was forced to withdraw from World Cup 30, as all sporting events, amongst other activities, were banned, due to the serious safety risks posed by a large-scale terror campaign which rocked the nation and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Just prior to the 34th World Cup cycle, the terror campaign has finally been won by the tropical islanders, and the streets of the Archipelago have become safe once more, and the quest for rugby glory was renewed. In an attempt to sky rocket the sport back into international contention, the Ministry of Sports invested billions of Aurums into various sectors of the sport, creating the largest leap of any sport in the nation's history.

This turned out to be an highly effective move, as Port Emberian Rugby has never looked this good, with administrators, coaches, players, sponsors, media houses and supporters alike being infected with a serious case of Rugby Fever, with interest in the sport skyrocketing to claim the title of becoming the nation’s favorite sport.

As proof of this concept, the national rugby union, the Port Ember Rugby Union (PERU), managed to include the Union into the highest level of international Club competition - the Nationstates Club Rugby Union - otherwise known as the RUCT. This prestigious tournament is where the best club teams of some of the greatest rugby nations compete against one another, in a bid to prove that they have what it takes to not only be national champions, but international contenders.

Two months prior to the prestigious invitational tournament Dragon Day 1000, the Head Coach of the two time champions, Blacklake RUC, Coach King Kidd, has been appointed as the new Head Coach for the national squad, and has build a new team, ready to compete in the new Era. Their impressive return to international rugby had finally earned themselves an invite back to the grandest stage of them all - World Cup 34!

Here, the proof of concept was proven, the hard work, economical and social investments and infrastructure developments paid off, with the Dragons achieving third place overall, despite facing unreal challenges on their campaign.

Following their campaign, the Dragons won the prestigious T8 invitationals by defeating the reigning World Cup champions, Abenfleft in the final.

The team is now preparing to undertake their next goal - contesting once more on the grandest stage of all!

The team is affectionately known as "The Dragons", by their fans and the media - in reference to the team's logo, which itself is based on the nation's national animal - the Emberian Dragon.

Team Roster: Coaching Staff:

Head Coach: King Kidd

Assistant Coach: Cam Cook.

Scrum Coach: Eugene Jozefo.

Fitness Coach: Derick Brava.

Technical Coach: Oliver Orabela.

Team Doctor: Dr Rozanne Dezirinda.

Logistics Manager: Malone Ludoviko

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Team Roster: Starting XV

Davie Nikolao
Starting Position: Prop || Jersey #: #1 || Age: 30 || Height: || 1.82m Weight: 112Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Blacklake RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Kaden Gaja
Starting Position: Hooker || Jersey #: #2 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.8m || Weight: 108Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Blacklake RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Domenic Amika
Starting Position: Prop || Jersey #: #3 || Age: 32 || Height: 1.81m || Weight: 100Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Blacklake RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Aarush Casimjo
Starting Position: Lock || Jersey #: #4 || Age: 24 || Height: 2.2m || Weight: 98Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Blacklake RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Barric Francisko
Starting Position: Lock || Jersey #: #5 || Age: 24 || Height: 2.1m || Weight: 90Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Blacklake RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Ocean Heath
Starting Position: Flanker || Jersey #: #6 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.8m || Weight: 88Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Greenford RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Gerry Barker
Starting Position: Flanker || Jersey #: #7 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.83m || Weight: 92Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Greenford RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Prescott Aleksandro
Starting Position: Number 8 || Jersey #: #8 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.9m || Weight: 95Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Greenfields RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Archie Fajra (C)
Starting Position: Scrum Half || Jersey #: #9 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.65m || Weight: 80Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Gold Coast RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Ryley Mićjo
Starting Position: Flyhalf || Jersey #: #10 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.83m || Weight: 97Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Gold Coast RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Trevelyan Garrard
Starting Position: Winger || Jersey #: #11 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.8m || Weight: 90Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Valonia RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Carlyle Adorinda
Starting Position: Inside Centre || Jersey #: #12 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.79m || Weight: 91Kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Valonia RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Steven Stelara
Starting Position: Outside Centre || Jersey #: #13 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.82m || Weight: 96Kg || International Caps: 30 || || Domestic Club: Valonia RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Herberto Clark
Starting Position: Winger || Jersey #: #14 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.88m || Weight: 99Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Valonia RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Aayden Ciezo
Starting Position: Fullback || Jersey #: #15 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.79m || Weight: 85Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Nirvana RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

---

Team Roster: Reserves

Jenson Karesinda
Starting Position: Prop/Hooker || Jersey #: #16 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.9m || Weight: 102Kg || International Caps: 30 || || Domestic Club: Greenford RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Jamie Rubena
Starting Position: Prop || Jersey #: #17 || Age: 30 || Height: 1.89m || Weight: 102kg || International Caps: 30 || Domestic Club: Greenford RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Graeme Koralo
Starting Position: Lock || Jersey #: #18 || Age: 30 || Height: 2.2m || Weight: 98Kg || International Caps: 14|| Domestic Club: Lilly Black RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Ralph Valora
Starting Position: Lock || Jersey #: #19 || Age: 30 || Height: 2.1m || Weight: 90Kg || International Caps: 14 || Domestic Club: Lilly Black RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Cat Ayers
Starting Position: Flanker/Number 8 || Jersey #: #20 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.9m || Weight: 95Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Oxbay RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Abel Arthurson
Starting Position: Flanker || Jersey #: #21 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.8m|| Weight: 88Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Falaiseville RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Ramiro Ruff
Starting Position: Center || Jersey #: #22 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.83M || Weight: 92Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Falaiseville RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

Senaculus Mikelo
Starting Position: Center || Jersey #: #23 || Age: 24 || Height: 1.85m || Weight: 100Kg || International Caps: 20 || Domestic Club: Waterstad RUC || Domestic Caps: 120

---

Typical Playstyle

Port Ember typically plays towards their strengths, which in this case, would be the physical size and strength of their front pack. They will always attempt to play offensive running rugby, attempting to smash through their opponents with brute force. Their secret ingredient seems to be the attempt at maintaining constant pressure on the opposition, in an attempt to tire them out and tear them down physically.

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Kit

Please note that both the logo and the kit was designed by the amazingly talented - saint of a man - Lisander

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Fans

The official fanclub of the squad is known as "The Traveling Buccaneers", and can be identified at the games due to being painted completely blue with body paint, and some wielding trumpets.

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OOC: RP Specifics

RP OVERVIEW INFO

Nation Name: Republic of Port Ember

Trig: PE

Official Team Name: Port Ember National Rugby Team

Team Nickname: The Dragons.

Controlling Authority: Port Ember Rugby Union (PERU)

Style Modifier: +3

RP Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Godmod scoring events:
Aye, within reason. I live in a MT non scifi/fantasy setting.

RP injuries to my players: Aye but gimme a heads up.

Godmod injuries to my players:
Aye - within reason.

Give yellow cards to my players:
Please do!

Give red cards to my players:
Please do!

Godmod other events:
As long as it makes me laugh!

[Quintessence of Dust]

Nomenclature: Our country is called Quintessence of Dust, commonly shorted to QoD or Quod (but never Dust). Our people are called Quodites or, rarely, Quintessentials (but never Dusties). Our team is called the All Greys.

Kit: Take a wild guess.

Seriously, it’s all grey.

History: Quintessence of Dust have a proud rugby history which includes being former Rugby World Challenge Cup (international club competition) and Six Nations (international invitational) winners, World Cup runners-up, and World Cup and Six Nations hosts. Most of these transpired over 150 years ago. Players from that era can reasonably be expected to have passed away or be living in retirement communities on Mars (advances in 22nd century medical science have extended Quodite lives into the 150+ range, but have done nothing to cure the wear and tear of contact sport). Since returning to world rugby, the All Greys have reached the World Cup semifinals and hosted another edition of the tournament, but success in club rugby has been slower in coming.

Domestic popularity: Rugby remains the pre-eminent national sport among the Anglo-French majority (now a minority); it has struggled to be taken up as much by the later waves of Fenno-scandian, Eastern and Central European, and Asian immigrants, despite attempts by sports authorities to encourage integration. Token stars from minority communities still tend to get a lot of focus amid attempts to popularise the game outside its northwest support base. Regardless of Quintessence of Dust’s international absence, the Premier League has been rumbling along happily enough for the past century with a largely unchanging roster of teams. A few players choose to play Ultimate Rugby in the Hannasean Federation in search of better pay, or join the Lunar Leagues in their dotage where light contact rules are in force.

Style of play: The All Greys have always lived up to their name with a conservative, defensive style of play with heavy emphasis on relentless forward play, dogged but unspectacular tackling, and tactical kicking from hand. The line-out team of the All Greys’ heyday was semi-legendary. Back play has generally been more limited, relying on crash centres, powerful wingers, and very little in the way of fluidity. A photograph of the backs successfully connecting three consecutive passes is framed in the National Hall of Fame and is considered a rarer artefact than buried treasure.

RP permissions: I have two strict permissions: no RPing my players being involved in violence (heavy tackling is fine but no touchline brawls); and no using photographs and saying they represent my players. Please respect these absolutely.

I will compensate with laxity on all other fronts. You may choose my scorers and even my lineup, assign yellow and red cards, RP injuries, and generally go nuts.

Note that in Quodite numbering systems, the inside centre wears 13 and outside 12.

First choice kicker is O’Kearny Bourgeois or de Villiers with Riqueti for long penalties. de Villiers is most likely for drop goals, but in general this isn't a tactic the All Greys will use heavily.

Roster: Default starting XV is listed, with reserves. Some chopping and changing is to be expected, and some positional flexibility permitted (nothing crazy, but obviously the reserve blindside can cover No. 8, a reserve lock play blindside, or the three-quarters switch around).

Loosehead prop: Hanying Chan (Highmark Zzubs)
David Hanselmann (Highmark City Irish), Jelenko Rak (Tourseilles)

Hooker: De Meng (Highmark Zzubs)
Cody Edwards (Highmark City Irish)⁴ Alfred Wood (Combined Veterans), Krunoslav Jenko (Toonmar)

Tighthead prop: Gaston Alard (Tourseilles)
Shinzaburo Kasai (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek), Sidney Young (Highmark City Irish)

Locks: Shozo Hamada (Ballat), Henry Dalsgaard (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek)
Raphaël Bozonnet (Tourseilles), Jim Lin (Priassa), Hugo Vaugrenard (Tourseilles)

Blindside flanker: Elias Clarke (Highmark City Irish)¹Jason Bell (Ballat)⁶⁷ Thierry Gounelle (Tourseilles)

Openside flanker: Juichi Umeji (Combined Veterans)
Xieren Gu (Highmark City Irish), Léon Allaire (Tourseilles)

No. 8: Ingvaldur Knarrarson (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek) - VICE-CAPTAIN
Thierry Manoury (Tourseilles)

Scrum-half: Tadgh Muckley (Highmark City Irish) Tristan Bourgeois (Tourseilles)⁵
Tristan Bourgeois (Tourseilles) Tadgh Muckley (Highmark City Irish), Cyrille Calvet (Toonmar)

Stand-off: Ludovic de Villiers (Combined Veterans) - CAPTAIN
Joël Robiquet (Tourseilles)

Centres: Darren Holian (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek), Reece O’Kearny (Highmark City Irish)³
Feng Zeng (Toonmar), Jason Bell (Ballat)

Wings: Tyson Helman (Ballat)² Yu Xie (Tourseilles), Aurélien Riqueti (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek)
Min Chang (Highmark Zzubs), Oliver Klemperer (Ballat), Josh O’Donoghue (Highmark City Irish)

Fullback: Robby Teschner (New Cleethorpes Deathshriek)

Style modifier: -0

1. Elias Clarke was ruled out with a thigh injury and replaced by Hugo Vaugrenard.
   
2. Tyson Helman was ruled out with a thigh injury and replaced by Oliver Klemperer.
   
3. Reece O’Kearny was ruled out with a groin injury and replaced by Josh O’Donoghue.
   
4. Cody Edwards was ruled out with a leg injury and replaced by Krunoslav Jenko.
   
5. Tristan Bourgeois replaced Tadgh Muckley as starter for MD4 onwards.
   
6. Originally listed as a centre, Jason Bell was switched to blindside flanker from MD5 onwards.
   
7. Jason Bell was ruled out with a broken collarbone and replaced by Léon Allaire.

[Hannasea]

The Hannasean Hamsters

A standard 33 player squad has been selected. Injury replacements will be called up only in the event the player is unable to continue the tournament. Primary positions are listed first; starters are the first listed at each primary position. Returning players in bold.

Front row

Hooker                         Levi Gibson                    Upper Niedewe Reds
Hooker                         Peter Johnson                  Silver Creek Jaguars
Hooker/flanker                 Mitchell Dry                   Pearl City Icelandic
Loosehead/tighthead prop       Reece Scott                    Oakwood Orcas
Loosehead prop                 Hunter Ward                    Oak Park Lemurs
Loosehead prop/hooker          Carter Evans                   New Blopping Magic Ants
Tighthead prop                 Dennis Roberts                 Upper Niedewe Reds
Tighthead/loosehead prop       Cameron Duncan                 Greenville Mystics
Tighthead prop                 Leonard Shaw                   Pearl City Icelandic

Second row

Lock                           Jay Thomson                    Kent Dæmons
Lock                           Chase White                    Silver Creek Jaguars
Lock/blindside flanker	       Noel Hunter                    Upper Niedewe Reds
Lock/blindside flanker         Toby Fisher                    New Blopping Magic Ants

Back row

Openside                       Jake Fletcher (c)              New Blopping Magic Ants
Openside/blindside/no. 8       Andrew Stone                   Deer River Pharoahs
Blindside/openside/no. 8/lock  Jett Madden                    Pintook Super Badgers
Blindside/openside/no. 8       Jacob Ryan                     Oak Park Lemurs
No. 8/blindside/openside       Hudson Sacks (vc)              Pearl City Icelandic
No. 8/blindside                Justin Gibson                  Pintook Super Badgers

Half-backs

Scrum-half                     River Collier                  Upper Niedewe Reds
Scrum-half                     Mike Moore                     New Blopping Magic Ants
Scrum-half/wing                Jordan Thomson                 Pearl City Icelandic
Fly-half/full-back             Jason Connor                   Greenville Mystics
Fly-half/inside centre         JaTaveon Montgomery            Upper Niedewe Reds

Backs

Inside centre/fly-half         Zack Redding                   New Blopping Magic Ants
Inside centre/utility back     Ethan Lowe                     Greenville Mystics
Outside centre/wing            Adam Davis                     Pearl City Icelandic
Centre/wing/fullback           Dylan Harman                   Oak Park Lemurs
Wing/fullback                  David "Not That One" Mitchell  Coral Coast Werewolves
Wing/centre                    Freddie Kelly                  Silver Creek Jaguars
Wing                           Justin Davis                   New Blopping Magic Ants
Fullback/wing                  Liam Stevens                   Coral Coast Werewolves
Fullback/wing                  Seb Henderson                  Angelwood Electro-Weasels

Should my opponent RPs first, they may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Y. I’ve listed first choice starters but you can deviate within reason.
Choose my try scorers: Y
Choose my goal scorers: N, use Connor, Redding, Stevens in that order
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, I decide severity
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Maybe, ask first depending on what you have in mind

Additionally, please don't RP my athletes or supporters being responsible for violence; and, if you're using unphotoshopped photo pictures, don't say they're pictures of my athletes or supporters.

Style modifier: +3

[Tangatarehua]

---

"THE TOA"

---

Nation Name: Tangatarehua [The Empire of,]
Trigram: TAN
Nickname: The Toa [Meaning "Warriors"]
Governing Body: The Imperial Tangatarehua Rugby Union Corporation
Head Coach: Tipene Hohepa
Assistant Coach: Pakanga Paora
Head psychiatrist and leader of the Anti-suicide Unit: Neni Kawhena
Captain: Anaru Nikau (Halfback)
Kicker: Tama Patariki (First Five Eight)
Home Jersey: Black shirt with red sleeves, black shorts
Away Jersey: Red Shirt with black sleeves/Black Shorts
3rd Jersey: Red shirt with black sleeves/White Shorts
Style Mod: +3

---

Overview of Tangatarehua:

The Empire of Tangatarehua is a nation located in the south pacific, comprised of four large islands plus several hundred smaller islands, with a population of just under 31 million people. Most of the nation lies in the temperate or subtropical zone, with the southernmost island of Motumakariri experiencing an Antarctic-influenced continental climate while the Ikame nga Maramara islands, a small archipelago to the north of the home islands, experience a tropical climate.

The nation is a semi-constitutional diarchy. The Empress [Te Kuia o Whenua] is the head of state and revered as a living goddess, coming from an unbroken line of matriarchal succession dating back to 270 BC. The Rangatira [Chief] is the head of government/executive branch and is elected for a life term, while the country also has a democratically elected Parliament.

Since 1979 the country, which was previously a fascist military dictatorship, has adopted a pacifist constitution and begun taking strides toward democracy, although it is generally considered to be more of a hybrid regime. The nation's citizens enjoy high levels of personal freedom and there is a free and independent press as well as a rapidly growing economy.

The nation is known for its long history, which spans thousands of years, and its unique culture and heritage. The official language of Tangatarehua is Te Reo Maori.

---

Rugby in Tangatarehua:

Rugby union is Tangatarehua's national sport and its domestic league draws in millions of spectators and billions of dollars in revenue. It's known that even the Empress herself is a lifelong rugby fan and used to regularly attend games as a Princess.

The first national team was formed in 1888 and went on tour in Europe, gaining a reputation for their aggressive playing style as well as the physical size of the players, all of whom further became something of a curiosity to international audiences due to them sporting full facial tattoos (Ta Moko).

In 1898 the Imperial Tangatarehua Rugby Union Corporation, an Emepaia Hinonga ["Imperial Enterprise" - that is, a corporation owned directly by the Imperial family] was formed to organise and facilitate the domestic and international teams as the sport exploded in popularity.

The team adopted the nickname "The Toa" in 1910, having previously been referred to as "Warriors" by international media for their no-holds-barred approach to the game. "Toa" is a Maori word meaning "Warrior" although specifically to Tangatarehua it refers not only to the noble classes but to the semi-mythical warriors of the nation's past - whose glory the rugby team seeks to emulate.

In a major blow, Tangatarehua was banned from participating in international rugby between 1921 and 1979 due to international sanctions on the country's military junta and international outrage at human rights abuses being committed in the nation (beginning with the notorious pogrom and genocide of Christians in 1921).

The ban ended in 1979 when Tangatarehua adopted a pacifist and democratic constitution, however the war-torn country could not afford a professional rugby team until 1998 when the Toa returned to the international stage on their 100th anniversary.

Tangatarehua was knocked out in the group stages of RWC 34 and this notoriously led to the ritual suicide of the team's coach. This year, the team have employed psychologists and a suicide watch team to ensure that the hosts are not dishonoured by a repeat, should the tournament not go the Toa's way again.

---

The Haka:

Tangatarehua, being a Maori nation, performs a haka at the beginning of every game.

The team usually uses one of two hakas:

"Ko Tangatarehua":

Kia whakangawari au i a hau

Let us prepare ourselves for the prey

I au-e! Hei!

(The sound of being ready)

Tangatarehua e haruru nei!

The storm of Tangatarehua is about to break

Au, Au, aue hā! Hei!

(The sound of the imminent storm.)

Tangatarehua e haruru nei!

The storm of Tangatarehua waxes fiercer

Au, Au, aue hā! Hei!

(Sounds of The height of the storm.)

A ha-ha!

Ka tū te ihiihi

We shall stand fearless

Ka tū te wanawana

We shall stand exalted in spirit

Ki runga ki te rangi,

We shall climb to the heavens

E tū iho nei, tū iho nei, hī!

We shall attain the zenith the utmost heights.

Au! Au! Au!

"Whenua o Rehua":

("The land of Rehua" - a haka used as an ode to Rehua, god of the stars, who holds significant cultural significance to Tangatarehua.)

Taringa whakarongo!

Let your ears listen

Kia rite! Kia rite! Kia mau! Hī!

Get ready...! Line up...! Steady...! Yeah!

Kia whakawhenua au i ahau!

Let me become one with the land

Hī aue, hī!

(assertive sounds to raise adrenaline levels)

Tangatarehua e ngunguru nei!

Tangatarehua is rumbling here

Au, au, aue hā!

Rehua o Tangata e ngunguru nei!

Rehua's people are rumbling here

Au, au, aue hā!
I āhahā!

Ka tū te Ihiihi

Stand up to the fear

Ka tū te Wanawana

Stand up to the terror

Ki runga ki te rangi,

To the sky above,!

E tū iho nei, tū iho nei, hī!

Fight up there, high up there. Yeah!

Ponga rā!

The shadows fall!

Rehua o Tangata, aue hī! We are Rehua's people, yeah!
Ponga rā!

Darkness falls!

Tangata Rehua, aue hī, hā!

The People of Rehua, Yes, We Are!

On rare occasions, Tangatarehua have also begun games with the internationally famous "Ka Mate" haka, although this is seldom used due to its close association with the New Zealand team.

National chant:

Supporters of the national team have a haka of their own which can almost always be heard shouted by crowds, whether at home or away:

Tena koe, Tangata ke!

Greetings, foreigner!

Tupoto kore, Tangata ke!

Beware, foreigner!

Tangatarehua tenei haere nei!

Tangatarehua is invading you!

Au au aue a!

Sorrow, sorrow, sorrow unto you!

Despite their loud chant and boisterousness during the game, Rehuan fans also have a reputation for being extremely respectful especially when travelling to other countries. For example, Rehuan fans are known to clean up litter in stadiums (particularly following riots) because in Rehuan culture littering is considered disrespectful towards Papatuanuku, the Goddess of the earth.

---

Style of play:

It is often said that because Tangatarehua is a pacifist nation, it gets all its aggression out on the sports field so be prepared for a very physical game.

The new coach has confirmed that it will be playing a much more aggressive game than in the last world cup, leveraging the large size of most players on the team.

---

Forwards:

1. Whiro Taneti || Prop || Age: 27 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
2. Haru Eketone || Hooker || Age: 30 || Domestic franchise: Rakipa Raiders
3. Imua Aperahama || Prop || Age: 23 || Domestic franchise: Kotiropai Castlers
4. Hani Wikiriwhi || Lock || Age: 28 || Domestic franchise: Wharekorana Jihadists
5. Tua Kawhena || Lock || Age: 23 || Domestic franchise: Kaitohura Whales
6. Maipi Arana || Flanker || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Whakaara Greens
7. Tama Petera || Flanker || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Wharekorana Jihadists
8. Tiki Hariwana || No. 8 || Age: 27 || Domestic franchise: Rangipukuriri Blizzards

Backs:

9. Anaru Nikau || Halfback || Age: 29 || Domestic franchise: Whakaara Greens || Captain
10. Tama Patariki || First five eight || Age: 27 || Domestic franchise: Wharekorana Jihadists || (Main kicker)
11. Mahora Muhu || Wing || Age: 24 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
12. Anaru Wirihana || Second five eight || Age: 24 || Domestic franchise: Rangiwhero Reds
13. Paau Arono || Centre || Age: 31 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
14. Witi Herewhene || Wing || Age: 24 || Domestic franchise: Kaitohura Whales
15. Keka Waata || Fullback || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Whakaara Greens

Reserves:

16. Pango Tapihana || Hooker || Age: 30 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
17. Taimati Wiremu || Hooker || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Kotiropai Castlers
18. Tua Kerehoma || Prop || Age: 28 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
19. Whetu Tamati || Prop || Age: 27 || Domestic franchise: Rangiwhero Reds
20. Atua Waaka || Prop || Age: 16 || Domestic franchise: Rangipukuriri Blizzards
21. Pita Hamutana || Lock || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Whakaara Greens
22. Arona Moana || Lock || Age: 23 || Domestic franchise: Kaitohura Whales
23. Tangaroa Hamuera || Lock || Age: 25 || Domestic franchise: Rakipa Raiders
24. Tahiwhai Arana || Flanker/No. 8 || Age: 24 || Domestic franchise: Wharekorana Jihadists
25. Hamahona Aperahona || Flanker/No. 8 || Age: 31 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
26. Amako Wihone || Flanker/No. 8 || Age: 21 || Domestic franchise: Whakaara Greens
27. Taanga Nopera || Halfback || Age: 30 || Domestic franchise: Kotiropai Castlers
28. Piripi Terere || Halfback || Age: 25 || Domestic franchise: Tamaki Taniwhas
29. Rangi Kingi || First five eight || Age: 21 || Domestic franchise: Kotiropai Castlers
30. Rana Puhipi || Second five eight || Age: 24 || Domestic franchise: Wharekoana Jihadists
31. Okiara Himona || Centre || Age: 23 || Domestic franchise: Rangiwhero Reds
32. Opi Romana || Wing || Age: 22 || Domestic franchise: Rakipa Raiders

---

If my opponents RP first:

I probably won't be able to actively roleplay this time around due to real life commitments, so I'm pretty much giving carte blanche to anyone who wants to roleplay with my team.

Choose my try scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Hand out yellow/red cards: Y
Godmod suspension events: Y
Godmod other events: Y, the funnier the better

[Ko-oren]

ラグビーリーグコーレン代表 - Équipe du Co-oren de rugby à XIII - Seleccão Co-orenense de Rugby League - Rugby League Kouren Daivyou

Demonym: Ko-orenite
Colours: Green & Blue, yellow trim
Style mod: -5

Forwards Left Prop, HOoker, Right Prop, Left Second line, Right Second line, LOck
LP Tristan Coppin (25) Aminey Owls
LP Mitsuteru Teguramori (24) Etena Vipers
LP Tokutarō Kurumada (21) Selesi Dragons

HO Jean-Luc Pierre (21) Etouille Vultures
HO Vidal Testa (27) Aminey Buffaloes

RP Tatsuji Sakemoto (22) Nitoya Foxes
RP Benxamín Cota (22) Santa Teresa Sabres

LS Kan Kotobuki (23) Selesi Dragons
LS Yota Kitajo (25) Etena Vipers

RS Nolivisa Kawashima (29) Katashi Wasps
RS Bertoud van Lichten (22) Ferrovente Scorpions
RS Tadeu Varela (29) Santa Teresa Sabres

LO Marin Gaudin (32) Aminey Buffaloes
LO Marn Calkhoven (28) Alara Spiders

Kawashima might play a bigger role than his position implies. In fact, most of the talent is listed as one of the second rowers (LS/RS). We should be seeing them appear in other positions as utility, as we're staring at a pretty young group of guys. Gaudin, not exactly the hardest hitter, has a bit of a captain look to him given his age and will play most games as the cement to keep the forwards together. The front line is serviceable but not spectacular.

Backs HalfBack, StandOff, Left Wing, Left Centre, Right Centre, Right Wing, FullBack
HB Moen de Waard (23) Santa Teresa Sabres
HB Takaaki Vamadate (27) Aminey Buffaloes
HB Myeong-Seong Park (22) Nitoya Foxes

SO Hayanari Kobayashi (24) Katashi Hawks
SO Yoma Muramoto (32) Aminey Buffaloes

LW Teppei Shibata (23) Selesi Dragons
LW Ieviro Nakazono (30) Etena Vipers
LW Xeronimo Agar (29) Katashi Wasps

LC Éric Perron (24) Aminey Owls
LC Sté Brunet (31) Linieux Harriers

RC Gaétan Lauve (20) Aminey Owls
RC Ffwllnhil yLeorrhag (29) Alara Spiders
RC Rodolphe Clermont (24) Aminey Buffaloes

RW Gogo Abbadie (25) Nitoya Foxes
RW Isamu Ogawa (31) Selesi Dragons

FB Ramiro Monteverde (31) Santa Teresa Sabres
FB Hochi Endo (25) Katashi Hawks

De Waard had been the biggest talent on the archipelago for a while, but due to age, he was kept out of the starting XIII. After three successful seasons for the Sabres, he will have to showcase his skills at the highest level, and expectations are sky-high. He's got everything to his skillset to make him the best Ko-orenite rugby league player ever - and that's something for a team with multiple World Cup titles.

Abbadie is easily the second best player, and has been for a bit. His speed now pairs up very well with his vision and timing. Shibata lines up on the other side, separated by a stellar Perron, and this group of guys in their early 20s should carry this team to greatness. It's a new generation! Lauve is on the young side as the final member of the line of centres and wingers, and might not play everything - in fact, it would be strange if he did.

The backs are easily the best part of this roster, with De Waard and the wingers/centres. The standoff position, once so vital to the team's quick changes of pace and opportunism, is nearly decimated, and the fullback position, so important for a team trying to keep scores low, is almost entirely gone as well. That's not to say that Kobayashi and Monteverde are bad per se, but they're hardly standout players on their teams or in the league and yet they're the best we have at the positions.

De Waard's Sabres have lost their third straight domestic final, which both indicates that they're really good - it's hard to get that far so often - but also that there's something to improve on when it matters most. Vamadate, Muramoto, Clermont, and Gaudin and their Buffalo teammates have won both of the last two titles. Brunet's Harriers are on the upswing, Calkhoven and yLeorrhag's Spiders have been solid, and Abbadie's Foxes might be a future dynasty if they can fill the gaping holes in between a collection of stars. Things are downright vitriolic in Katashi - both the Hawks and the Wasps - for underperforming for years now, and the Ferrovente Scorpions are not much better off, despite those three teams being among the richest and best supported in the league (the 'big 6' being both Aminey teams, both Katashi teams, Santa Teresa, and Ferrovente).

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
Choose My scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring Events: Yes
Injure Players: Yes
Godmod Injury Events: No
Red Card Players: Yes
Yellow Card Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: No

[Ko-oren]

RUWC - Ko-orenite National Team - The Dragonflies

Backs
Fullbacks
FB Clayborne Corwick (22) Idyllwild Coronae
FB Aonotu Aohugise (22) Maynard Andromeda
FB Kagageerra Bilaranora (31) Tarrashall Travellers

Solid, complementary group of fullbacks, perfect for those Darmeni double fullback options that we've come to appreciate. Corwick is a very attacking option, fast and determined, Aohugise is a bit more of a winger and very good on the sidelines (also defensively), while Bilaranora is the prime defensive option of the trio.

Wingers
LW Tei Warmeling (25) Mayara Wanderers-Cassiopeia
LW Johannes van der Heuvel (20) Maynard Andromeda
LW Morton Carson (26) Mawrystwyth Phoenix

RW Linus Howbrick (23) Tarrashall Travellers

Not necessarily the most impressive group of wingers, Warmeling has been here for a bit and Van der Heuvel is an exciting new option from the north. Warmeling has no issues passing back inside for better options, while Van der Heuvel has shown to go it alone a bit too much. Carson is the average of the two but arguably not as good. Howbrick is pretty much the only option on the other side so we'll probably see the left siders or centres appear on the right wing. Howbrick is pretty clever but not as athletic.

Centres
OC Reginald Airthorn (22) Aubury Swans
OC Masahiko Morimoto (26) Ansonville Comets

IC Elysedd yCilionmac (21) Penstead Bears
IC Dwight Carrington (25) Eaglebury Aquila
IC Osric Ragnell (22) Idyllwild Coronae

Airthorn is one of the best in the Ko-orenite league already. The Swans centre will be the class of this group of backs, his excellent passing allowing his teammates to score. yCilionmac is a pretty good complement as a follower, while Carrington - though not as precise or visionary - has the same try assist energy as Airthorn.

Halves
FH Crispin Whitebuck (21) Maynard Andromeda
FH Nimrod Whithingham (30) Eaglebury Aquila

SH Ba Vasseur (29) Greencaster Galaxy
SH Jinnamoora Amaranga (34) Tarrashall Travellers
SH Xaneiro Santizo (23) Ansonville Comets

Whithingham has long been the standard option, but Whitebuck has made coaches reconsider. He's that much better, but Whithingham is probably still slightly better at putting others in positions to succeed through experience - Whitebuck opts to run himself a bit too often but that'll change with age. To help that duo, there's a scrumhalf-by-committee but Vasseur is realistically the only proper option. There was a movement to play off the scrum half a lot more, but with halted development from most of the youngsters we're probably back to the fly half. Vasseur is pretty ballsy, while Amaranga is sneakier and Santizo is more of a kicker.

Forwards
Number 8
N8 Faramond Chipway (25) Willowbourne Foxes
N8 Haggya Gimmerra (22) Tarrashall Travellers

These two stand out among their colleagues, Chipway being a staunch tackler and Gimmerra being a slightly better runner (possessing better passing and more of a tendency to make opponents guess whether he's throwing an offload).

Flankers
OF Conor yAigaethol (23) Llandy Bulls
OF Dossirla Moshindi (23) Greencaster Galaxy

BF Mentan Padganthen (21) Idyllwild Coronae
BF Merrill Connor (28) Willowbourne Foxes

We're finding more flankers, to an extent, as the forward positions are getting more popular among youth players. We're not seeing everything come through yet, but the start is here: yAigaethol and Moshindi are decent upgrades over the previous generation as creative yet physical. Padganthen and Connor are a class behind the other two, but their hard work is valued a lot.

Locks
LS Autju Arzehnra (21) Mayara Wanderers-Cassiopeia
LS Gilles Boudreaux (24) Tarrashall Travellers
LS Gwenaël Plaisance (22) Willowbourne Foxes

RS Edwin Connett (21) Greencaster Galaxy
RS Gemhaeg yDdwffrell (30) Penstead Bears
RS Cigan yEoganmac (20) Llandy Bulls

There's a bit of a revival for forwards, and that's apparent at this position. The second line has a lot of quality options and offers a lot of utility for tackling to containing, to chasing, to taking over other forward positions, particularly the flankers. Only yDdwffrell passes 25 years of age and the youngsters around him have plenty of playmaking energy. Arzehnra might be the most restricted of the bunch but has shown to play around cheeky kicks far better, Boudreaux just wants to make people hit the floor hard, and Plaisance has the body of a prop but his stamina is more like a back. Connett is speedier than his frame suggests, yDdwffrell is just reduced to the senior of the bunch (and of the entire group of forwards) while yEoganmac is a creative kicker beyond just going for tackles and hit-ups.

Props
TP Blaine Winterlas (23) Ansonville Comets
TP Will Cheltell (23) Aubury Swans

LP Cowan Holden (28) Mayara Wanderers-Cassiopeia
LP Ciri yBybrian (20) Llandy Bulls
LP Lawrence Conapple (22) Greencaster Galaxy

Simply said, it's hard to convince anyone to play prop. Holden is obviously back for another World Cup, but pickings are slim otherwise. The scrum will have lost some weight and push with this group. Winterlas will play a bit more freely, taking a bit more risk with who he goes after, while Cheltell is a bit more predictable - not that that's a bad thing at this position. Holden is the gold standard and surprisingly good in passing - will he keep it or will he offload? - yBybrian's inspiration and tackling comes in bursts, while Conapple distributes his energy across the entire match.

Hookers
HO Cyprien Rougeau (25) Willowbourne Foxes
HO Loyal Farrell (25) Maynard Andromeda

Again, we don't have too many players on the front line, so we have to protect the ones we still have. Luckily, we have two standout players (and absolutely no depth beyond these two). Rougeau is quite technical with play restarts and line outs, Farrell plays like he has several years of experience more than his colleague despite the both of them being 25. Farrell is the easier choice to make for a coach, but Rougeau might offer a little extra in pressure situations.

Style & Strategy
Style mod: -5. Ko-oren plays an extremely risk-averse style with an emphasis on kicking (both defensively and offensively). They rarely play dirty, but do employ some gamesmanship depending on who's on the field.

The idea for the last few World Cups was to run off the scrum half, and play lots of phases on short passes, wearing down the central defence of our opponents and passing outside for dazzling combinations every now and again. This time, the group forces us to play more off the fly half, back to a focus on kicking - strategically and offensively too - and we keep our attacks mostly in the middle. Our forwards are more up to the task this edition - so we're expecting some designed run patterns across a wide band in the middle of the field, trying to keep the opponents guessing whether we're going left or right, to a forward for a hitup or to a centre for an attempt at a linebreak, all while always threatening a clever kick to keep possession, drawing away defenders from the line for said linebreak attempts.

Trivia
At home, Ko-oren will wear a mainly green jersey with blue and yellow trim. As an away jersey (and to avoid colour clashes), there's stories of a white jersey with green and blue trim lying somewhere in a supply closet, but we're sure the staff manages to find them in time.

Permissions
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
Injure my players: Yes
Godmod injuries: No
Sin Bin my players: Yes
Red Card my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Style mod: -5

[Hundredstar]

Nation Name: Hundredstar
Trig: HDS
Style Modifier: +2
Ground: Unimor Arena, Bledllyn [38,730]
Association Body: Hundredstar Royal Rugby Union [HRRU]
Nickname: The Royal

Union Chair:				Leofing Bischoptree			
Manager:				Swithin Frogenhall			
Asst. Manager:				Reynold Hodgeson              		
Coach:    				Athelstan Gibbs  			

First Team
#	NAME		NATIONALITY	POS          	AGE	CLUB                 		BASED
1	Francis Palmer			Loosehead Prop	24	Queenborough Quicksand		
2	Thorkel Stevyn			Hooker      	34	Enfeld Eagle      		 Capt.
3	Fulk Byschoppeson		Tighthead Prop	22	Owenbridge Otter		
4	Jerome Stokton			Lock         	25	Queenborough Quicksand		
5	Aslac Barre			Lock         	29	Cape Army Cadet      		
6	Gamel Covert			Blindside Flanker  26	Queenborough Quicksand		
7	Ralph Saynsbery			Openside Flanker30	Queenborough Quicksand		
8	Arnold Portyngton		Number Eight	31	Enfeld Eagle      		
9	Bernard Hertcombe		Scrum-Half	28	Cape Army Cadet      		
10	Odbert Halley			Fly-Half	28	Queenborough Quicksand		
11	Silvester Sprunt		Left Wing	27	Enfeld Eagle       		
12	Lawrence Walrond		 Inside Center	31	Queenborough Quicksand		 VC
13	Rolf Denys			Outside Center	28	Owenbridge Otter		
14	Athelstan Grene			 Right Wing	26	Queenborough Quicksand		
15	Allen Archer			 Fullback	25	Queenborough Quicksand		

Reserve
Loosehead Prop
Elijah Windsor, 26 [Owenbridge Otter]
Joseph Ashdown, 33 [Cape Army Cadet]

Hooker
Augustus Astor, 27 [Queenborough Quicksand]
Christopher Alnwick, 30  [Owenbridge Otter]
Fergus Lyndon, 29 [Enfeld Eagle]

Tighthead Prop
Jameson Newfield, 26 [Cape Army Cadet]
Hunter Addison, 27  [Owenbridge Otter]

Lock
Crawforde Wellington, 30 [Enfeld Eagle]
Sterling Spencer, 29 [Enfeld Eagle]
Leighton Blackwood, 33  [Owenbridge Otter]
Dexter Ashdown, 27 [Goatiledge Griffin]

Blindside Flanker
Watson Ambrose, 30 [Enfeld Eagle]
Victor Farbridge, 31 [Cape Army Cadet]

Openside Flanker
Franklin Mumford, 34  [Owenbridge Otter]
Antoine O' Keefe, 26 [Queenborough Quicksand]

Number Eight
Benjamin Lennox, 29 [Enfeld Eagle]
Tarquin Atkins, 26 [Goatiledge Griffin]

Scrum-Half
Marshall Da Ville, 27  [Owenbridge Otter]
Joel Weston, 25 [Cape Army Cadet]

Fly-Half
Logan Peirce, 35 [Queenborough Quicksand]
Clayton Barrington, 26 [Enfeld Eagle]

Left Wing
Bishop O' Keefe, 33  [Owenbridge Otter]
Tarquin Benson, 26 [Goatiledge Griffin]
Andrew Mastford, 26 [Cape Army Cadet]

Inside Center
Winston Chins-Rantonford, 31 [Enfeld Eagle]
Nicolas Winstanley, 26 [Goatiledge Griffin]

Outside Center	
Michael Thompkins, 27  [Owenbridge Otter]
Brock Greaves, 27 [Queenborough Quicksand]

Right Wing
Dorian May-Porter, 31 [Goatiledge Griffin]
Watson Rothschild, 27  [Owenbridge Otter]

Fullback
Tarquin Gainsborough, 27 [Goatiledge Griffin]
Brody Coleman, 31 [Queenborough Quicksand]
James Exeter, 32 [Cape Army Cadet]

If they RP first, my opponents have my permission to:
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow/red cards: Y
Godmod suspension events: N
Godmod other events: Y

[Baggieland]

The Throstles

Colours:


Formation:


Yes, we do the Haka:


Style mod: +2

Manager:
Billy Wilkinson.

Starting XV:
1. Barney Rose (prop).
2. Gary Hearn (hooker).
3. Henry Holland (prop).
4. Gary Auld (lock).
5. Russell Chorley (lock).
6. Alan Watts (flanker).
7. Alex Smith (flanker).
8. John Allen (number eight).
9. James Harwood (scrum half).
10. John Pilkington (fly half).
11. David Davies (wing).
12. Alex Sherman (centre).
13. Henry Blackstone (centre).
14. David Gunn (wing).
15. Vincent Tank (full back).

Reserves:
16. Ed Turner (hooker).
17. Jimmy Robinson (hooker).
18. Arthur Bailey (prop).
19. Bill Carter (prop).
20. Sam Jones (lock).
21. Jack Evans (lock).
22. George Fowler (flanker).
23. Bob Dunkley (flanker).
24. George Everett (number eight).
25. Thomas Gibbs (scrum half).
26. James Adams (fly half).
27. Allen Cook (centre).
28. Joe Fox (centre).
29. Peter Massingham (wing).
30. George Lawson (wing).
31. Roger Tooney (full back).

International tournament records:
Winners: WC 32.
Runners-up: WC 30.
Third place: WC 31.
Fourth place: WC 33.
Quarters: WC 34.
Group stage: WC 29.

First ever game:
Baggieland 6 – 0 Heemstra.

Biggest win:
Baggieland 52 – 10 Natanians and Nosts.

Biggest defeat:
Baggieland 9 – 33 Lisander.

If my opponents RP first:
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.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[TJUN-ia]

Nation Name: TJUN-ia
Trigram: TJU
Nickname: Jaguars
Governing Body: Rugby TJUN-ia (RT-U)
Head Coach (Union 15s): Jacob Peterson (40)
Assistant Head Coach: Brutas Excillius (43, 7s Head Coach)
Home Jersey: Blue Shirts/Orange Shorts
Away Jersey: White Shirts/Blue Shorts
3rd Jersey: Orange Shirts/White Shorts
Style Mod: +1

---

SQUAD (Former 7s Players in Orange)
FORWARDS
P: #1 Caoimhín O'Carolan (31)
H: #2 Enrique Carlos de Guzman (31)
P: #3 Kini Botia (28)
L: #4 Lucien Quatteraro (32)
L: #5 Philip Quatteraro (32)
Fl: #6 Alan Wakefield (34) (C)
Fl: #7 Austin McBluey (33)
8: #8 Shojiro Karakurenai (31)

BACKS
SH: #9 Jose Valbuena (33) (K)
FH: #10 Peter Mullins (29)
W: #11 Zhivago Groenewald (27)
C: #12 Frederico Spezia (28)
C: #13 Jackson Stall (28)
W: #14 Emmerson Gawakali (26)
FB: #15 Peter Mahinulani (33)

BENCH
P: #16 Paul Verdunois (27)
H: #17 Malakai Saumaki (27)
L: #18 Antoine Quatteraro (28)
Fl/8: #19 Nehe Te Toiroa (27) (K)
SH/FH: #20 Vittaly Rossi (32)
W/C: #21 Son Jin-Soh (24)
C: #22 Ray Mapusua (26)
FB: #23 Keola Kapaʻakea (27)

RESERVES
H: #24 Michael McHealy (22)
L: #25 Shinji Hoshiro (23)
Fl/8: #26 Fuji Hoshiro (23)
FH: #27 Chris Lincoln (30)
SH/FH: #28 Michael Jeferson (29)
SH/FH: #29 Fernando Luz de la Heño (21)
C: #30 Samson Nyakane (22)
W: #31 Jonathan Parkinson (21)
FB: #32 David Parker (24)

---

SCHEDULE (Group D)
MD1: vs Acadiana (35) - Westown Stadium, Brham
MD2: vs The Licentian Isles (17) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD3: BYE
MD4: vs Abanhfleft (1) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD5: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - Westown Stadium, Brham
MD6: vs Ardsk (UR) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton
MD7: vs Lisander (11) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton

Nation Name: TJUN-ia
Trigram: TJU
Nickname: Jaguars
Governing Body: Rugby TJUN-ia (RT-L)
Head Coach (League): Louise Peterson (36)
Home Jersey: Blue Shirts/Orange Shorts
Away Jersey: White Shirts/Blue Shorts
3rd Jersey: Orange Shirts/White Shorts
Style Mod: +1

---

SQUAD
BACKS
FB: #1 Peter van Groen (29)
W: #2 Oscar Hulton (30)
C: #3 Kiwo Makawiwa (28)
C: #4 Steve McGoey (29)
W: #5 Mohammad Al-Kafa (31)
FE: #6 Jack Henderson (31) (C/K)
HB: #7 Logan Jacobson (30)

FORWARDS
P: #8 Vincent Leclerc (31)
H: #9 Kepo Kalawakawa (29)
P: #10 Henry Sharps (31)
SR: #11 Andre le Grand-Et-Haut (30)
SR: #12 Shinji Ketsumoga (28)
L: #13 Peter Harmon (30)

INTERCHANGE
P: #14 Ji Wo-Man (29)
W: #15 Musa Helema (31)
H: #16 Virat Maharashtra (28) (K)
SR: #17 Tepu Tukomena (26)

RESERVES (Can Play In Any Position)
#18 Pedro Alcoron (27)
#19 Victor Halton (28)
#20 Simon Greenville (26)
#21 Jason Graham (25)
#22 Louis Verchamps (24)

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: vs Taloren (UR) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton
MD2: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD3: vs Copper Cuprum (4) - Dairy Farmers' Association Stadium, Johnho
MD4: vs Sea Dome (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD5: vs Ochre Islands (9) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton

RP permissions
If my opponent RPs first, they may...
Choose my try scorers Y
Choose my kicker Y
RP injuries Y
Godmode scoring events Y
Godmode injuries N
Godmode other events Y

[Cardenao]

Official Name: The Kingdom of Cardenao Men’s National Rugby League Team
Official Nation Name: The Federated Republic of Kingdom of Cardenao
Country Code: CAD
Officiating League: None/Amateur
Officiating Body: None/Amateur
Regional Officiating Body: None
Records:
All-Time: 7w-4l-0t
Titles: 0
International Rank: 13th (pre-RLWC 22)
Nickname: The Blue and Golds, La Furia Azule
Style: +3.0 out of 5.0

Primary kit (Imagine to be more like a rugby uniform):

Alternate kit:

Coach: Tyrin Bancroft 34 years old


#8 Left prop: Jy-mel Jones-Bishop
Height: 6’5 - Weight: 87lbs - Age: 27 years old

Jy-mel ‘Big Bones Jones(-Bishop)’ is every inch and pound he needs to be at the left prop. Coming in at 287lbs packed into a 6’5 frame, the bigman who works as a construction worker will come in ready to push the line. Jy-mel uses his explosive strength the get some serious speed built up to ram the defensive line back just to gain some yardage. He is more mobile than his right prop counterpart, and thus Big Bone Jones is tasked with defending against opposition running. Jy-mel is big, he’s strong, he’s got a thick neck the size of Western Cardenao, he’s the perfect man for the job.

#9 Hooker: Charles Dashiell
Height: 6’1 - Weight: 204lbs - Age: 24 years old

An insanely passionate man known for screaming at his teammates and opponents in equal measure, Charles Dashiell was a footballer before getting introduced to rugby in university. His footie skills come in handy for hooking the ball out of the scrum, and he makes use of his surprisingly high game IQ for an amateur to generally make the correct decision to pass, run, or kick the ball and that will be vital for this inexperienced team from Cardenao. He’s strong with a naturally powerful built frame, while his time in youth football make Charles Dashiell very agile and hard to get a hold of.


#10: Right prop: Alexis Romilly
Height: 6’6 - Weight: 315lbs - Age: 25 years old

Big, strong, tons of biomass, Alexis Romilly is a perfect battering ram of a right prop. He’s…well he’s a bit simple of mind you see but that makes him an even better prop player, no braincells to worry about losing to might as well go full out every single time. Which Alex Romilly does very well. He does have a huge heart though, he’s always the first one to protect a teammate or yell at the referee to do his damn job. Seems like a decent guy, hope he does well.

#13 Lock: LaDamian Marley
Height: 6’3 - Weight: 211lbs - Age: 29 years old

Tall, strong, and blessed with great jumping ability, LaDamian Marley isn’t here to mess around. A career criminal whose size and build lent him perfect to…certain aspects of the criminal underworld, Mr. Marley has a mysterious background that we are absolutely not going to enquire about. Looking at rugby things, LaDamian will be pushing from behind the props/hookers, fighting for every advantage and using his height+vertical ability as the flow of play requires.

#11 Left forward: Lucrece Guadarrama
Height: 6’1 - Weight: 202lbs - Age: 23 years old

Lucrece Guadarrama hails from the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in East Cardenao and credits running up the hills all day every day as a child for his physical powers. Very quick with great acceleration, Guadarrama is a very agile forward and a great tackler, but he can be a little absentminded and run a few seconds behind the pace of play sometimes, which is obviously a problem in high level international sporting competition so hopefully he can get that figured out.

#12 Right forward: Ashton Coleman
Height: 6’ - Weight: 194lbs - Age: 25 years old

This dude is a lad, Ashton Coleman loves nothing more than a beer or three before and after a good game of rugby. Built powerfully, Coleman finds great joy in throwing his body at an opposing player and wrestling them to the ground or pushing forward in many ways like a prop. Hopefully he doesn’t show up too buzzed to any of our games, unless it helps him play better, then by all means, please drink up Ashton!

#6 Five-eighth: Kaz Perchata
Height: 6’3 - Weight: 215lbs - Age: 29 years old

Kaz Perchata’s got the size, strength, and speed that you want from your five-eighth. Kaz’s got great agility and that’s helpful when he’s running and receiving, plus he’s got a pretty high level of rugby IQ and uses that to help open up the smartest attacking avenue, that could be passing the ball away from the congested area around the tackle, further back to the outside backs, or kicking the ball for field position in general play.


#7 Halfback: Roberto Savestra
Height: 5’10 - Weight: 191lbs- Age: 21 years old

A bundle of dynamite at halfback, it’s Roberto Savestra! Acting as the first receiver, Savestra is one of the smaller members of the team, but he makes up for it by being a real lightning bolt of speed and agility, which pairs great with his soft hands and alertness when running with the ball. I’m excited to see what the tournament holds for Roberto, if he can find his feet quickly and adjust to the level of play, we could potentially have a lot to look forward to!

#2 Left wing: Harry Solomon
Height: 6’ - Weight: 213lbs - Age: 25 years old

Mr. Solomon is the fastest player out of Cardenao bar none and that’s saying a lot with the amount of speed this team has. Playing out near the touch-line, Henry Solomon uses that blistering pace to exploit the space that is created for them to finish an attacking move, and he’s got the stamina and power to do it all game long with zero issue. With his strong build and natural fitness, Henry can shrug off hard hits that would break a lesser man, and I look forward to seeing how he competes!

#5 Right wing: Romualdo Gaultier
Height: 6’ - Weight: 203lbs - Age: 30 years old

A quick and rapid Cardenaoan player?? What a surprise! No but seriously, what sets Romualdo Gaultier apart from other pace merchants is his understanding of when and how to use his speed to turn the ebb and flow in his favor. A master of the cheeky deceleration prior to sprinting away, Romualdo loves tormenting his opponents and torching them all game long. He’s got great awareness on defense to effectively mark his opposing winger, while also being a savvy kick returner to put it all together.

#4 Left-center: Conrad Du Busson
Height: 5’8 - Weight: 168lbs - Age: 22 years old

Conrad Du Busson comes into this Rugby League World Cup with some level of hype to his name as one of the better players from the underground Cardenao amateur Rugby League circuit. He’s got a stocky build and while only standing at 5’8, he’s a powerful runner of the ball and an accomplished defender. He’s a very unpredictable player and has remarkable physical coordination and athletic abilities, with an almost freakish ability to bang in goals from anywhere on the ground. Fun fact, Conrad Du Busson rarely eats before a match aside from a simple breakfast!

#3 Right-center: Gualterio Suarez
Height: 6’ - Weight: 189lbs- Age: 28 years old

Gualterio Suarez is a routine, dependable presence for the Cardenao team. He’s great defensively, always locked in and marking the opposing center, oftentimes taking them out of the game entirely. He’s got a great shoulder for tackling and loves laying the boom whenever he gets an opportunity to do so, while offensively he’s got great hands and is known for juking his opponents out of their shoes. Great lad.

#1 Fullback: Devin Wallflower
Height: 5’11 - Weight: 197lbs - Age: 28 years old

The Perks of Being A (Devin) Wallflower include being the best player on the team by nature of his split Ochren-Cardenao heritage and time spent playing the professional game across the pond in the Ochre Islands. The charismatic man with a flashy smile and a love for chestnuts will be a key member of the team from the fullback position, where he serves as the team’s last line of defense and primary return kicker. Lots of tackling, lots of catching, lots of running, Devin Wallflower is the man for the moment. We hope.

Reserves that can play in any position:
#14 Berry Pavlovic
#15 Georges Smarth
#16 Shandon Baptiste
#17 Juninho Bacuna
#18 Patrick Coco

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

COMMONWEALTH OF BAKER PARK
RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION

The Commonwealth of Baker Park Rugby Union was founded in February 1954; it consolidated the governing authority that individual state unions held over sport since the turn of the century.

Currently, the CRU organizes the country's domestic club national championship, the Montieth Shield, as well as the Westerly Challenge Cup, open to all professional and amateur clubs.

Rugby was popular in the first decade after the founding of the Commonwealth; as American-style football grew in participation, rugby clubs saw a decrease in the number of registered players at established clubs. Into the 1920's, rugby saw their decreasing numbers level off and by 1931 there was a renewed interest in the game in certain areas of the country. Towns and boroughs with significant Welsh and Scottish populations led the way as rugby made inroads on the number of young men who took up active sports club memberships. The Ezra Rugby Football Union (ERFU) and the Endover Rugby Union (ERU) had far more clubs competing than their counterparts in the Baker Park Rugby Federation (BPRF), Osheana Ruby Union (ORU), and the Rugby Union of Lynchana, Midalia and St Leon (RULMS); the first Challenge Cup was organized by the ERFU in 1929, inviting any club in the Commonwealth playing the union code to participate. Endborough City RFC won the inaugural trophy, and over the next 19 editions from 1930-53, Ezran or Endoveran clubs were champions on 14 occasions.

There had never been a unified convention of the various state bodies until Sylvester Montieth, Chief Secretary of the ERFU, proposed a meeting in the winter of 1953. He wanted to find some common ground between the state organizations in order to work on increasing participation and a possible fully national body to help with technical development of players. His proposal for the formation of a Union made up of all the state level competitions was unanimously approved at the Frazier House Hotel in Hamilton, which marked the beginning of the CRU.

The national club championship was established in 1956 with a structure of two 8 team divisions with promotion and relegation playoffs, 3 years later it was expanded to 10 teams each; it was known as the Frazier Shield until 1970, when it was renamed for Sylvester Montieth, who had been elected the first Chairman of the CRU and served until 1960.

The influence that the ERFU had over the sport even after the formation of the CRU can still be seen today; the national team's shirts are Navy Blue & Gray hoops, which were adapted from the shirts worn by Ezra's most successful club, Middletown Old Boys (now Middletown RFC), originally made up of ex-students from the University of Ezra branch, whose colors were also the same; the legend of the university's adopting the colors is rooted in the story that quite a few men who had been members of the Army regiment also known The Blues & Grays were among the earliest enrolled students at UE/Middletown.

Barnitz Stadium in the city has hosted more international test rugby matches than any other ground in the country, and more recently the final day of competition for the first two Atlantian Oceania Rugby 7's Championships, which Baker Park claimed the title on both occasions (reflected by the orange & blue stars on the crest).

Honors--Atlantian Oceania Rugby Sevens Champion (x2)
World Cup record--5-5
Style Mod--+1.6

As a rule, Baker Park sports trend towards aggressive, offense oriented play; the average fan wants to see scoring, although they are savvy enough to recognize an action packed defensive stalemate is also worthy of respect. In real rugby terms, most clubs are back oriented in attack.

Nickname(s)--there is no single consensus between the BlueGrays, Blues & Grays or Hoops as a preference (even 'Grays & Blues' wouldn't be problematic although historically inaccurate--see above).

Baker Park will make their third appearance in the RWC after a paperwork error caused them to miss RWC 34. They advanced from pool play in Baggieland for the first time and hope to build upon that achievement.

Former Springfield Maroons Director of Rugby Jeremiah Leslie has succeeded Byron Robertson as boss at the CRU and brought in former Blue Bulls coach Tony Danielson to lead the squad. Six newcomers join the player pool including the Slade twins Darren & David from Richmond County and Grayson Bartholomew from Center Point.

Management Staff
Technical Director—Jeremiah Leslie
Head Coach—Tony Danielson
Assistants—Eddie Travis, Greg Vorhees, Peter Barber
Physio—Kurt Poepplemeir
Doctor-- Walter Hill, M.D.

POS	AGE	Club
1 Caleb Kohler			P	26	Center Point RFC
2 Stuart Mann			H	27	Belle Haven RFC
3 Gerald Rodgers		P	25	Springfield Maroons RFC		
4 Edison Solomon		L	26	Middletown RFC
5 Peter Quinlan		        L	26	New Richmond RFC
6 Duane Burredge		FL	26	Caledonia RFC		
7 David Slade			FL	25	Richmond County RFC	
8 Mark Jones			NE	26	York County RFC
9 Kelvin Carter		        SH	27	Shirley City RFC
10 Harris O'Neil		FH	27	Middletown RFC
11 Robin Napier			W	28	Shirley City RFC  Captain
12 Beau Allison			C	26	Blue Bulls RFC
13 Neil Gerrard			C	24	New Richmond RFC
14 Chuck Seifferth		W	27	St Stephens RFC
15 Andy O'Boyle		        FB	28	West Osheana RFC
16 Gordie Harmon		P/H	25	Stonebridge RFC
17 Evan Kaczmerik		L/FL	24	Endborough City RFC
18 Darren Slade		        C	25	Richmond County RFC		
19 Rolando Gardner		NE	29	Castleford RFC
20 Matt Phelps		        P	25	Lynchana Rugby Club
21 Lucas Odekume		FH	28	West County RFC
22 Moses Diarwara		FB/C	25	Belle Haven RFC
23 Jason Morgan		        SH	26	Endborough City RFC
24 Grayson Bartholomew 	        C/W	24	Center Point RFC
25 Ben Stone			W	26	Alden Rugby Club

The basic design of the Baker Park jersey has remained consistent since the first international match played in 1957; the late 1980's & early 90's saw narrower hoops--four blue and three gray--but a return to the traditional pattern came in 1995. White shorts and blue & gray hooped socks have remained standard over the years, and an all-white change strip has also been the practice of the CRU (which is a nod to the "Ghost Whites" kit of the BP National Soccer Team) since the mid 1960's.

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers:Yes
Godmod scoring events:Yes
RP injuries to my players:Yes (duration of the match only)
Godmod Injuries to my players:Yes
Suspend my players:Yes
Godmod suspension events:Yes
Godmod other events:Maybe
As is standard for me, I appreciate a TG/Discord DM ahead of time if you have a scenario that includes something substantial to my players (and be assured that I would do the same for you!)

[Port Ember]

Blog of The Crazy Nomad

Blog Series: Rugby Union World Cup: 35th Rendition.

Greetings my lovies!

I bid you all a hearty welcome / welcome back to my blog, dedicated to detailing my crazy adventures as I follow the Port Emberian National Rugby Union squad's campaigns, whenever and wherever that might take me.

Blog Series: Riley's World Cup 35 Adventures

I have once again come down with a serious case of Rugga Fever with the approaching World Cup, evident with my Skinnies shivering with excitement!

This year the Cup will be hosted by none other than the Republic of Darmen, which are veteran hosts by now, as this will be their third hosting of the Union World Cup, previously having hosted the 18th and 26th renditions.

Darmen is a small nation situated within the Rushmore geographical area, with a population of just over 10.6 million folks. Its capital city is known as Scott City. Good news for tourists and Cup supporters, it's an English speaking nation.

Another bid of good news for those planning to travel there for the Cup, the Darmeni Dollar is pegged to the NSD, which gives your Aurums a bit of extra mileage at 2 Aurums to the NSD.

As for the World Cup itself, 28 teams have earned their place as part of the best in the multiverse, and will be grouped into 4 groups of 7, where a single round-robin format will be used, with the top four teams per group will advance to the knockout stages.

Port Ember has been drafted into Group A, thus placing us on a direct collision course with the likes of Ko-oren (again!!), Nova Anglicans (also again), Tangatarehua (another again), HUElavia (you guessed it), and newcomers Maraonia and Tanah Jaya.

Overall this seems to be a tough but interesting group.

---

A quick wordsie from the Rugby Professor

The following segment was provided by a very good friend, Victor Heglion, also known as the Rugby Professor of Port Ember. Here is his viewpoint on the Port Emberian squad for this campaign.

"Port Ember has a very solid squad formed for this Cup, and they should look very familiar to anyone paying attention, as this is the exact squad which campaigned during the previous World Cup.

This team, led by Coach King Kidd, has been training and playing together for many, many years, playing numerous international tours, achieving a third place world cup finish and a T8 Invitationals trophy together. This brings forth numerous advantages on the cusp of this world cup, for example their proven chemistry, familiarity and experience. On the flip side however, the team does lack new and young players, which might lead the team to get stuck in their ways, failing to take the initiative in trying new tactics and innovative ways to tackle challenges. But either way, I believe firmly that our squad will take plenty of names this time round!"

---

A quick looksie at the Next One:

Port Ember VS Maraonia

For our opening match, we are getting a nice, ease-into-it warm upper, to be played
at the Devon Street Stadium within the settlement of Eau Claire. The stadium only hosts seats for 26,000 folks, which will probably be overflowing with the Dragons ™ supporter jerseys. Our opener is against Maraonia, a newcomer to the international game.

---

That is all I have time for today, as I need to catch a flight. Thank you for reading!

Anyway… I need a drink.

Till we meet again my lovies!

---

The owner & author of this blog is one Riley Heglion.

Riley is a female Port Emberian, aged 22, hailing from Port Ember Megalopolis, Waterstad Borough.

Riley has earned her Anthropology Degree at the Lilly Black Memorial University, and has dedicated her life to the advancement of this field, studying and reporting on various cultures & sub cultures.

Her main focus of studies is world cuisine & beverages and the study of international rugby culture.

Riley considers herself a nomadic world traveller, with a passion for meeting new people and getting herself into all sorts of trouble and fun.

Riley also runs a sister blog, Riley's quest to achieve a food & drink orgasm, which focuses on all the food & drink she encounters on her world travels.

[Darmen]

The Darmeni National Rugby Union Team
presented by the
Darmeni Rugby Football Union

Style Modifier: -3
Tactics: The Darmeni game puts an emphasis on territorial advantage, thereby making the team's kicking game its most important asset. Darmeni teams will go for three points at any chance they get; receiving the resulting kick-off following the score will give them an advantage in possession as well. The introduction of the 50:22 rule has seen the Darmeni team become slightly more aggressive when it comes to scoring tries, but the team still attempts far more drop goals than is usual.

Head Coach: Marcel MacLeod
Forwards Coach: Élie Sheach
Backs Coach: Amos Roche
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Wilfrid Weber
Team Doctor: Brian Jewel
Trainer: Gruffydd Arthur

33 Man Roster

#  Pos Name               Age Franchise
 1 LP  Cianán Edison      31  Metro Saracens
 2 HK  Aydan Alonso       31  Rogerton Blues
 3 TP  Wigand Hoover      32  South Central Vikings
 4 LL  Bertilo Crouch     31  Northwestern Falcons
 5 RL  Morgan Padmore     25  Aylesbury RFU
 6 BF  Muiredach Simpkin  33  Southwestern Blue Tigers
 7 OF  Harris Norman      33  Metro Saracens
 8 N8  Aydan Garnett      29  Aylesbury RFU
 9 SH  Eustaquio Fresno   25  Rogerton Blues
10 FH  Dar Mingo          33  Southwestern Blue Tigers  CAPTAIN
11 LW  Daividh Firmin     31  South Central Vikings
12 CN  Giles Kay          29  Aylesbury RFU
13 RW  George Nevin       27  Metro Saracens
14 LFB Karter Leigh       24  Metro Saracens
15 RFB Alfie Ó Dubhghaill 32  Southwestern Blue Tigers

16 LP  Sly Schmid         31  Rogerton Blues
17 HK  Kyler Day          32  Central Rhinos
18 TP  Richie Bradley     33  Metro Saracens
19 LL  Deryck Donaldson   29  Aylesbury RFU
20 RL  Stephen Kendal     32  South Central Vikings
21 BF  Beorhtric Monahan  31  Coastal Golden Chiefs
22 OF  Theodore Hartell   30  Aylesbury RFU
23 N8  Bill Hayden        25  Metro Saracens
24 SH  Vernon Rakes       29  Aylesbury RFU
25 FH  Mark Hampton       31  Metro Saracens
26 LW  Chace Hilton       26  Aylesbury RFU
27 CN  Achaikos Dickson   32  Western Border Warriors
28 RW  Reid MacCarthy     26  Liverpool Reds
29 LFB Linwood Francis    23  Northern Sharks
30 RFB Jezza Irwin        25  Liverpool Reds

31 TP  Wayne Ecclestone   24  Northwestern Falcons
32 BF  Jesse Lum          25  Western Border Warriors
33 FH  Clyde Paterson     24  Tempala Harlequins

RP Permissions: Whatever you like, just no killing or other serious life altering events please. Have fun!

[Tanah Jaya]

Tanah Jaya National Rugby Union Team

Rugby Union is a very niche sport in Tanah Jaya, limited almost entirely to the country's British and Australian expatriate community. In fact, the number of rugby players in the country is so low that the national team is the only extant team in the country.

23 Player Roster

#  Pos Name               Age
 1 LP  Leonard Knox       35
 2 HK  Bart MacFarlane    21
 3 TP  Guy Marsh          30
 4 LL  Kent McElligott    29
 5 RL  Carlton Devlin     32
 6 BF  Zane Averill       25
 7 OF  Neil Hepburn       23
 8 N8  Kevin Woodham      25
 9 SH  Adam Green         23
10 FH  Earl Keegan        33
11 LW  Kesuma bin Tempawi 19
12 IC  Gill McGovern      26
13 OC  Harlan Reed        34  HEAD COACH/CAPTAIN
14 RW  Kelly Irvin        31
15 FB  Henry Rhodes       24

16 LP  Hamilton Paisley   20
17 HK  Seth McCarthy      33
18 TP  Taliesin Fay       21
19 LL  Alan Gibbson       35
20 BF  Peter MacEanruig   23
21 N8  Cahir Miller       29
22 HB  Gabriel Griffin    25
23 CN  Ennis David        20

RP Permissions: Whatever you like, just no killing or other serious life altering events please. Have fun!

[Quintessence of Dust]

Posted on the Competitive Numberwank section of the QBS website.

Five numbers that could determine the All Greys' fate in RWC35

15

The All Greys' target in this tournament will be a return to the knockout rounds, and that means finishing at least 4th in the group. Standing in their way could well be the Hannasean Hamsters, ranked 15th in the world. It's the ill luck of the All Greys to draw the highest ranked fourth seed in the tournament (though as themselves the highest ranked fifth seeds, perhaps it's only fair). For an All Greys side that missed the playoffs at RWC33 and failed to qualify for RWC34 altogether, the heavy hitters in Group C, Darmen and Baggieland, may be out of reach, while Elmyia are an unknown force having entered the world rugby scene during the All Greys' low webb. Wins against Alice Bay and Valhallan Union are the first target as the All Greys kick off their campaign with matches against the two unranked sides; defeats would almost certainly spell an abortive end to any hopes of playoff redemption, but it is Hannasea who will be the biggest test of all to determine whether the All Greys, once World Cup finalists, are truly back.

50:22

(OK so it's actually six numbers.)

The All Greys have traditionally played a fairly conservative style of rugby with a strong emphasis on the scrum, lineout, and breakdown, and backs expected to kick tactically rather than pull off fluid attacking moves with the ball in hand. Under the leadership of the greats Barry Pullman and Danny Mensen, it was the style that made the All Greys' lineout game one of the best in world rugby and won them substantial honours, if never a world championship title. More than a century later, the All Greys returned to international rugby offering much the same, making liberal use of rolling maus and crash centres (wearing 13 rather than 12). However, new laws changes, including the "50:22" rule, have breathed new life into the game and opened up the intriguing possibility of a more attacking style from the All Greys. Put simply, the law permits the attacking team throw-in at the lineout for a kick from their own half that enters touch on the bounce in the opposing 22, encouraging long touch-finders rather than airy garryowens. For a team with an effective lineout game, such as, hopefully, this new generation of All Greys, it could be an effective weapon. That may reflect the selection of Reece O’Kearny at inside centre as a break from the big ball carriers of old, instead a capable distributor with a powerful kicking game to back up stand-off Ludovic de Villiers. Joël Robiquet and Tristan Bourgeois offer further kicking abilities off the bench, and the run out against Alice Bay should be a test of whether the All Greys are intent on using the new laws to their advantage.

2/33

(Seven numbers, Jeremy? Seven? That's insane.)

With 33 players, this is the largest All Greys squad ever sent to a World Cup, and has allowed the squad to carry a couple of selections that might not otherwise have been affordable in prior 31 player squads, in Jason Bell and Yu Xie. Bell, a rare league convert in a nation with little rugby league history, has played as both a flanker and a centre; in this squad he is listed in the latter role although the debate over his best position continues. A big bodied, big hitting player who can make impact at the breakdown, as a ball-carrier, and in defence, he may not be a good fit for the disciplined All Greys pack as he continues to learn the nuances of the game, but could offer an explosive option in midfield should the double-pivot option not work out. Xie, meanwhile, isn't quite the traditional Quodite winger, who are usually little more than wide full backs expected to gather, kick, chase, and in the unlikely event they get the ball back in their hands, kick all over again; a raw speedster who offers a dynamic option out of the backfield and could be deplayed as a fullback or outside centre, too. The only downside is that he's been playing professional rugby for less than 12 months, having converted from football. Neither Bell nor Xie have made the opening day 23 and their inclusion in the squad remains clearly experimental.

#2

De Meng is carrying the team's hopes on his rather broad shoulders this World Cup. Leading what, before Shinzaburo Kasai came down with a training injury to his heel, was expected to be an all-Quintessential-Asian front three, Meng has beaten out stiff competition from Team of the Season nominee Cody Edwards and the highly regarded Combined Veterans hooker Alfred Wood to wear the #2 shirt. Not offering Edwards's all-round skills and less experienced than Wood, his selection is primarily based on confidence in his lineout work, which suggests that kicking to touch may indeed be part of the All Greys' plan this tournament. Such is the confidence in Meng's throwing that he occasionally deputised in the back row for the Zzubs last season, just to keep him on the field. Such positional switcheroo seems unlikely here, but his first lineout ball may well set the tone for the campaign. With three excellent jumpers in Shozo Hamada, Henry Dalsgaard and Elias Clarke, he certainly has little excuse not to meet high expectations.

3.9

A ruck speed of 3.9 seconds is considered slow by top level international standards, but that's what the All Greys averaged in their warm-up games (which totally happened and aren't just a convenient plot figment). The pressure will be on Tadgh Muckley to step up and deliver quick ball: Tristan Bourgeois, a better kicker, is waiting in the wings if not, with even Cyrille Calvet, who brings unusual size for a scrum-half, a viable option. Those sceptical of modern analytics may shake their heads as they watch training ground runs with coaches furiously tapping stopwatches for every breakdown, but against the stronger teams in the group, slow rucks will give strong defences too much time to organise, and without a talismanic playmaker on offence, the All Greys do not appear to have the means to break through unless they can start turning over quick ball.

Of course, soon enough only one number will really matter: the points in the group stage the All Greys earn.

Matchday 1 squad
Team: 15. Teschner, 14. Riqueti, 13. O’Kearny, 12. Holian, 11. Helman, 10. de Villiers (c), 9. Muckley; 1. Chan, 2. Meng, 3. Alard, 4. Hamada, 5. Dalsgaard, 6. Clarke, 7. Gu, 8. Knarrarson
Reserves: 16. Edwards, 17. Hanselmann, 18. Young, 19. Lin, 20. Gounelle; 21. Bourgeois, 22. Zeng, 23. Chang

[Hannasea]

Posted on the Legally Distinct Themed Section of the Absolute Scrum Of The Earth blog.

Ones To Watch #1: Jake Fletcher

Hamsters captain Jake Fletcher says his team will "scrap all the way" as they face a challenging Rugby World Cup that includes "six teams that could easily beat us on their day", including two former world champions in Baggieland and Darmen. Hannasea underperformed at the most recent World Cup, on home soil, disappointing fans. Fletcher was not part of that squad but says the memory of playing so poorly "still stings" and this new World Cup is a chance at "putting things right".

A breakdown specialist, Fletcher looks tall enough to cover any position in the back row, but has spent his entire career at 7. He takes on the mantle of captain from Ryan Perry, Hannasea's all time leading try scorer in world rugby, while his vice captain, Hunter Sacks, takes over Perry's #8 jersey. Only 8 players are returning in the squad from the last World Cup, and only 3 of those expected to start against the Valhallan Union, the third member of the back row in Jett Madden, and backs Adam Davis and Freddie Kelly. With a young and inexperienced team looking to him for leadership, Fletcher's role on and off the field will be to provide stability amid turbulent times for Hannasean rugby.

His leadership abilities shone last season with the Magic Ants and there are few doubts Fletcher has the capacity to get in referees' ears when breakdown decisions don't go his way. He lacks Perry's dynamic scoring threat, though, featuring infrequently on the scoring charts and instead making most of his work on defence and winning turnovers. He notes that veteran Ethan Price is also gone, and that the Hamsters will need to find "tries from new scorers", but doesn't offer himself as a likely candidate. "Going over has never really been my role, although obviously I won't turn down a chance to put some points on the board! But my role is more about disrupting at the breakdown, keeping the rucks moving, being the first to contact, not waiting on the end of scoring plays."

Fletcher admits his best team remains uncertain. "Bringing together lots of quality players from clubs, lots of guys who are used to having the offence flow through them, and getting them to work in one system, is always a challenge," he says. He won't be drawn on a prediction of how deep the Hamsters can go. "We've not had deep World Cup runs in the past, and there's nothing to say we can't make this a first, but to get there we have to concentrate on good group stage play," he says. "So our priority right now is getting some wins, and we'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow."

Matchday 1 squad
Team: 15. Stevens, 14. Kelly, 13. A. Davis, 12. Redding, 11. Mitchell, 10. Connor, 9. Collier; 1. Scott, 2. L. Gibson, 3. Duncan, 4. Ja. Thomson, 5. White, 6. Madden, 7. Fletcher, 8. Sacks
Reserves: 16. Johnson, 17. Evans, 18. Roberts, 19. Hunter, 20. Ryan; 21. Moore, 22. Lowe, 23. J. Davis

[Darmen]

CUTOFF #1! RWC MD 1 scores coming right up.

---

RWC 35 MD 1

Group A
Maraonia 10–16 Port Ember
HUElavia 7–17 Nova Anglicana
Tanah Jaya 14–23 Ko-oren

  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Nova Anglicana          1   1  0  0   17   7 +10    0    0    4
2 Ko-oren                 1   1  0  0   23  14  +9    0    0    4
3 Port Ember              1   1  0  0   16  10  +6    0    0    4
4 Maraonia                1   0  0  1   10  16  −6    0    1    1
5 Tanah Jaya              1   0  0  1   14  23  −9    0    0    0
6 HUElavia                1   0  0  1    7  17 −10    0    0    0

Group B
Wanes 3–11 Kelssek
Aust Scor 0–23 Hundredstar
Natanians and Nosts 0–24 Quebec and Shingoryeo

  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo   1   1  0  0   24   0 +24    0    0    4
2 Hundredstar             1   1  0  0   23   0 +23    0    0    4
3 Kelssek                 1   1  0  0   11   3  +8    0    0    4
4 Wanes                   1   0  0  1    3  11  −8    0    0    0
5 Aust Scor               1   0  0  1    0  23 −23    0    0    0
6 Natanians and Nosts     1   0  0  1    0  24 −24    0    0    0

Group C
Hannasea 26–10 The Valhallan Union
Quintessence of Dust 20–0 Alice Bay
Baggieland 10–9 Darmen

  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Quintessence of Dust    1   1  0  0   20   0 +20    0    0    4
2 Hannasea                1   1  0  0   26  10 +16    0    0    4
3 Baggieland              1   1  0  0   10   9  +1    0    0    4
4 Darmen                  1   0  0  1    9  10  −1    0    1    1
5 The Valhallan Union     1   0  0  1   10  26 −16    0    0    0
6 Alice Bay               1   0  0  1    0  20 −20    0    0    0

Group D
TJUN-ia 36–0 Acadiana
Abanhfleft 13–13 Lisander
Mali i Kuq 19–3 Ardsk

  Group D               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 TJUN-ia                 1   1  0  0   36   0 +36    1    0    5
2 Mali i Kuq              1   1  0  0   19   3 +16    0    0    4
3 Abanhfleft              1   0  1  0   13  13   0    0    0    2
  Lisander                1   0  1  0   13  13   0    0    0    2
5 Ardsk                   1   0  0  1    3  19 −16    0    0    0
6 Acadiana                1   0  0  1    0  36 −36    0    0    0

[Sky Reavers]

If they RP first, my opponents have my permission to:
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Yes.
Godmod injuries to my players: Just don't kill them, okay? This is tournament after all, not war.
Hand out yellow/red cards: Yes.
Godmod suspension events: Maybe.
Godmod other events: Yes.

Now, to the RP itself...

---

Rugby has it's share of popularity in Sky Reaver soceity, as this is that sort of football, where they don't suck, unlike soccer. Which is why, there are competitions, teams and such. Each Major Sky Reaver faction has it's own team, that compete with eachother and non-faction clubs and teams and their regular championships are another place, where they settle their friendly rivalry, in which none even considers yielding. Sky Reaver Black Army also likes to show it's muscles and thus, has it's own team too. BART (Black Army Rugby Team) is a tough conender in championships and give a hard challenge to all other teams. Some of the lesser factions also have their teams, such as "Asomdeus Own", the team of New Sodom, or their fierce rivals from Redeemers faction, that name themselves "Crusaders" and always yell "Deus Vult" right before the match with New Sodom's team. The informal society of arena gladiators also has it's team. Plus, there are independent teams, that want their moment of glory. The Sky Reaver championships are naturally intense as hell, just like the betting proccess and passion of spectators, who watch their favorite team losing or winning unexpectedly.

As a result of the latest Sky Reaver championship, BART team won and was chosen to represent Sky Reavers on the World Championship. BART team tactics reflect the tactics of Sky Reaver military, and emphases on offensive, favoring aggressive and confusing maneuvers, where they hope to gain as much scores as possible early in the game, while their opponents don't know how to counter them. In defense, they try more cunning and elastic tactics. Since all the team members are acting warriors, they know perfectly well, that no plan survives the contact with the enemy as so, their roles are flexible and interchangable. Left forward can become lock and then half-back in the span of five minutes. While this approach may have it's disadvantages, it also makes the BART team rather unpredictible.

Here is the roster:

1. Seth LeBarge.
2. Joseph "Bull of El Baldio" Tejada
3. Raul Gonzalez
4. Gregoire Babin.
5. Kelly O.Broin.
6. Jessica O. Keefe.
7. Oleg Ponomaryov
8. Taras Yurchenko.
9. Shawn Brown
10. "Wild" John
11. Jack Manson
12. Peter Westridge
13. Fred Westridge
14. Martin Kingsley
15. Jaralla Al-Amuli.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2023
BP Rugby hoping to make move
Julian Pope, National Rugby Editor

The Commonwealth of Baker Park Rugby team had the the day off for the opening round of group play at the World Rugby Cup in Darmen.

Despite missing out on the last edition, the Blue & Grays are still ranked in the top 20, but will face an uphill battle to advancement as they will take on Natanians & Nosts (#9), Quebec & Shingoryeo (8) and Kelssek (3). They will be able to get their feet under them, so to speak as the first two fixtures will be against a pair of unranked sides in Wanes and Aust Scor, with a third newcomer in Hundredstar being the penultimate opponent.

The success of the team in Baggieland as well as the availability of direct flights from the Commonwealth to Scott City has meant a larger contingent of supporters have made the trip to Rushmore than has been seen in the past; the group will play at three venues—Rugby Park in Springfield, Snellhill Stadium in Liverpool and Quins Stadium in Tempala, which will be the scene for the first game.

The only turnover in the starting XV is among the forwards, as Gerald Rogers comes into the lineup at tighthead and both flankers are new with Duane Burredge a reserve previously and David Slade slotting into the openside in his first BP cap, with Mark Jones switching places with Rolando Gardner at number 8.

Coach Tony Danielson stressed that both scrum halves, Kelvin Carter and Jason Morgan will be utilized extensively in a rotation.
“Both of them are the best in the game at the moment, so we are looking at ways to the most out of both of them. You can definitely expect that whichever one starts a particular match may not necessarily be on the pitch at the end. That will be a function of opponent, score or tactical changes. We think the changes to the pack will translate into more diverse ways to attack.”

[Elmyia]

The Beaucester Gazette
Palin Set for Final Tournament as Hannasea Loom

Margaret Palin made it clear - she was intending to go out with a bang. The veteran coach has taken the Elmyian rugby setup from a fringe concern, to the centre of international rugby. At home the sport has expanded, where once a few oddball Anglophiles stood around as amateurs battled it out, decent crowds now pile in to see Elmyia's best professionals duke it out.

The first fixture the Elmyians face at this Rugby World Cup is one imbued with added significance. 4 years ago, Elmyia shocked everyone, their own fans included, as they bagged a dramatic victory over the host of the tournament Hannasea. The two sides are rematched here at the National Stadium in Scott City, providing a key test of just how good this Elmyian side now are.

Most of the personnel from that victory remain in the side, one that appears to have grown old together. Palin has truly moulded them into a unit, where once Elmyian Rugby was all flair, the overriding philosophy now appears to be one of pragmatism. Harold Johnston and Lisa Dennison are both still livewires, quick offloads might free up their running, but likely far more important will be the cool headed organisation of Joan Tanner and the pinpoint kicking of new to the setup Bella Masoloni. Her kicking game has become an integral part of what this Elmyia squad attempt to do, often it acts as a springboard to setup more promising positions and can act as a basis for more exciting phases of play. Just don't also expect her to keep the scoreboard ticking over, even if it seems to be at the expense of something a little more exciting.

Palin's approach has solidified the team, and this tournament will be her last. Questions remain over whether it remains enough to haul Elmyia towards their target of the Quarter-Finals. With four spots available for the Round of 16, seeding going into later rounds will be important, making a win over Hannasea crucial. This side have developed since then, but without the element of surprise expect it to be tight.

RP permissions:
Do what you like
Style mod: +1

b]Starting XV[/b]

1. Edward Stanley (Prop)
2. Allan Blanc (Hooker)
3. Elena Basley (Prop)
4. Marianne Romano (Lock)
5. Giovanni Pozzo (Lock)
6. Jan Wynn (Flanker)
7. Ellen Sharp (number 8 )
8. Sofia Dimakos (Flanker)
9. Joan Tanner (Scrum-Half)
10. Bella Masoloni (Fly-Half)
11. Melanie Rangolan (Winger)
12. Jane Emmett (Centre)
13. Mark Dimetriou (Centre)
14. Lisa Dennison (Winger)
15. Harold Johnston (Fullback)

Bench
16. Angel Scaramoucci (Prop)
17. Allan Blanc (Hooker)
18. Giovanni Pozzo(Lock)
19. Diana Mazzari (Flanker)
20. Matt Mazzini (number 8 )
21. Jack Sparks (Fly-Half)
22. Domi Layton (Fullback)
23. Catia Gavalas (Winger)

[Baggieland]

[Hannasea]

Butterfly City Mercury
Hamsters pick up solid win but lose star lock to injury

Hannasea's national rugby team put away a fairly clinical display to dispatch the Valhallan Union in the opening game of Group C in the 35th Rugby World Cup. In what was a low-scoring round across the competition winning bonus points were in short supply, with only TJUN-ia claiming one, captain Jake Fletcher was not too disappointed not to be able to pass the 33 point mark, but a bigger blow was struck with confirmation that second row Jay Thomson is out of the tournament with a thigh injury sustained during the game. Widely considered the best lock in Ultimate Rugby, Thomson's presence at the lineout and breakdown was expected to play a key role for the Hamsters. Declan Knight, who plays at blindside flanker for the Coral Coast Werewolves but can also cover second row, has been called up as cover, while Noel Hunter will take Thomson's role in the starting lineup against Elmyia.

The Hamsters put together a solid showing against the Glaciers, but know bigger tests lie ahead, with the rematch with Elmyia an instant reminder of the 34-28 defeat that spelled the end of the hosts' Rugby World Cup 34 campaign as Catia Galavas's late try gave Elmyia a shock victory. "Elmyia's squad has a lot of pace and their backs were very impressive last time around, hopefully we've learned some lessons," said Adam Davis, one of the few survivors of the Hamsters' RWC34 squad. "If you look at the trend in world rugby, it's clearly towards very tactical, defensive rugby, which doesn't suit either of the teams, so it's going to be about who best adapts to that new dynamic."

The Hannasea-Valhallan game was not a classic for ages, but the Hamsters did enough. Jason Connor shrugged off questions of a fly-half controversy, with heavy social media pressure for exciting Reds prospect JaTaveon Montgomery, with an excellent display, managing a smooth first half showing. He scored all 13 of the Hamsters' first half points, winning the kicking battle with Johannes Aguirre as the Glaciers' East Külmsaar-born captain shanked two kicks at goal wide while Connor converted both his penalty chances before going over for the opening try of the campaign as the Hamsters made the man-advantage following prop Dietmar Samuelsson's sin-binning count. From a scrum 5 metres out Zack Redding sucked in the defence with a hard run at first receiver only to flip a pass inside for Connor, who spread wide. He had two men out on the wing on overlap but needed neither as he skidded over untouched. With time expiring, a frustrated Aguirre slammed over a drop goal for the Glaciers' only points of the first half.

The second half followed a similar procession. Liam Stevens was excellent under the high ball and kicked smartly, and got his reward for dogged play by finishing off a nice move in fine style, taking a long miss-pass from Connor and going aerial to beat Rembrandt Seijkens's tackle in the corner. Connor coolly slotted the difficult conversion and added an easier penalty for an excellent day out, and though Seijkens somewhat made amends when the Glaciers strung together 13 phases within the Hannasean 5 before tired defence finally gave away, there was to be no late comeback. With no hope of driving down for a winning bonus point Fletcher was content to allow Justin Davis to kick a long penalty from inside the Hannasean half to put away the game. But by then Thomson had limped off, and thoughts were turning towards the next game.

Also in the news:

• Sailors released as "pirate kidnapping" turns out to be case of mistaken identity
• "Unknown" number of casualties as migrant barge sunks off Coral Coast
• Krunchy Nibblez chocolate bar company and Roden't rat poison manufacturers agree "very careful" merger
• Hannasea to call on EU to ban child and forced marriages
• Conservative Party conference: climate change tops agenda

Hannasea 26–10 The Valhallan Union

Try: Connor 36'; Stevens 49'
Con: Connor 36', 49'
Pen: Connor 6', 14', 53'; J. Davis 80'

---

Player of the Match: Liam Stevens

Try: Seijkens 71'
Con: Aguirre 71'
Pen: Aguirre 11', 23'
Drop: Aguirre 40+2'
YC: Samuelsson 31'→41'

---

Matchday 2 squad
Team: 15. Stevens, 14. J. Davis, 13. A. Davis, 12. Redding, 11. Mitchell, 10. Connor, 9. Collier; 1. Scott, 2. L. Gibson, 3. Roberts, 4. Hunter, 5. White, 6. Madden, 7. Fletcher (c), 8. Sacks
Reserves: 16. Dry, 17. Evans, 18. Shaw, 19. J. Gibson, 20. Ryan; 21. Moore, 22. Lowe, 23. Kelly

[TJUN-ia]

Ah yes...a dual World Cup, just like the good old days. It's that time once again as both the 35th Rugby Union World Cup and the 22nd Rugby League World Cup have arrived in Darmen looking to crown ourselves some rugby champions in both codes. League isn't starting for another few days so for now, all of our attention is focused on XVs - and a team that enters this WC ranked #6 in the world. Jacob Peterson has a good team at his disposal, one that reached the final four years ago, but there were still doubts that this ageing squad had anything left to give. Peterson's job, in this context, is to prove those doubters wrong and show the world that these felines still have lives to burn.

The first test for this unit would be up against Acadiana, ranked #35 in the world, and we went up to Westown Stadium in Brham ready for a war...a war that actually ended up being a one-sided affair. Acadiana just couldn't get anything going in the face of our immense pressure and we would take advantage of that, especially considering as we don't have a 4-try Bonus Point to go after - just one for scoring 33 or more points. With that goal in mind, we managed 5 tries to our name as Frederico Spezia got 2 and it was 1 each for Emmerson Gawakali, Zhivago Groenewald and Jose Valbuena - who also went 4/5 on Conversions while also adding a Penalty Kick into the mix. Could it have been a more even test? Absolutely...but we did what we needed to do and that was that...resulting in this 36-0 result that firmly cemented our return to rugby action.

Now, both codes will be back next time as we head over to Cleveland to face #17 The Licentian Isles while the League side will make their return in Rogerton against debutants Taloren. Two teams, one goal...go as far as possible. GO JAGS'!

---

SCHEDULE (Group D)
MD1: vs Acadiana (35) - Westown Stadium, Brham W 36-0
MD2: vs The Licentian Isles (17) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD3: BYE
MD4: vs Abanhfleft (1) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD5: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - Westown Stadium, Brham
MD6: vs Ardsk (UR) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton
MD7: vs Lisander (11) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton

SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: vs Taloren (UR) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton
MD2: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD3: vs Copper Cuprum (4) - Dairy Farmers' Association Stadium, Johnho
MD4: vs Sea Dome (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD5: vs Ochre Islands (9) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton[/box]