Rugby World Cups [RUWC 31/RLWC 20] IC thread

[Natanians and Nosts]

RUWC XXXI Roster

Coach:Mihai Xosé da Silva



01 PP Mihai Carolus César
02 HK Gheorghe Ion da Silva
03 PP Caeso Paulus Augustus
04 SR Mihai Cláudius Enderssen
05 SR Ion Viktor dos Santos
06 FL Gabriel Júlio Augustus
07 FL Cáius Március Moura
08 #8 Octavius Caeso Numésio
09 SH Mihai Kaeso Marão (C)
10 FH Mihai Ricardus Varro
11 WN Márcus Ion Hûs
12 0⅝ Samuel Rog Ionescu
13 CT Iohannis Carolus da Silva
14 WN Gheorghe Márcus dos Santos
15 FB Cáius Mihai Souza


Bench:
16 PP Ion Mihai Gheorghenescu
17 HK Gaius Cáius Tralito
18 SR Luís Júnio Gomes
19 TR Iulius Júlio Mihailescu
20 HB Hermenegildo Astrogildo Pesvić
21 SH Aleksiei Fiodór Martinescu
22 CT Márcus Victor North
23 OB Márcus Carolus Sousa


RP Permissions:
Choose my scorers:Y
Injuries to my players:N
Yellow cards:Y (only two per game)
Red cards:N

[Abanhfleft]

(OOC: Belated Abanhfleft roster for rugby league.)

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
National rugby league team

This will be the seventh time that Abanhfleft will be participating in the Rugby League World Cup. Elejamie got their revenge against us in Copper Cuprum, beating us in the semifinals and then claiming the championship on our client state's soil. Well, now it's time to rectify that.

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

STARTING FIFTEEN
Key: Number, name, position, age
#1 Gregorio Castro (Fullback, 33, captain)
#2 Quincy Griggs (Right Wing, 29)
#3 Clayton Warren (Right Center, 30)
#4 Peter Akiyama (Left Center, 27, kicker)
#5 Clinton Aguinaga (Left Wing, 31)
#6 Ned Admire (Standoff Half, 31)
#7 Bradford Perham (Scrum Half, 33)
#8 Lyle Kriner (Prop, 33)
#9 David Cruikshank (Hooker, 32)
#10 Ed Manger (Prop, 30)
#11 Fletcher Martinez (Second Row, 31)
#12 DeWayne Fury (Second Row, 33)
#13 Nicholas Brett (Loose/Lock, 31)

RESERVES
#14 Ethan Alfaro (32)
#15 Othello Shurtliff (24)
#16 Felix Tan (26)
#17 Oscar Spight (33)
#18 Brock Wymer (29)
#19 Tommie Messana (27)
#20 Gavin Truong (24)

RP PERMISSIONS
Everything except killing my players is fair game.

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from the world of rugby. Rugby, let’s put it again, is not the most popular sport in Trolleborg, and many fans, despite TTV's efforts, are still confused about the rules and details, starting to applaud when they shouldn't. But we will try to highlight the position, successes and failures of our teams, albeit briefly, but as thoroughly as possible.

Union Rugby Team on his debut performs quite well for such conditions. After losing the first match in a bitter struggle, Ko-oren, then receive another defeat, this time to TJUN-ia, but, however, also with a decent score, preventing the opponents from getting bonus points, and in the third game losing to Darmen with a score that left no hope, almost 30 points of difference at the end... Everyone who followed the course of the competition was awaiting with worries the fourth match with Ingla Terra, but, fortunately, our lads were able to score a brilliant, confident victory 56:3. With such indicators, the team does not really need to find out what is happening on the top lines of the table, but it is worth noting that in the final game against Licentian Isles opponents will only be satisfied with a major victory. After defeating Darmen, who went before without defeats at all, they are clearly in good shape and our lads will have to work hard if they want to sum up their performance at the tournament with dignity. It must be noted our team is playing quite neatly in defense, three teams in the group have a worse result, and we on TTV hoping they will continue like this.

In the world of League Rugby things looked much more promising. After good performance in a game with Ancharmunn, the next opponent was the team from Quebec and Shingoryeo. To the surprise of many, our lads won with a comfortable 28-6 score. It is possible that the events of the World Hockey Championship in their homeland, and some of the resulting distraction of fans and players, affected the form of the opponents' team. On the same round, Natanians and Nosts, who are heavy favourites, came into play, and they get rivals after us, and defeated Ancharmunn in the first game. In the third round our lads beat Brookstation in a tough fight, 55-24. Although the opponent came off in the score, and quite significantly, in the first minutes of the game, team still managed to achieve a comfortable advantage by the final whistle. In a parallel match, N&N snatched victory from Q&S, and in the fourth round, when our team was resting, again, favourites, altought not without difficulty, but won the game with Brookstation. The Natanians and Nosts constantly show the ability to get points no matter what, and our team will have a very difficult time in the last match of the group stage.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

OOC: Of course, if you wish to enter a sports film to be reviewed, send me a TG or PM with basic premises, ideas, etc, and we'll talk further. If you've done something before, of course, we can pick it up from there as well. There is only one condition - that it must be a foreign film covering Québécois sports scene/plot, or a film covering foreign sports/plot content but directed/produced by a Québécois.

Also, many thanks to The Licentian Isles for the RP permissions. The movie was something that has been mentioned on my RUWC RP, and I felt that this was the right time to RP about it, especially with The Taegukgi's series.

The Taegukgi: The Korean-language voice of the Québécois Commonwealth

'100 Years of Sporting Films': 'Liosa of Port Arran' Review

★★★★

Cha Hye-Jin

'Don't let this slip, one bit,' breathes Chloé Galbraith's Liosa MacNiven (unrelated to Tumbran footballing legend and current Swanguard Athletic manager Daniel Galbraith) in the second scene of the powerful, explosive historical thriller from the Licentian director Caitlin van der Heyden. There's no chance of a watcher, in the theatre or their bedroom, to be distracted as van der Heyden, who has made her name as one of the most prominent Licentian film directors in last fifteen years, delivers the scrums of resistance fed with gunpowder - a tale of a remarkable service of Licentian resistance marked by well-deserved acknowledgements that MacNiven, to quote her son Philippe Leonard, was a 'woman of service'.

Being the first woman to have played professional woman in the Licentian Isles, the Port Arran flanker has been viewed as the pioneer for the Licentian Isles, one of the more prominent nations of international rugby in history and present. But it was only just two years ago, upon the immediate weeks leading up to the film, that MacNiven had played a major role as the member of the Licentian resistance against the Corvidae regime at the time, a fact that had not been known to the general public until well after her and her Quebecois husband Felix-Antoine Leonard had long passed during the age of isolation.

But what we gotta remember is that 'Liosa of Port Arran' is not, and should not be viewed, as a tragedy. Instead, it is a film that celebrates the life and service of the historic significance MacNiven holds in both Licentian rugby and resistance efforts, something that the film well establishes on own. As one of the earliest lines from the script puts it: 'It is not about taking one step forward, but really about taking the right step forward. Because that is how to not let the time crush us.'

Scouted by the Port Arran RFC director (Eli Duffy) to join Port Arran RFC on back row after a short, exceptional stint in women's rugby, Galbraith's exceptional memory and ability to meet through different socioeconomic classes draws the attention of Matthijs (Johannes van de Welde), who assigns the previously-ambivalent flanker on the front row of undercover operations to secure intelligence.

In the meanwhile, highly sociable Montfort University student Felix-Antoine Leonard (played by Quebecois actor Bassanio Petrozza) is under hiding after a failed operation, and is under hiding in the resistance compound where MacNiven and Leonard meet for the first time. As MacNiven's rugby career gradually develops, and the underground operations continue to develop, MacNiven struggles to scrum through the tides of history, the intelligence she holds deep inside, and the comrades she lose on each passing day, marked by statistics and poppies.

Going back and forth in temporal shifts, Deborah Athena Manoukarakis's ambitious screenplay covers three periods: MacNiven's childhood days as a country girl just outside of Abingdon, where she's always stood out as the only girl playing among boys in the small town; MacNiven's time at Port Arran RFC, and her involvements with the now-celebrated 'Compound 9' group; and the last months of MacNiven's life.

For most part, the film has taken MacNiven's story true to the details, with historical liberties been taken mostly to emphasise the relationship between MacNiven and Leonard (their son, Grim Reapers' rugby coach Philippe Leonard, whose eyewitness accounts and personal records have been generously reviewed, have generously commented on his parents' relationships, suggesting that 'staying true to all the details I have, will not provide the audience the much-needed nuance'), with minor errors deliberately placed to bridge the gaps that have long established between the Esportivan nation and the outside world.

Still, there is a bit of a miscue there as van der Heyden's focus on aesthetics may have affected the historical understanding of the film and the era. The streets of Abingdon, Montfort and Port Arran are largely coloured with darker, pastel-like colours, but the scenes, almost as if under the mix of seemingly-distant past and the present, shift back and forth between those and black-and-white scenes in the film.

Crucially, van der Heyden does not underplay the historical aspect of MacNiven as a woman in the sport of rugby, one that is still widely viewed as a man's game in various parts of the Multiverse, and that alone binds her to another mission that involves service and servitude. Both MacNiven and Leonard are struggling to break through in the world they have little to survive, and essentially being either strangers in strange land (Felix-Antoine) or the tabula rasa in the familiar (Liosa), have limited lengths of tightrope to hold onto.

With such loose barriers between the public world of rugby and the private world of resistance, it would be very easy for 'Liosa of Port Arran' to fall into a stereotypical wartime intelligence movie. Thus, additional credits gotta go out to Galbraith for not letting that happen. While the film keeps the dialogues crisp, bold and straightforward, Galbraith succeeds in attaining balance between a public individual whose toughness was expected, and a resistance fighter who had everything and nothing to fight for at same time. The emotional struggle, while successfully separated on surface, is so well depicted that at few moments where Galbraith's Liosa shows emotions, the audience is able to break down.

While MacNiven remains conflicted, those around her can be easily identified, with historical figures serving carefully-crafted and researched lines fit to their character, precisely cast and diligently prepared. Gabrielle van der Horst plays brilliantly as Liana, the opposing sniper whose shadowy form is marked with a red mask and recorded messages of her alto voice. Eli Duffy is on the front office as the unnamed general manager better referred as 'The Sir', who represents the institution that refuses to be shaken under troubled times. An A+ grade also goes to promising starlet Maude Leslie, who is impeccable as Danielle, Liosa's childhood friend, who reminds us of MacNiven's humanity.

As for Petrozza, while his role as Felix-Antoine Leonard may fall into the traps of being an unexpected resistance fighter, he succeeds in bringing the urgency and the other kind of will into the humanity of his character. Felix is a foreign-looking, but likeable foil, whose accent and wolf-like gaze further add to the nature of the times we still remember as the dark age of democracy across many nations.

Read this article in:

English | Français | The Taegukgi Indigenous

[Lisander]

The Rugby Zone

Blowouts. Tramplings. Lessons in Rugby. Massacres. Other less polite terms were also used on social media. The truth is that Lisander's performance made even the most pessimistic of Irises fans a little excited.

If the governance is not the best, the play on the field counterbalanced it. This team have absolute tactical dominance on the field and is giving their opponents no chance. Lisander 33-25 Space Elephants was an atypical case, in fact. Their brute strength was enough to get some points by force, giving the team a small number of injured players. But the rest of the matches were quite comfortable. This sequence of results will not be forgotten. And if this team is good enough to beat the throstles for the second time later today, they will secure the strongest campaign in Group Stage.

Let's see what Patricio Bernauer will put on the field today.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Cutoff for MD5 of RUWC 31.

Group A
The Cordian Isles 6–34 Alice Bay (BP)
(BP) Kelssek 74–3 StrayaRoos
(BP) HUElavia 39–44 Quintessence of Dust (BP)

  Group A                  Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  BP  Pts 
1 Kelssek                    5   5  0  0  193  60 +133  3   23
2 Quintessence of Dust       5   4  0  1  178 101 +77   3   19
3 Alice Bay                  5   3  0  2  142 109 +33   4   16
4 HUElavia                   5   2  0  3  178 135 +43   3   11
5 The Cordian Isles          5   1  0  4   72 168 −96   1    5
6 StrayaRoos                 5   0  0  5   48 238 −190  0    0

Group Ayyy
(BP) TJUN-ia 33–20 Ingla Terra
Darmen 3–26 Ko-oren
(BP) Trolleborg 9–10 The Licentian Isles

  Group Ayyy               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  BP  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                    5   5  0  0  118  53 +65   2   22
2 The Licentian Isles        5   3  0  2  165 128 +37   3   15
3 Darmen                     5   3  0  2  124  98 +26   3   15
4 TJUN-ia                    5   3  0  2  126 108 +18   3   15
5 Trolleborg                 5   1  0  4   95  97  −2   2    6
6 Ingla Terra                5   0  0  5   40 184 −144  0    0

The three-way tie for 2nd was tied on H2H wins and so was decided on points difference.

Group Eh?
Bollonich 6–23 The Grearish Union
(BP) Nova Anglicana 46–5 United Adaikes
Quebec and Shingoryeo 20–35 Abanhfleft (BP)

  Group Eh?                Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  BP  Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana             5   4  1  0  156  63 +93   3   21
2 Abanhfleft                 5   4  0  1  176  86 +90   5   21
3 Quebec and Shingoryeo      5   3  0  2  137 113 +24   3   15
4 The Grearish Union         5   2  1  2  113 108  +5   1   11
5 Bollonich                  5   1  0  4   88 127 −39   2    6
6 United Adaikes             5   0  0  5   42 215 −173  0    0

Nova Anglicana over Abanhfleft on H2H result.

Group Ɐ
Brookstation 10–8 Busoga Islands (BP)
Natanians and Nosts 21–10 Space Elephants
Baggieland 6–24 Lisander

  Group Ɐ                  Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  BP  Pts 
1 Lisander                   5   5  0  0  229  31 +198  4   24
2 Baggieland                 5   4  0  1  162  74 +88   4   20
3 Brookstation               5   2  0  3   86 156 −70   2   10
4 Busoga Islands             5   2  0  3   61 140 −79   1    9
5 Natanians and Nosts        5   2  0  3   86 152 −66   1    9
6 Space Elephants            5   0  0  5   89 160 −71   0    0

Busoga Islands over Natanians and Nosts on H2H result.

Quarterfinals

Seeding                    Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  BP  Pts 
1 Lisander                   5   5  0  0  229  31 +198  4   24
2 Kelssek                    5   5  0  0  193  60 +133  3   23
3 Ko-oren                    5   5  0  0  118  53 +65   2   22
4 Nova Anglicana             5   4  1  0  156  63 +93   3   21
5 Abanhfleft                 5   4  0  1  176  86 +90   5   21
6 Baggieland                 5   4  0  1  162  74 +88   4   20
7 Quintessence of Dust       5   4  0  1  178 101 +77   3   19
8 The Licentian Isles        5   3  0  2  165 128 +37   3   15

(1) Lisander v The Licentian Isles (8)
@ New Cleethorpes Deathshriek Park, New Cleethorpes

(2) Kelssek v Abanhfleft (5)*
@ Twelvefields Park, Pulona

(3) Ko-oren v Baggieland (6)
@ Snowborough Stadium, Frendry

(4) Nova Anglicana v Quintessence of Dust (7)*
@ National Stadium of Sports, Highmark

* Swapped to avoid group stage repeats.

Cutoff is 48 hours away; I will seek a 3rd party scorinator for my game so please TG if you will be available.

[Hannasea]

Cutoff for MD5 of RLWC.

Group B
Kriegiersien 12–56 Hannasea
HUElavia 43–3 StrayaRoos

  Group B                  Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Copper Cuprum              4   4  0  0  142  16 +126   8
2 Hannasea                   4   3  0  1  128  55 +73    6
3 HUElavia                   4   2  0  2  101  75 +26    4
4 StrayaRoos                 4   1  0  3   41 150 −109   2
5 Kriegiersien               4   0  0  4   31 147 −116   0

Group Bee Movie
Brookstation 22–35 Ancharmunn
Trolleborg 26–18 Natanians and Nosts

  Group Bee Movie          Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Trolleborg                 4   4  0  0  141  48 +93    8
2 Natanians and Nosts        4   3  0  1  100  93  +7    6
3 Ancharmunn                 4   2  0  2   81  91 −10    4
4 Quebec and Shingoryeo      4   1  0  3   92 114 −22    2
5 Brookstation               4   0  0  4   74 142 −68    0

Group Bea Arthur
Space Elephants 54–6 Ingla Terra
Darmen 49–28 Ochre Islands

  Group Bea Arthur         Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                 4   4  0  0  144  36 +108   8
2 Darmen                     4   3  0  1  152  75 +77    6
3 Ochre Islands              4   2  0  2  105  97  +8    4
4 Space Elephants            4   1  0  3   94 119 −25    2
5 Ingla Terra                4   0  0  4   20 188 −168   0

Group Б
Ko-oren 43–0 Busoga Islands
Galliena 6–50 TJUN-ia

  Group Б                  Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                    4   4  0  0  143  30 +113   8
2 TJUN-ia                    4   3  0  1  144  65 +79    6
3 Logria                     4   2  0  2   79  57 +22    4
4 Busoga Islands             4   1  0  3   46 129 −83    2
5 Galliena                   4   0  0  4   34 165 −131   0

Quarterfinals

Seeding                    Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts [/b]
1 Copper Cuprum              4   4  0  0  142  16 +126   8
2 Ko-oren                    4   4  0  0  143  30 +113   8
3 Abanhfleft                 4   4  0  0  144  36 +108   8
4 Trolleborg                 4   4  0  0  141  48 +93    8
5 TJUN-ia                    4   3  0  1  144  65 +79    6
6 Darmen                     4   3  0  1  152  75 +77    6
7 Hannasea                   4   3  0  1  128  55 +73    6
8 Natanians and Nosts        4   3  0  1  100  93  +7    6

(1) Copper Cuprum v Natanians and Nosts (8)
@ Mercer Park, Pintook

(2) Ko-oren v Hannasea (7)
@ Katie Walsh Stadium, Greenfield

(3) Abanhfleft v TJUN-ia (5)*
@ Oceanbay Park, Upper Niedewe

(4) Trolleborg v Darmen (6)*
@ Jellyblooble Bay Park, Pearl City

* Swapped to avoid group stage repeats.

Cutoff is 48 hours away; I will seek a 3rd party scorinator for my game so please TG if you will be available.

[Baggieland]

[Kelssek]

RUGBY WORLD CUP 31
Anticipation builds as Kelssek storms into knockouts

While it wasn’t always smooth going, five wins from five and a crushing 74-3 victory over StrayaRoos in their final pool stage match of the Rugby World Cup has seen Kelssek advanced from the group stages and ready for a hotly anticipated matchup against Abanhfleft. The new regime of head coach Tom Harrison has breathed new life into a team that bowed out meekly against Nova Anglicana at this stage in the last Rugby World Cup. Awstin Stafford has been a standout among the backs, scoring five tries since being handed the starting spot in the match against HUElavia.

The tournament got off to a halting start against the Cordian Isles which saw Kelssek forced to mount a comeback after falling 18-5 down on 53 minutes and staring a shock defeat in the face. Things didn’t get any easier against Alice Bay, whose tough defence was matched by their convival willingness to concede penalties in the ruck. It allowed Kelssek to grab a 23-17 win despite scoring two tries to their opponents’ three.

Only with the win against HUElavia did things seem to click, with Stafford earning his stripes with two tries and Martin Tang contributing with a perfectly weighted kick through the lines into the in-goal area that Paul Davitt was able to grab and ground.

Then came the hostile home crowd in Piedmont, as the pressure in the Goldfish Bowl seemed to inspire Quintessence of Dust into a defensive performance to forget in three seconds, as Kelssek ran six tries past the hosts with the help of some suspect tackling.

The round of 16 opponents will certainly be more formidable than the StrayaRoos team that Kelssek overran. Abanhfleft came off a group stage where they were only beaten in a narrow contest by Nova Anglicana and otherwise rolled through a tough set of opponents.

Harrison is anticipating a bruising encounter and believes getting through this match against Abanhfleft could give Kelssek the liftoff it needs to go the rest of the way.

"The identity we've tried to build for our team is that we're hard to play against, and looking at that team, that's a team that's hard to play against. They're going to come at us harder than we've been tested so far. But the good news is that we can beat them if we focus on our game and doing our parts of the match in the right way," said Harrison.

Summary
(W) 26-18 Cordian Isles
(W) 23-17 Alice Bay
(W) 31-7 HUElavia
(W) 39-15 Quintessence of Dust
(W) 74-3 StrayaRoos

[TJUN-ia]

The final day arrived for the group stage of the Rugby World Cups and everyone kinda knew that was about to happen already. One team was going to miss out on qualification while the other was looking to get themselves a good seeding for the knockouts to come. Today would see no drama and now contentious moments...just rugby. And that is all that was required here.

The Union Jaguars knew that this game was their final one in the modern era of the RUWC, no matter what happened in the years to come. Jacob Peterson knew this would be a sad day as no one knew what the sport may look like the next time they suit up, but they still had to play their games and with that 9-0 loss to Ko-oren still fresh in their minds, a better performance would certainly help temper the emotions before too long. Wyn Gwyneth and his side were taking on winless Ingla Terra in this final day and while the unranked side managed 3 tries and 20 points overall in a spirited fight, that just wasn't enough for this contest today. We scored 33 points on the day, 5 tries (through Kennedy Vakatawa twice and 1 each from Roman Hevnostanivich, Peter Mullins and Keola Kapaʻakea) and 4/5 conversions from Jose Valbuena, and that was certainly a good way to bow out. We ended up finishing 4th on PD alone, a sign that maybe we could've done something if the scenario was a bit different.

The League Jaguars, meanwhile, also lost to Ko-oren and Louise Peterson knew that getting a good seeding for the battles to come would become very important indeed. Everyone in that team realised that to the fullest degree and so, beating poor Galliena became of the utmost importance and that would spell a bad time for them indeed. Sure, they did score 6 points but compared to our 50 it was small change. We scored 8 tries on this day, five from captain Jack Henderson and the rest through Mohammad Al-Kafa, Kepo Kalawakawa and Virat Maharashtra. Henderson went 8/8 on conversions and even converted a penalty before the siren, meaning that he contributed to 38 of our 50 points - a staggering fact to finish 2nd in this group.

So as Team Union leave Pulona and Quintessence of Dust with their heads held high, Team Union leave Pintook in Hannasea to play a Quarterfinal against #2 Abanhfleft, home of one of the great rugby journalistic minds in the form of Gaelic Gamers' Graham O'Doherty. Oceanbay Park in Upper Niedewe will host this clash and while we will certainly be underdogs here, Louise will certainly try to get us over the line if possible. One thing is left to be said: Hi Graham. Good luck and, uh...XOXO, I guess. GO JAGS!

---

UNION SCHEDULE (Group Ayyy)
MD1: vs Darmen (8) - Neverchester Burrow, Rahlia L 30-31 (4th)
MD2: vs Trolleborg (UR) - Twelvefields Park, Pulona W 19-5 (4th)
MD3: vs The Licentian Isles (=26) - Twelvefields Park, Pulona W 44-43 (3rd)
MD4: vs Ko-oren (3) - Neverchester Burrow, Rahlia L 0-9 (4th)
MD5: vs Ingla Terra (UR) - The Wang, State University of Pulona, Pulona W 33-20 (4th/3-2/15pts/+18PD)

LEAGUE SCHEDULE (Group Б)
MD1: BYE
MD2: vs Busoga Islands (UR) - Mercer Park, Pintook W 48-9 (1st)
MD3: vs Logria (=17) - Sara Baker Stadium, Pintook W 26-18 (2nd)
MD4: vs Ko-oren (5) - Sara Baker Stadium, Pintook L 20-32 (2nd)
MD5: vs Galliena (UR) - Mercer Park, Pintook W 50-6 (2nd/3-1/6pts/+79PD)
------------------------------------------
QF: vs Abanhfleft (2/3rd Seed) - Oceanbay Park, Upper Niedewe

[Ko-oren]

The Grand Old Rivalry: Darmen 3–26 Ko-oren

Ohh, how often we've suffered at the hands of that damn second fullback. Somehow we were never ready for it. At this point it's been a while since the all-green of Darmen faced off against the blue-green of Ko-oren, and we've missed that. This match was easily the most anticipated one of this group stage, and dare we say, it was the most anticipated one across all groups. Both ranked top 10, with the chance for us to knock them out of the tournament, in the last round with all to play for. Everything aligned. Darmen started out trying to pin us, but this time we were prepared. With one fewer defender on the line (posting both fullbacks a little in the back), an uncharacteristically heavy Ko-oren squad managed to push them back one phase at a time. Any line break was stopped quickly by the Rubin/Abrego duo, but small progress is still progress. Instead of our usual kicking battles, we rather opted to take possession and march down the field in whatever pace the Darmeni allowed us. It took until the second half for the first points, as Holden scored his first try of the tournament, pressing the ball down on (and just over) the line. The defence was finally broken, and the ball was now in Darmen's court: they need the points to stay alive in the RUWC. In actuality, the ball was in our court, and now the all-greens had to take risks to get us to kick or commit a turnover. We didn't. Farrell scored a try soon after, as did yChonpad, for a 19-0 lead. At that point, Weiss kicked a drop goal for three points, the only way out they saw at that point. One last converted try for Ko-oren later, and we've handed them our biggest win over them in a long, long, long time, if ever.

We now move on as the third best team, behind Kelssek and Lisander, to face Baggieland up next. For neutral fans, two other matchups might just catch the eye a bit more: current holders Lisander versus a team that has been on the way up for a while and is very capable of a few juicy upsets, the Licentian Isles. There's also Nova Anglicana versus Quintessence of Dust, involving the hosts, as well as being a matchup between two top-5 teams.

The Blowout: Ko-oren 43–0 Busoga Islands

In absence of a longtime rivalry for the RLWC team, the team simply went for a mission of scoring as many points as possible while keeping a clean sheet - and they did it. Seven tries on the day, great kicking by Bourseiller, and Ko-oren is looking hot going into the final stages.

Sure, it wasn't the biggest win of the day - or even the group - that was Galliena's 44-point loss to TJUN-ia (as well as Hannasea's 56-12 win over Kriegiersien in Group B), before the Space Elephants went way beyond that with a 54-6 win over Ingla Terra. The Space Elephants still finished with just the one win in the group stage to unceremoniously exit the tournament after this incredible beatdown.

Despite the onslaught of huge wins, Ko-oren qualifies for the knockouts as the second seeded team, now facing hosts Hannasea. First of all, the league side of things features far fewer top-ranked nations, because they never signed up in the first place. Behind Abanhfleft (2nd), Ko-oren (5th) is the biggest name in the tournament. At the same time, teams are closer together than ever given the lack of international competition, so rank doesn't tell even half the story.

[Nova Anglicana]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15

What's in the welfare reform bill?

Marisa Lavallier, Londinium Courier

Coming into the fall parliamentary session, Prime Minister Josephine Clark's government had two objectives: ratify the Treaty of Montfort and join the Esportivan Union, and approve the welfare reform bill they'd been working on over the summer break. Now that the Treaty of Montfort has been ratified, 64-36 in the House of Deputies, and 17-13 in the Senate, Clark's government has just one major goal left in this year: get the welfare reform bill passed. The welfare system in Nova Anglicana was approved early on, in the first years of the Sovereign State, and has mostly been left alone since then. The previous government, under then-PM Michael Ramsey of the People's Party, decried it as wasteful, outdated, and in need of change to make it both fiscally stable and to achieve appropriate social goals. Discussing its role as a driver of government spending (15-20% of the budget), Ramsey proposed to make it leaner, establish stricter work requirements, and cut down on many of the subsidies it provided in favor of consolidating them into one benefit based on household size. Although Clark has been much less critical of the welfare system, she has said, "It's good to examine our policy every once in a while, even policies we think are working well. We're looking to improve our social safety net, not cut holes in it."

Legislative text of the bill has not been released, but from attending Social Services committee meetings and watching via PPAN, we have been able to glean information about the bill itself. The important points are summarised below.

A UBI (of sorts)

Universal basic income, the idea of the government providing a floor for income through direct cash payments to all citizens, is an idea that has gained a certain cachet recently. Technically, the Nova Anglican welfare state does provide a floor of sorts through the welfare program, as the minimum payment for a person or household with no income is 1/3 of the poverty line, up to a certain amount for larger-than-normal households. However, this is offered only to individuals below the poverty line and requires work, volunteering, or looking for work to qualify. The welfare reform bill currently under committee review proposes to do away with work requirements and provide a sliding scale of up to A£1,000 each month for individuals and households, even those who make more than the poverty line. The income limit is still under review, and would not include all households, but its ambition to provide a larger amount of benefits to a larger number of people brings it closer to a UBI.

Housing and daycare subsidies

Given that the welfare payments under the new system will be increased in a number of circumstances, will flow to a greater number of individuals, and in some cases will be larger than the combined welfare, housing, and daycare subsidies, housing and daycare subsidies are being trimmed back. The current proposal is for a flat benefit to go to the poorest households, rather than the sliding scale that gave subsidies to families making up to 80% of the median regional income (in some cases), and for that benefit to be less than the maximum some households would have received in the past. The idea is that the UBI-lite will make up for the difference. So these benefits are becoming smaller and limited to fewer households, both for reasons of cost and superfluity. This will anger some, but the Clark government views it as necessary, according to this bill.

Paid family leave

Nova Anglicana has a patchwork system of leave. All workers are guaranteed two weeks of vacation and two weeks of sick leave per year, and can take an additional 12 weeks' unpaid leave for family or health reasons. The government also offers a tax credit to businesses to offset the cost of offering paid family leave. But there is no government-mandated or funded paid family leave program. This bill would change that, offering 52 weeks of paid family leave to be shared between both parents in the calendar year after the birth of a child. The bill makes it government-funded, but without any specific pay-fors at this time. Individuals would receive a percentage of their salary each week, up to a maximum amount. Just what percentage and what the maximum amount should be are still being haggled over. Nevertheless, this represents a massive expansion of family leave and a boon to parents everywhere, putting Nova Anglicana on par with some of the more generous states in the multiverse.

Child allowance

Currently, Nova Anglicana provides a child allowance of A£500/month (A£6,000/yr) to new families in the first year after their child is born. The proposal in the bill is to turn this limited assistance into a permanent child allowance. Benefits would fall by A£50/month (A£600/yr) each year, settling at a minimum of A£200/month (A£2,400/yr) once a child reaches six years of age. The benefit would flow to all families, regardless of income or marital status, just as it does now, and would be capped at four children, making the theoretical maximum benefit A£20,400/yr (4 children all in a row, barring multiple births). This would be intended to offers families additional support with raising children, especially those who do not qualify for welfare payments at this time.

Home visits for new mothers

Currently, the Nova Anglican Health Administration provides three free home visits by a nurse or other medical professional in the first year after a child is born. These visits are intended to check up on the new mother and child, see that everyone is healthy, and help out in any way they can. Parents can then request additional home visits, though of course these are not free, and there can be a substantial waiting list, depending on the area. The proposal in the bill is to provide funding to hire additional nurses and to quadruple the number of free home visits to one every month. This would presumably promote maternal and child health and provide needed support to new mothers.

Unemployment insurance

Finally, here is where it looks like Clark made concessions to the right wing of the party. Unemployment insurance will continue to be funded for 52 weeks at current levels, but the government is looking to introduce a program where individuals who lose their jobs who are interested in starting their own business can receive a smaller weekly benefit than they are entitled to and instead get help forming a business plan and seeking out loans and space. The government will then offer up to the maximum 52-week amount the person is entitled to as a lump sum for startup money. It seems that the government hopes this will encourage more businesses, which can then find new niches in the market or come up with new ideas.

This is an ambitious bill, the full scope of which has not been revealed before the Social Services Committee. What it looks like in its final form could be quite different from the glimpse we have now, and of course the cost and how to pay for it will be key in achieving passage. The Clark government might have gotten tax and budget bills through a deadlocked or opposition-controlled Senate, but this looks to be a much heavier lift.

OOC: This ICly takes place before Colby Blackburn is nominated for the Esportivan Council, making the Senate 15-15 at the time of writing.

MD1 vs Bollonich

Scoring Summary: Kerry Warner 7' (Wilson conversion), Clement Langlois 22' (Wilson conversion), Jamie Wilson penalty 38', Jamie Wilson penalty 48', Ben Gordon 60' (Wilson conversion), Emmanuel Laurin 65' (Wilson conversion)

MD2 vs The Grearish Union

Scoring Summary: Kerry Warner 21' (Wilson conversion), Bo Thornhill 44' (Wilson conversion), Teddy Westfall 71' (Conversion missed)

MD3 vs Quebec & Shingoryeo

Scoring Summary: Nathan Boone 18' (Wilson conversion), Thomas Dupuis 31' (Wilson conversion), Jamie Wilson 39' (Wilson conversion), Jamie Wilson penalty 49', Jamie Wilson penalty 59', Matthew Lloyd 75' (Conversion missed)

MD4 vs Abanhfleft

Scoring Summary: Bo Thornhill 24' (Wilson conversion), Aaron McLaughlin 38' (Wilson conversion), Teddy Westfall 58' (Conversion missed) Jamie Wilson penalty 65', Jamie Wilson penalty 75'

MD5 vs United Adaikes

Scoring Summary: Clement Langlois 8' (Wilson conversion), Jamie Wilson penalty 29', Ben Cummings 32' (Wilson conversion), Ben Gordon 36' (Wilson conversion), Kerry Warner 48' (Lacroix conversion), Casey Fowler 56' (Lacroix conversion), Armand Cloutier 62' (Conversion missed), Noé Lacroix penalty 69'

[Quintessence of Dust]

RP cutoff for RUWC QFs.

Quarterfinals

Lisander 35–14 The Licentian Isles
Kelssek 20–19 Abanhfleft
Ko-oren 10–24 Baggieland

Nova Anglicana 52–16 Quintessence of Dust
scorinated by Tumbra

Semifinals

(1) Lisander v Nova Anglicana (4)
@ Twelvefields Park, Pulona

(2) Kelssek v Baggieland (6)
@ New Cleethorpes Deathshriek Park, New Cleethorpes

[Hannasea]

RP cutoff for RLWC QFs.

Quarterfinals

Copper Cuprum 43–6 Natanians and Nosts
Abanhfleft 12–32 TJUN-ia
Trolleborg 24–30 Darmen

Ko-oren 48–0 Hannasea
scorinated by Tumbra

Semifinals

(1) Copper Cuprum v Darmen (6)
@ Katie Walsh Stadium, Greenfield

(2) Ko-oren v TJUN-ia (5)
@ Mercer Park, Pintook

[Nova Anglicana]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16

Madam Prime Minister, don't forget about students

Londinium Courier Letters to the Editor

Dear Prime Minister Josephine Clark,

When you won last year's election and became the first female prime minister in the history of Nova Anglicana, I and so many of my fellow university students cheered you on. I can't count how many times I used #LetsgowithJo on Twii.tur. We were so proud of you, and students were a big part of your victory. An exit poll found that more than two-thirds of voters aged 18 to 24 voted for a PJP candidate or for the PJP in the party vote. But now, with the welfare reform bill in Parliament proposing big changes to the social safety net in our country, one group is about to be left out: students.

Although our country has programs to help students pay for university, they are last-pound instead of first-pound. This means that families, and often students themselves, have to put up their own money first before receiving any state assistance. I have three younger siblings, including one with a disability, and while my family is a two-income household, other costs eat up that income. But when my last-pound assistance is calculated, it just sees the top-line number, leaving me and my family with a lot to pay. Fortunately, I was able to earn scholarships to help pay my way, but I know plenty of my fellow students in a similar family situation without scholarships. Although many students are often working to help pay for university or support their own families, the current draft of the welfare reform bill doesn't include students as eligible for the basic income program. Presumably this is to keep costs down, but it sacrifices the future of Nova Anglicana, its hard-working and brilliant young people. If we are excluded, then we will be the only group in Nova Anglicana not receiving some kind of aid. Seniors have pensions, individuals get the basic income regardless of work status, and families will receive both basic income and a child allowance. Many more young people would love to go to university, but have to work to support their families and thus forgo a university education. Plenty of students could use even a few hundred pounds a month to help them pay university costs and living expenses, to enable them to quit their jobs to focus on their studies or even just to be able to save a little for the future.

Speaking of the future, the bill also makes changes to the unemployment system to enable individuals to start their own businesses with assistance from the unemployment insurance fund. Proponents of this say that it will increase dynamism and risk-taking and propel the economy forward. If we're serious about reforming the unemployment system and creating more dynamism and risk-taking, we should make students eligible for unemployment when they graduate. Not every student has a job lined up right out of university, and even if they do, they might have taken it just to avoid being without one at graduation. Many don't want to rely on their parents who have already given them so much, so they take a job that pays just enough or is in a field they don't really enjoy just so they won't be a burden. If students were eligible for even a small amount of unemployment in the first year after graduation, more of them would wait for a job they enjoy or where they feel they can really make a difference. When people feel as though they have options, they experience less stress and are emboldened to think big. Our university students are smart people; they have great ideas. Let's support them and let those great ideas play out.

Madam Prime Minister, don't abandon your most loyal supporters. Include students in both your UBI and unemployment programs. You can help so many people by making just a few small changes.

Yours in hope,

Rosemarie Ryan

The writer is the President of the Student Council at Memorial University in Londinium. The length limit was waived to permit a fuller response.

QF vs Quintessence of Dust

Scoring Summary: Bo Thornhill 12' (Wilson conversion), Jamie Wilson penalty 15', Teddy Westfall 34' (Wilson conversion), Emmanuel Laurin 39' (Wilson conversion), Nathan Boone 46' (Wilson conversion), Thomas Dupuis 57' (Wilson conversion), Ben Cummings 66' (Lacroix conversion), Matthew Lloyd 74' (Lacroix conversion)

[Baggieland]

[TJUN-ia]

After going through in their Group at 3-1, only losing their 2nd game all time, the League Jaguars of TJUN-ia were the last ones standing. The Union Jaguars and Jacob Peterson had already been eliminated from the RUWC in Quintessence of Dust but decided to fly over to Hannasea to see how far Louise Peterson and her team could go in the RLWC. The Jaguars here had shown the world they were pretty good, just like six years ago, and despite losing their 2nd game in history to Ko-oren on MD3, the Jags looked in good form and were ready to take the knockouts head on no matter what. But first up in the knockouts was Abanhfleft, ranked #2 in the world for 6 years and the 3rd seed after an undefeated group stage.

Not many expected a good result when the cameras turned on at Oceanbay Park in Upper Niedewe, but if there was one thing TJUN-ian Rugby League has been known for in 2 tournaments is that they don't give a fuck about rankings and just play their style no matter what. This was just another example of this, a game where the Jags gave no fucks and just won with pure rugby for no real reason at all. Abanhfleft only managed 12 points in this game, a defensive performance by players like Henry Sharps and Andre le Grand-Et-Haut making that happen, with only Quincy Griggs, Ned Admire and the legs Peter Akiyama providing some joy for Fleftics. TJUN-ia were dynamite today and their 6 Tries showed that, with Mohammad Al-Kafa (hattrick), Logan Jacobson, Kepo Kalawakawa and Musa Helema while Captain Jack Henderson went 6/6 on conversions and a penalty. It was that sort of day, a day no one will forget - when TJUN-ia told the RL World "Hey there, remember me?" Sorry Graham, but we had to do that. Here's another XOXO to show we meant no harm.

Into the Semis for the very first time (I think) we go and no matter what happens now, we've certainly done a good job building upon the past. We shall return to Mercer Park in Pintook for a rematch with Ko-oren in the semis, the team that produced our 2nd loss by 32-20 in the Groups. They dispatched the hosts 48-0 in the other game and so, we all know not to assume the best at all. Revenge will be on Louise's mind for certain and many back in the International Community will feel the same GO JAGS!

---

LEAGUE SCHEDULE (Group Б)
MD1: BYE
MD2: vs Busoga Islands (UR) - Mercer Park, Pintook W 48-9 (1st)
MD3: vs Logria (=17) - Sara Baker Stadium, Pintook W 26-18 (2nd)
MD4: vs Ko-oren (5) - Sara Baker Stadium, Pintook L 20-32 (2nd)
MD5: vs Galliena (UR) - Mercer Park, Pintook W 50-6 (2nd/3-1/6pts/+79PD)
------------------------------------------
QF: vs Abanhfleft (2/3rd Seed) - Oceanbay Park, Upper Niedewe W 32-12
SF: vs Ko-oren (5/2nd Seed) - Mercer Park, Pintook

[Ko-oren]

(1) Copper Cuprum (11th) v (6) Darmen (10th) @ Katie Walsh Stadium, Greenfield

Copper Cuprum established itself as the tournament favourites after an uncompromising group stage involving four wins and a lot of points scored, as well as a ruthless defence that allowed 16 points across the four matches. They will face Darmen, the team that finished second behind Abanhfleft despite outscoring every team, which means this is the clash between the best defence and the best offence of this tournament. That status was only further emphasized by both teams in the quarterfinals, where the Darmeni outscored a good Trolleborg side in a shootout and Copper Cuprum held Natanians and Nosts to 6 points in a 37-point win.

(2) Ko-oren (5th) v (5) TJUN-ia (8th) @ Mercer Park, Pintook

A rematch of Group Б, this matchup wouldn't have looked out of place if it were the final. Instead, fans are treated to a third game of the Dragonflies versus the Jaguars. To some it might seem weird that TJUN-ia is a final-ready squad, after all, this is only their second ever tournament. And yet, they've shown (as in many other sports) that their drive towards setting up reliable institutions and putting visionaries in the right places, you can build up a squad relatively quickly. That, and undoubtedly a little luck.

In the group stage, the Jaguars were easily the biggest challenge for the Dragonflies. Still, the final result was TJUN-ia 20–32 Ko-oren and while the green and blue squad might not seem like the best ever team we've put together, they were still two converted tries up en route to a group win at 4-0 and the second best point differential behind Copper Cuprum. TJUN-ia then was too powerful for Abanhfleft, while Ko-oren decimated Hannasea 48-0.

48-0. That's a score that we don't even see in the league that often, if at all. From beginning to end, the defence was great, which led to kicks on the last tackle that often landed on or just beyond the halfway line, which makes scoring a lot easier. You only have to cross half the field instead of all of it. And on the plenty occasions that the Dragonflies couldn't score, they at least pinned their opponents deep, which is also the area where our defence works best. Hannasea avoided incomplete sets, and yet, it wasn't enough to even put a point on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Satomi, Abbadie, Calkhoven, together with Endo's unpredictability, ran circles around the hosts and kept scoring easy tries.

---

Having looked at the other rugby league-playing regions (Alara, Etena, Selesi, Leleia, Katashi, Finisterre, Cote Austral, Aminey), only Desierto is left. The recently founded subdivision of Ko-oren used to be part of Finisterre until it made more sense to divide it up so separate policies could be aimed at the urban areas of Finisterre (Santa Teresa, Ferrovente) and the rural Desierto. The name was well chosen: Desierto is deserted and empty. That's not to say that there are no people living here at all. Almost four hundred thousand people live across coastal towns strung together by a train line and a highway, making them 22nd out of 33 in population. In size, it ranks 20th, about the same size as the Corridor or the Amandine.

Desierto generally has few amenities, as its small population is spread far apart. For universities, students have to go to Finisterre. The largest settlement is Blanrasco at 70 thousand, followed by Chagança and Constillán. Chagança lies close to Ferrovente and Santa Teresa, Blanrasco has a port of minor importance at the mouth of the Bay, and Constillán is located on the eastern end with a successful tourism and fishing industry.

Historically, it was a relatively unimportant part of the outer territories, with its mentions in the history books confined to its industries supporting Santa Teresa (the seat of the coast guard) and its strategic location at the 'end' of the Bay - which was an advantage as well as a disadvantage: pirates set up here, but they were dealt with constantly with the coast guard (and its historic predecessors) never far away.

In the modern era, sports have conquered the region as it has in the rest of Ko-oren. Baseball, rugby league, and soccer are the biggest sports (much like in Finisterre). They have several 'forces' in the Finisterran minor league in baseball, with the successful Luneda Lunars setting up here (along with three other teams). Odilha CRL is the biggest rugby league team, from the town of Odilha, which enjoys a rivalry with fellow Desiertans Blanrasco Behemoth. Lastly, in soccer, there are three fourth division teams here, with little success outside of the region, one team in each of the three biggest towns.

[Kelssek]

RUGBY UNION
Émond scores dramatic drop goal as Kelssek defeats Abanhfleft
Kelssek captain Martin Tang’s post-match interview was a study in understatement, remarking on a heart-pounding thriller of a World Cup quarterfinal decided by a drop goal after the clock had gone red.

“It was back and forth, and we knew it would be a challenge. We kept our discipline, and we got some good kicks from Xav. Handling errors, I think we did well to keep them down. Just a solid match overall. For the fans I hope it was enjoyable.”

Tang’s implication that it was a harder one to play than to watch is certainly on the money. Always a team known for their offence-first approach, Abanhfleft put pressure on Kelssek’s defence early and often. The first big moment of the match came with an early yellow card as Jourdain Boules-Bédard was judged to have made a high tackle.

Kelssek needed a big defensive performance to hold off the pressure a player down. But they conceded the match’s first try in the 16th minute as Abanhfleft made the most of an overload on the wing which Lee Jae-Sang, after a lengthy review from the television match official, was judged to have been in play when he grounded the ball. The angle and a moderate wind made the conversion a difficult first kick for Saladin Nursaladinov, and it was a miss that would prove significant.

Awstin Stafford, a player who has forced his way into the starting lineup with his excellent play this tournament, helped lead the response in somewhat fortunate fashion. Kelssek went ahead 7-5 on 29 minutes when Martin Tang charged down a clearing kick attempt. Stafford was first to the ball and found himself with a clear path to the try line.

And the pendulum swung back Abanfleft’s way as they battered their way to a second try. Scott Butt was the scorer and this one gave Nursaladinov no trouble. It gave Abanhfleft a 12-7 lead at half time and real confidence they could see it through.

The teams traded tries again in early in the second half. Replacement Bruno Lelgontin received the handoff and dummied past Houston Woodruff for Kelssek’s second try. But then Abanhfleft took control of the match and could well rue not making more of their chances as they dominated possession for the next 15 minutes, yet let Kelssek off the hook on at least three occasions with badly-timed handling errors. They did get the lead with a try from Jake Pascale.

Hearts were in mouths for Kelssek fans as they pushed for the try line in the final six minutes with the score at 19-17 to Abanhfleft. With Kelssek stalled on the 10-metre line after nine phases and the clock ticking past 80 minutes, it was left to Xaiver Émond’s boot to decide the fate of the match.

The angle wasn’t the easiest and in the circumstances the drop goal was taken with some steel. It sends Kelssek into the semifinals against Baggieland, and it could well stand as the biggest kick in this Rugby World Cup.

KELSSEK 20
Tries: Stafford, Lelgontin; conv: Émond (2); pens: Émond; drop goal: Émond
ABANHFLEFT 19
Tries: Lee, Butt, Pascale; conv: Nursaladinov (2)

[Quintessence of Dust]

Cutoff for RUWC semifinals.

3PPO will be tomorrow; Final on Monday.

Semifinals

Lisander 13–37 Nova Anglicana
Kelssek 21–17 Baggieland

3PPO

Lisander v Baggieland
@ Snowborough Stadium, Frendry

Final

Nova Anglicana v Kelssek
@ National Stadium of Sports, Highmark

[Hannasea]

Cutoff for RLWC semifinals.

3PPO will be tomorrow; Final on Monday.

RP cutoff for RLWC QFs.

Semifinals

Copper Cuprum 35–7 Darmen
Ko-oren 18–2 TJUN-ia

3PPO

Darmen v TJUN-ia
@ Oceanbay Park, Upper Niedewe

Final

Copper Cuprum v Ko-oren
@ Jellyblooble Bay Park, Pearl City

[Baggieland]

[Quintessence of Dust]

3PPO cutoff for RUWC.

Lisander 18–31 Baggieland

[Hannasea]

3PPO cutoff for RLWC.

Darmen 25–23 TJUN-ia

[Ko-oren]

The Dragonflies followed up the 48-0 disintegration of Hannasea with a more modest 18-2 win over TJUN-ia in the semifinal. And so the Dragonflies will go to their second overall RLWC final, with the last one being RLWC 16 in Racao, where 'we' beat Abanhfleft 16-2 for our maiden title.

And yet, the Dragonflies aren't about winning titles. Sure, we've won our fair share of trophies in more sports than is good for us. We often get portrayed as that team that will use any strategy as long as it gets us closer to the win - and that's certainly true, to an extent. More than 'doing anything to win', though, we play defence as much as possible, even if an attacking strategy is the one that wins us a game. If we really did everything to win, we surely wouldn't be the only nation to have lost the 'big five' of sports (WC, WB, WBC, IBC, WCOH). But we are. And it's because it's not win-first. We're defence-first. We want to frustrate our opponents into beating themselves. Lose your temper, your composure, your gameplan, and that's usually it. For that reason, any Dragonfly team is most likely to lose to a completely unstructured team full of passion. If you don't know what you're bringing to the table, we can't pre-empt that plan.

Another problem with our usual outlook is that in a final, players and teams often know better than to lose their tempers. You didn't make it to the big game on the back of general sloppiness. So Ko-oren will struggle against the bigger, better prepared teams naturally.

And on that note, we want Copper Cuprum to complete our collection. We've not just lost the 'big five' above, but also the RUWC. Lacrosse. Hockey (not on ice). We even finished second in test cricket. Basically, if it's a sport that a decent part of Ko-oren is involved and interested in, chances are we've lost a final in it. Except the RLWC. We don't often make the final at all, so you have to make the best of it when you're there.

At the same time, Copper Cuprum isn't exactly a great unknown force to us. Their domestic league has produced a few teams that met our teams over the years, and they've gotten plenty of good results. They hosted the last RLWC. And there's enough video of their games with their four wins in the group, the first seed, and the knockout games. 43-6 over Natanians and Nosts, 35-7 over Darmen. I'll go ahead and say that most Ko-orenites would have rather played Darmen in the final (or the 3PPO) as it's been way too long since the two met in a sport that's not test cricket. That rivalry started out in football (soccer) and since branched out to cricket, rugby union (that damn two fullback system), and it was high time the rivalry happened again. Oh well.

In the meantime, the eyes will dart back at the league. The Étouille Vultures has the trophy, with the Santa Teresa Sabres finally back in the conversation - a status their history and arrogance deserves. Behind them is another 'western' team, the Aminey Buffaloes, suggesting that the 'western' style is dominant for the time being - which is to say, dominated by forwards, powerful tackles, and beefy carriers - with the eastern teams (Nitoya Foxes, Alara Spiders, Etena Vipers) way behind them. Perhaps even more surprising is how bad the Katashi teams are - the only teams rivaling Santa Teresa for 'most arrogant' and 'most driven to win'.