Handball World Cup (HWC25) [rosters/RPs/scores]

[Kriegiersien]

The Moon
True news for the people

Big final incoming? Who becomes first in the Independent Nations group? After HUElavia beat Venmere 35 - 22, Kriegiersien smashed Pius Desurongcrandis 32–21. Gregor Gorilla and Olympic Gold medalist Jaya Gail with each 8 goals were Top Scorers in a match Kriegiersien dominated from the beginning.

Now HUElavia awaits and it is probably the duel for the first place in the group between the two big Sports nations.

The number 11 vs 6th in the world.
Balder vs The South Pacific


Who will become Champion of the Independent Nations?

A hand sanitizer spend a trophy for the winner of the group.

[Savojarna]

Savojar Roster for Handball World Cup 25

HANDBALL IN SAVOJARNA
Handball is a very popular sport among young Savojars, and a lot of people, both men and women, play it in school. However, a lot of them are hockey players looking for an alternative to their sport in the summer, therefore many talented handballers get lost around 15 years of age because they focus on hockey. Savojarna has a professional handball league with 14 teams, most of them concentrated in Vestrholmen and Ejana. In Ejana, handball is seen as the regional sport and the island takes great pride in its team of ESK Storevik. In Sumanen and Russica Savojar, handball is less traditionally popular and has to fight for resources against rugby and floorball. Nevertheless, the regions produce a few very noteworthy players and those who make it out of these regions are often extra dedicated, leading to especially Russica having a reputation for extremely tough and well-trained players.

A note on names: Players labelled with a * are Ejanans with patronymic names. In Savojarsk language use, they will frequently be labelled by their first names (e.g. captain Halldor Laurison would be referred to as “Halldor”), although media in other languages can be inconsistent. You are free to choose whichever form you prefer.

TEAM
Coach: Hrafnar Magnusson* (50)
Co-coaches: Laurir Freyrsson* (56), Sven Kjellsen (46), Ivan Nestrov (47)

GK #1 Arni Stefan Gunnarsson* (22, EU Storevik)
GK #8 Rjurik Magnusson (32, BHK Kjefla)
GK #15 Vilhjalmur Tristansson* (29, SK Cuprum Grennvik)

All three goalkeepers of Savojarna have a similar shot to play and will roughly share playtime - something that could lead to a powerful backstop for the Savojar side, but also to conflict within the team. Arni Stefan Gunnarsson (Arni for short) is a physically imposing keeper with sharp reflexes and an impulsive personality, who has carried his EU Storevik to a surprising title in the Savojar Handball League. Magnusson is the veteran of the side, a technically adept and smart goalkeeper who hsa been the long-term leader and starter for BHK Kjefla, one of Savojarna’s two biggest teams. Vilhjalmur Tristansson is considered one of Savojarna’s best goalkeepers as well as the winner of the Best Keeper award of the last SHL season; however, he’s been known to crack under pressure and suffer from weak mental strength. It will be seen if he can turn this off at the big stage.

LB #3 Ala Tuivonen (29, PT Hovikkära)
CB #4 Sigmar Ljökelsöy (26, EU Storevik)
RB #6 Halldor Laurison* (28, BHK Kjefla) – C
LB #10 Ingmar Fjällvik (27, CASK Thorsborg)
CB #11 Joël Hemskov (20, Respublika Savojagrad)
RB #13 Simon Kjaersgaard (25, PT Hovikkära)

Savojarna’s backcourt is explosive, strong, and powerful. There are two defensive specialists in Ala Tuivonen and Sigmar Ljökelsöy; the former having won the Ivan Grigorin Memorial Trophy for the best defensive performance of the season for being at the core of a well-organised and complete defence at PTH. Ljökelsöy is less of a complete player, more often used as a direct marker for the opposing pivot, and won the SHL with EU Storevik. More offensive power is offered by captain Halldor Laurison, a player who likes to direct the offence and break into the opponent’s defence with late runs and powerful shots if needed. Fjällvik can play a similar, although more supportive role; the captain of CASK Thorsborg, he is also their playmaker on offence and an organising player who works on both ends. Kjaersgaard is an aggressive shooter who scores frequently with powerful throws, whereas the half-Donnaconan Hemskov is a ball distributor who is predominantly strong in offensive situations. In defence, he uses his speed to cut lines, but will frequently be replaced.

LW #2 Daniel Gislason (26, BHK Kjefla)
PV #5 Olafur Helguson* (25, ESK Storevik)
RW #7 Hrafnar Gylfison* (25, ESK Storevik)
LW #9 Thorvaldur Einarsson* (27, EU Storevik)
PV #10 Gudmundur Oláson* (30, BHK Kjefla)
RW #14 Tuukka Rautamäki (23, PT Hovikkära)

Hrafnar Gylfison is the star of the team, a left-handed winger with a nimble movement and a lot of speed, as well as a humble demeanor and a deadly shot that led to him winning the top scorer trophy in the SHL. He will play a lot alongside his teammate Olafur Helguson, a pivot who likes to seek for gaps and use his flexibility to escape tight markings. Against physical opposition, Gudmundur Oláson and Tuukka Rautamäki both offer a more powerful option, relying more on explosive, powerful charges to break through opposition. Gudmundur in particular is a battle-hardened, street smart pivot player who can play a scrappy game and finds the best in any situation. On the left side, both players are technical and fast. Gislason has a penchant for getting himself free of any opposition to find unexpected shots, including spectacular trick shots; Thorvaldur is less of a technical player and relies more on extreme speed to obtain his chances. He is particularly likely to play in fast counters, which have been extremely successful for him in EU Storevik’s title run.

TACTICS
Savojarna has multiple regional styles of handball, and the blend they chose for the national team is a balanced, explosive, and quite direct style. Although it preserves the flair of ESK’s tricky, playful style, it drops long passing chains for a direct drive to the goal and attempts to take advantage of the Savojar physique, which is often superior to less professional teams or teams dominated by smaller players. Especially the backcourters tend to pack a strong shot, while the wingers are often more looking to play around their opposition. Savojarna are emphasising speed, which is why they consist mostly of all rounders who can play offensively or defensively. They like to sub out their goalkeeper against less speedy teams, but are careful if they get burned early on.

RP PERMISSIONS
Players cannot be injured or suspended for more than two games, and godmods are only allowed within the laws of handball and physics. Injuring fans, officials, or random citizens is allowed, but may lead to repercussions from Savojar police. Unless I say so, there is no pandemic or political instability in Savojarna.

[Sarzonia]

Vivianne Taylor was nowhere near Græntfjall when the 25th Handball World Cup began.

The former starting right back was kicked off the team by manager Joyce Rodham for insubordination after Taylor told her "go fuck yourself" during a confrontation with goalkeeper Pat Agnew. The incident marred the team's 33-32 overtime defeat to Sylestone that snapped a 23-match winning streak for the then-defending World Cup champion Stars.

She'd tried out for a colour commentator's spot for the Sarzonian Sports and Programming Network as the network opted to enhance its coverage of the Handball World Cup with Sarzonia still retaining the No. 1 rank despite finishing as pewter medalists. Granted, there was no medal dangling from the necks of any player, coach, or support staff personnel since pewter medals were only a thing on the Cyanea subcontinent of Atlantian Oceania. If there'd been a sporting competition involving Sarzonian and Delaclav teams, there likely would have been. But "pewter medalist" had taken on a slang meaning in Sarzonia as something that's even worse than third-rate.

However, the obvious underlying cause behind Taylor's dismissal from the team: Her extreme dislike of goalkeeper Pat Agnew and the fact that she'd committed an insubordinate act in full view of the cameras led to complaints from the LGBTQ+ community within Sarzonia. Unlike some countries where those complaints might have fallen on deaf ears or might have been paid lip service, SSPN knew Sarzonia as a whole wasn't tolerant of that level of bigotry. Even though Taylor insisted repeatedly that she wasn't transphobic or enbyphobic or any kind of phobic when it came to gender expression. She just didn't like Agnew. It had nothing to do with their being gender-nonconforming. She kept insisting, even after she'd thought her audition went well.

So she was at a sports bar in Wilmington sullenly watching the match between the former champions and unranked and unheralded Kannap, a country that was placed in the Atlantian Oceania group with the Stars even though only Qasden among the group were regionmates. Raspotochje were in Lazarus whilst Kannap occupied a region called Forest that Taylor had never heard of. The fact that Sarzonia's opening match was against Kannap meant Rodham would give the usual "trap match" speech that was standard fare for Sarzonian managers and coaches regardless of sport. When a Sarzonian team faced an unranked or lightly-regarded foe ahead of a big rivalry match, the manager was sure to harp on the need for focus and intensity.

So it was with no small sense of glee and schadenfreude that Taylor regarded the result from Al Qunfudayea Iconic Sports Arena in Jabal Akhdar City. Kannap, yes, unranked Kannap just defeated the Stars 32-27, giving Sarzonia not only a defeat that extended Sarzonia's losing streak to three matches, but also a decisive result that would suddenly start tongues wagging. Even though handball was a minor sport in Sarzonia and didn't get the scrutiny of football, lacrosse, or baseball, the top ranked team in the multiverse losing to an unranked opponent to suddenly leave them bottom of the Atlantian Oceania Group table, even if it only was one matchday, was enough for the questions about Rodham to start emerging once again.

Fortunately for Rodham and everyone involved, the questions people were asking now involved the team's focus for a match they were expected to win handily. They had to do with a team's preparations with George Wompers replacing Taylor at right back. They had to do with whether Agnew was the right person for the job of starting goalkeeper even though they backstopped a world championship. They had to do with the prospects that the top ranked team in the multiverse could soon see themselves eliminated in the first group stage of the 25th edition of the Handball World Cup, a result that would vindicate Sarzonia Handball's objections to the Græntfjaller bid. The objections led to a closely-contested marathon voting session before the vote to remain in the HWC reached a count of 5-4 with the chairman finally casting his tiebreaking vote to remain.

As for Taylor, she didn't even remotely attempt to hide her glee in the team's defeat in spite of mounting criticism from the small, but rabid fanbase of Sarzonia handball supporters. That glee would cost Taylor an opportunity to even become a colour commentator for one of the two networks that opted to cover the domestic league.

Taylor for her part decided she would deal with the consequences of that when the time came. For now, she'd merely revel in the schadenfreude.

[Kannapian Sports Federation]

Kannap Win First Match in Upset
By: Jeremy Jelmholm | The Peladia Times

If you asked anybody in Kannap preceding this competition what they expected to happen, you'd get mixed answers. Most Kannapians would probably ask you to explain what handball is. It's a sport that has a bit of a cult following in Kannap, not particularly among the more popular sports in the Federation but one with a committed and friendly community. The fans are pleasant and the players are passionate about the sport, even though a lot of them played other sports like baseball, basketball, or football during their youth. No matter what your background or where you come from, one thing is clear in the Kannapian handball community: you are welcome here.

So while a majority of Kannapians are learning what handball is for the first time in their lives, there's a small dedicated fanbase that have supported the athletes we see competing today and have helped them reach this point in their lives. When 14 Kannapian athletes boarded the plane in Peladia for the short flight to Jabal Akhdar City, they probably never imagined what would happen here. But here they are, and the Kannapian people know what they've accomplished here, know their names, and know what the sport of handball is. There is no doubt that the energy back home in Peladia and across Kannap is excitement for the handball team - particularly as the Kannapian National Basketball Team loses its first two matches in the IBC 34 competition. There is a celebration in the air and a serious feeling of pride for those 14 athletes and the people they represent.

The Kannapian National Handball Team managed to do what was believed to be impossible: They turned up as an unranked team and managed to beat #1 ranked Sarzonia with a close score of 32-27, winning by 5 points. Kannap takes an early lead on the group table after Raspotochje and Qasden tied 24-24 in their match. When Coach Micah Hinson was asked how he believes the team managed it, he answered, "These are some of the best handball players in Kannap, in my opinion, and there was no doubt in my mind that they would come here giving it their very best. I'm proud of them for what they've managed to accomplish here and I'm looking forward to them riding this high into our next match against Raspotochje. I don't think many people were expecting an unranked team to come and beat Sarzonia, if anybody. So this is definitely impressive to people back home and I hope that what we're doing here inspires the handball players of the future. I hope kids are watching what happens here and deciding that this is what they want to do."

---

In the locker room following the game
The Kannapian athletes pour into the locker room after their first match. All 14 athletes and their coaches enter the same locker room, nobody had even bothered to pay attention to see if the room was gendered or if there was a second locker room for the women to be separated from the men. In Kannap, locker rooms are gender neutral and there's no awkwardness among Kannapians when it comes to sharing locker rooms with each other; besides the standard awkwardness that can come with being around other people, of course.

Eric Lowe is the first to speak up, "That was fucking amazing!" The rest of the team smiles and nods, clapping each other on the backs and congratulating each other for the win. Eric turns to Lucas, the goalkeeper, "You did a great job keeping them from scoring towards the end of the match, we would not have been able to do what we did without you out there. They would have won if it weren't for you."

Lucas smiled, thanking Eric for his comments, but replying, "No, it was a team effort, if any one of us were missing from the floor out there then we would have lost. We have been training together for months as a team and preparing for this. It's all of us together that managed to do what we did out there."

Coach Hinson nods and speaks up, in his usually booming voice, "Biffle is right, it was all of you out there working together as a brilliant team that managed to get this win for us. I can't say whether or not I expected this outcome, Sarzonia has some damn good players and a damn good team, but I did expect you guys to give your best out there and that is exactly what you did. Keep it up into the next two matches we have ahead of us and we will surely make a name for ourselves back home and across Atlantian Oceania, we'll make our people proud." Coach smiles and lets out a deep breath, giving the impression that he was holding his breath the entire match, "Alright, everybody finish up here. Meet up out front, I'm treating you all to dinner. Don't get anything too heavy though, we have another match ahead of us. Oh, and no staying up late, I expect you all to get a good night's sleep tonight."

---

unranked and unheralded Kannap, a country that was placed in the Atlantian Oceania group with the Stars even though only Qasden among the group were regionmates. Raspotochje were in Lazarus whilst Kannap occupied a region called Forest that Taylor had never heard of

Just want to clear up some confusion here, since the Kannap account is located in Forest, yes. For NS Sports, I'll be using this account, which is situated in AO, and for RP purposes Kannap will be located in AO (submitted the map spot request today, haha).

[Srednjaci]

HWC 24 -RUSHMORE GROUP

MASTER BEARS BETTER THAN SAVOJARNA

Srednjaci 28
Savojarna 24

The HWC has finally begun. In the first match, our handball team played against a very compact Savojarna team.
In a very interesting match, our best players showed great handball and brought victory.
At first, not everything seemed to be the best for our team in playing role. Too many errors in the attack and not very solid defense led to the result lag. However, as the game progressed, our Bears played much better.
They kept the number of errors to a minimum and were as solid as a wall in defense. The players of Savojarna did not have an answer to that defense in a game, in the attack they failed to realize several attacks in a row, which gave our team an advantage.
With quick counterattacks, our handball players got out of the opponent's rhythm.
Best player in our squad was Antonija Ružić with 10 goals.

" Savojarna je odličan protivnik. U početku smo puno griješili a oni su to znali dobro iskoristiti. Kasnije smo uspjeli stabilizirati svoju igru, napredovali smo puno u drugom poluvremenu. Mislim da možemo pokazati više i da smo još neuigrani. Utakmica protiv Bollonich će morati biti na puno višem nivou. " rekao je glavni trener ekipe Ivica Trešković

"Savojarna is a great opponent. In the beginning we made a lot of mistakes and they knew how to use it well. Later we managed to stabilize our game, we improved a lot in the second half. I think we can show more and we are still unplayed. The match against Bollonich will have to be at a much higher level, "said team head coach Ivica Trešković

Antonija Ružić :

" Bilo je problema u početku. Nekako se nismo uspjevali dovesti u red. Vladao je kaos u napadu a obrana je nekoliko puta zaspala. Međutim pokazali smo kvalitetu i kada ne igramo dobro. Ovo je dobar početak za nas. "

"There were problems in the beginning. Somehow we didn't manage to get in line, we couldn't be comapact as a team. There was chaos in the attack and the defense fell asleep several times. However, we showed quality even when we don't play well. This is a good start for us."

I our group, Bollonich and Srednjaci are on top. But next round give us a really big match against Olympics Gold medalists and winners of HWC24.

Rushmore group                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     1   1  0  0   32  24  +8    2
2 Srednjaci                                     1   1  0  0   28  24  +4    2
3 Savojarna                                     1   0  0  1   24  28  −4    0
4 Sajnur                                        1   0  0  1   24  32  −8    0

---

It is time to present the clubs from which our best players come.
Of course, the first club we will present is the current champion of the Master League, the women's handball professional league.
Of course, it is the Bistua Nuova handball club.

It was founded six years ago. The club is the result of merging two smaller university clubs into a professional club. It is named after the town of Bistua Nuova which is located in the northern part of the country.

Winning the Master League is also the club's greatest success in history. Four seasons ago, they won the second handball league and entered the first.
The Master League started with its new format and name two seasons ago. Last season, the Club finished in fourth place. Although they won the Master League, Bistua Nuova has only one player in the national team and she is also the team captain, the indestructible Marina Prgomet.

Marina Prgomet, the captain of our team, answered our flash questions.

"I started playing handball at the club. I had a lot of other offers. At that time, handball as a team sport was not yet on a professional level. I attended high school when handball in our country won the national federation and grew from amateurism to professional sports. I didn’t want to go anywhere because I just love this club. I grew up handball there. "

THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER

"The best moment of our career is when we won the Master League."

I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ...

"The Summer Olympics. That is, the opening of the Games and our parade at the stadium. Really something indescribable."

IN FREE TIME ...

"I try to be with my family in nature as much as possible. It calms me down and gives me security."

UNFULFILLED WISH

"I want to win gold at the HWC and the Olympics by the end of my career."

---

MASTER LEAGUE STANDINGS

1 Bistua Nuova             26   17   6   3   701  642  +59    40
 2 Kings Star Katanija      26   16   3   7   687  660  +27    35
 3 Automobili Raduč         26   16   1   9   690  657  +33    33
 4 Dormatisi                26   14   3   9   689  668  +21    31
 5 Katanija                 26   14   1  11   706  660  +46    29
 6 Jakovo Polje             26   13   2  11   707  711   −4    28
 7 Morska Plovidba          26   12   2  12   679  669  +10    26
 8 Hotels Lopud             26   12   2  12   682  677   +5    26
 9 Daratin                  26   11   3  12   692  704  −12    25
10 Pogratin                 26   11   0  15   647  682  −35    22
11 Markovo                  26    9   2  15   652  685  −33    20
12 Kula                     26    8   2  16   663  703  −40    18
13 Suraja                   26    8   1  17   682  707  −25    17
14 Tolmud                   26    5   4  17   649  701  −52    14

PLAY OFF FINALS

FINAL - one game - Host City by lot Katanija
Hall: Rukometni Dom
Attendance : 22 362
Ticket price: 350 Dalats, 280 Dalats, 210 Dalats, VIP 2000 Dalats
TV Reporting: World Arena Sport and First radio, TV Kut

Bistua Nuova 27–25 Automobili Raduč

---

We hope that our player's wishes will come true. This team has the strength and talent for great results. However, it is not only our handball players who are wondering.
HWC has a lot of quality teams. What is certain is that we will watch a lot of quality matches and we will definitely enjoy handball.

[Octapolis]

The Notes of Dr. Behai, Fashteli Scientist, in association with the Grand Institute of Jehanashan:

• In a rare display of sporting talent, Hellion shined with eleven of the M21s' 27 goals as they bravely played to the end. L4J56E8 - the tallest model in the team at exactly two meters tall - showed considerable aggression, quickness, and decision-making ability.
• The left arm of Pompadour caused the team many problems, becoming dislocated no less than three times; the alloy used to make the specific A0D110F9 unit come from the blue moon of the plant Trashehar - and the Forum of Behasnat that had sponsored the building of the arm to see how that particular alloy held up to constant movement will be very disappointed. I will make sure to switch the alloy to the more dependent ionized carbon-steel-aluminum hybrid that we use for the other Basalt-Anis.
• None of the "squad" failed in interacting with the other species on the court, acting cordially and with restraint. Though they weren't as animated as typical species, they didn't cause any problems nor friction. Kudos must be given to the engineers who have upgraded the baseline moldable personalities of the Basalt-Anis to this point - they have done a fine job.
• Leon has done the best job in understanding their own personality. After the match, when getting a routine maintenance check, D1E302D8 commented that they wanted to see the ball more in the next game, the only M21 to express that particular desire. They are 73% ahead of schedule of most Basalt-Anis that can take up to a year before they start exhibiting signs of personality; the Council of Three of the Basalt-Ani High Command have requested copies of all diagnostics to see if this is something that they can replicate in future models.
• I remain as optimistic and excited as ever about what the M21s mean for the future of the Basalt-Ani people, and Octapolis as a whole. To participate in such events with models that are that size? Glorious! None of the other species are really made for such events, but the fact that the M21 series could be that bridge means brighter days for the MegaCity.

Written hastily at the bottom:

"Must tell assistant that the Urgo Project is a go. There isn't a very big window - we must hurry in order to meet the deadline."

[Sylestone]

SYLESTONE HANDBALL INTRANATIONAL TOURNAMENT



Season Two - Previews 6-12

Cleorough Thorns

Overview:
Another one of the SHIT’s middling teams, the Cleorough Thorns seem destined for another finish around sixth or seventh on the final table. They had a side that could challenge the top four in the inaugural edition, but through a series of losses they really shouldn’t have lost, the Thorns came seventh. This season, after a couple of key retirements, they seem destined to finish around that spot once again, despite the signing of Juven right-back Leonardo Cavallieri. A lot will rely on national goalkeeper Bianca Gotch to perform, the 36-year-old incumbent, who will provide some much-needed experience to the youngsters of the likes of Nicholas Skerch, Lucas Bochsa and Jaxon Yagan within the squad. If she can do that, then maybe a top half finish could be possible for the Thorns.

Key players include Lucas Bochsa, Leonardo Cavallieri, Bianca Gotch, Nicholas Skerch and Jaxon Yagan.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Hagdon Park Stadium (cap. 5,600)
Nickname: The Thorns
Predicted Finish: 7th
Last Season: 7th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Koby Collins  (M - Age 57)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Bianca Gotch  (F - Age 36)
LB: Michael Brown  (M - Age 22)
CB: Lucas Bochsa  (M - Age 19)
RB: Leonardo Cavallieri
LW: Hannah Giffen  (F - Age 32)
RW: Nicholas Skerch  (M - Age 25)
P: Jaxon Yagan  (M - Age 20)

Reserves:

GK: Ryan Forro  (M - Age 26)
LB: Toby Short  (M - Age 35)
CB: Lucinda Chalmers  (F - Age 22)
RB: Beau Neil  (M - Age 24)
LW: John Whitington  (M - Age 18)
RW: Oscar Hebblethwaite  (M - Age 31)
P: Aaron Luke  (M - Age 29)

Dodle Mountaineers

Overview:
As last season’s wooden-spooners, the Dodle Mountaineers will be searching for methods to get off that unwanted place and begin their way back up the table. With only three wins and four draws from 22 games last season, it will be an uphill, treacherous battle, but one that is far from impossible. A lot will be reliant on the experience of 37-year-old winger Liam Thompson and young Quebecois centre-back Enza Lavarini to perform, and it may well just be enough to carry this struggling team through. Any finish outside of the bottom three will be deemed a huge success - a poor sign for any franchise in any competition. But at least they can’t do worse than last season…

Key players include Enza Lavarini, Owen Pitt and Liam Thompson.

General Information:

Main Stadium: Acondo Lake Centre (cap. 3,000)
Nickname: The Mountaineers
Predicted Finish: 11th
Last Season: 12th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Jett Stapley  (M - Age 52)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Brooke Lapsley  (F - Age 34)
LB: Owen Pitt  (M - Age 22)
CB: Enza Lavarini  (M - Age 21)
RB: Joseph Gipps  (M - Age 33)
LW: Liam Thompson  (M - Age 37)
RW: Dean Jessep  (M - Age 32)
P: Elizabeth Pocock  (F - Age 31)

Reserves:

GK: Isaac Vlamingh  (M - Age 26)
LB: Mary Elizabeth  (F - Age 20)
CB: Katie Horniman  (F - Age 31)
RB: Ryan Kidstone  (M - Age 31)
LW: Mikayla Menhennit  (F - Age 35)
RW: Natalie Soares  (F - Age 34)
P: Alica Lister  (F - Age 28)

Dunkirk Daredevils

Overview:
They finished 11th, but thanks to multiple big signings, it appears that an improvement is all but certain. The move of goalkeeper Ben Ackman from the Chamberley Snakes for a two-year deal was an important one, but not as important as 18-year-old Alice Macleay's signing. The young pivot will play a, erm, pivotal role with the Daredevils if they are to succeed this season. The starting lineup may not have the potency, talent or experience of the “big four”, but they are certainly a vastly improved squad and may certainly challenge some of the very best. But with little to no expectations placed upon them, this might their time to shine.

Key players include Ben Ackman, Evie Allcott, Isabella Bailey, Chelsea Illingworth and Alice Macleay.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Hawkes Bridge Arena (cap. 3,120)
Nickname: The Daredevils
Predicted Finish: 8th
Last Season: 11th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Zane Hauslaib  (M - Age 41)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Ben Ackman  (M - Age 31)
LB: Isabella Bailey  (F - Age 33)
CB: Claudia Maynard  (F - Age 25)
RB: Evie Allcott  (F - Age 21)
LW: Chelsea Illingworth  (F - Age 31)
RW: Jacob Gunter  (M - Age 18)
P: Alice Macleay  (F - Age 18)

Reserves:

GK: Archie Scammell  (M - Age 30)
LB: Laura Nobbs  (F - Age 21)
CB: Lucas Teasdale  (M - Age 30)
RB: Abigail Kable  (F - Age 24)
LW: Jack Broome  (M - Age 28)
RW: Hudson Holmwood  (M - Age 30)
P: Samantha Woolcock  (F - Age 28)

Halpenley Scorchers

Overview:
Another one of those (largely) irrelevant franchises down the bottom end of the table, the Halpenley Scorchers simply do not have a large enough catchment area to make a name for themselves. Yes, they have produced some good players - such as wingers Claire Raven and Olivia Crace - but if they really want to become a side to fear, they either have to somehow attract some of the biggest overseas names, or build a strong talent scouting system. The former is difficult as money is rather sparse for the Scorchers, and the latter will take years before any promising signs are really made. However, under the management of Dean Little, Halpenley seem to be in a decent spot right now, and will certainly be trying their utmost to come in the top eight. It’ll be tough, but with a strong team environment, not impossible. Definitely not impossible.

Key players include Spencer Canterbury, Olivia Crace, Benjamin McKinnon, Claire Raven and Sharlene Yap.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Surplus Stadium (cap. 6,000)
Nickname: The Scorchers
Predicted Finish: 10th
Last Season: 9th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Dean Little  (M - Age 33)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Spencer Canterbury  (M - Age 30)
LB: Sharlene Yap  (F - Age 21)
CB: Benjamin McKinnon  (M - Age 27)
RB: Scarlett Macleod  (F - Age 28)
LW: Olivia Crace  (F - Age 32)
RW: Claire Raven  (F - Age 23)
P: Indiana van Raalte  (F - Age 26)

Reserves:

GK: Archie Adey  (M - Age 33)
LB: Harrison Rede  (M - Age 32)
CB: Harry Cosh  (M - Age 26)
RB: Flynn Mairinger  (M - Age 32)
LW: Grace Moyes  (F - Age 23)
RW: Noah Waller  (M - Age 26)
P: Savannah Goninan  (F - Age 31)

Kirton Cavaliers

Overview:
Last season, the Kirton Cavaliers appeared to have the weakest side in the league by a fair way, but through a mixture of sheer determination and teamwork, they managed to string together the occasional win to come tenth with 15 points. The big signing of Bollonischian World Cup-winning right-back Brianna Tailor will give the Cavaliers a huge boost, but whether it will be enough to improve on their previous performance remains highly unlikely. With little to no depth in their squad, the Cavaliers have built a strong youth program in the hope that it will pay dividends in succeeding years, but for now, another finish inside the bottom three looks all but a certainty. Anything else will be a brilliant sign for the club’s future.

Key players include Anthony Holden, Lachlan Pavy and Brianna Tailor.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Kirton Arena (cap. 2,400)
Nickname: The Cavaliers
Predicted Finish: 12th
Last Season: 10th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Jane Goold-Adams  (M - Age 55)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Lachlan Pavy  (M - Age 27)
LB: Cody Biscoe  (M - Age 20)
CB: Gabrielle Chermside  (F - Age 32)
RB: Brianna Tailor  (F - Age 26)
LW: Laura Youl  (F - Age 33)
RW: Gemma Stott  (F - Age 29)
P: Anthony Holden  (M - Age 31)

Reserves:

GK: Zachary Brett  (M - Age 35)
LB: Harrison Brodney  (M - Age 23)
CB: Jasper Tjalkabota  (M - Age 31)
RB: Gabriel Ingamella  (M - Age 31)
LW: Harrison Leworthy  (M - Age 23)
RW: Amy Marryat  (F - Age 23)
P: Laura Watsford  (F - Age 26)

Pesfield Poopers

Overview:
Unarguably the franchise with the best name in all of the SHIT, the Pesfield Poopers have enjoyed one of handball’s success stories over the past couple of years. In the inaugural edition earlier last year, a sixth-place finish would have been about par for the club hailing from the city of Pesfield in the island’s northeast, but they refused to conform to expectations. And from there, every handball follower, anywhere, knows the rest of the story. Come fourth in the SHIT, make a WCHC appearance, make it through the group stage and proceed to win the entire fucking thing. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Anyway, this achievement put themselves on every player’s radar, and as a result, now possess one of the strongest sides in the SHIT. Under the calm, collected head of Lauren Prior, anything is possible for this all-conquering Poopers side.

Key players include Patrick Barnsley, Eliza Butt, Gottskálk Kasperisson, Gabrielle Rowan and Flynn Strange.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Palm Stadium (cap. 6,000)
Nickname: The Poopers
Predicted Finish: 2nd
Last Season: 4th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 1
Best WCHC Performance: Champions
Head Coach: Lauren Prior  (F - Age 40)

Starting Lineup:

GK: Gabrielle Rowan  (F - Age 24)
LB: Flynn Strange  (M - Age 29)
CB: Jamie Monsoor  (M - Age 20)
RB: Eliza Butt  (F - Age 23)
LW: Daniel Grimley  (M - Age 23)
RW: Gottskálk Kasperisson  (M - Age 29)
P: Patrick Barnsley  (M - Age 22)

Reserves:

GK: Jacob Kirwan  (M - Age 26)
LB: Bailey Horrocks  (M - Age 28)
CB: Madeline Bacon  (F - Age 21)
RB: Beau Maddock  (M - Age 26)
LW: Zoe Propsting  (F - Age 31)
RW: Kaitlyn Weindorfer  (F - Age 29)
P: Jasmine Tonkin  (F - Age 25)

Sentient Sapients

Overview:
It’s hard to imagine that these guys - the Sentient Sapients - were the side that Sylestone sent to their first HWC endeavour. While they probably do possess one of the better sides amongst the SHIT, the fact there are multiple better clubs shows the naivety of the SHAT back all those years ago, when the 22nd Handball World Cup was held in Savojarna. No wonder they went 3-0-5. But now, they have established themselves as a decent club in the SHIT, and will be once again seeking a WCHC berth this cycle. They don’t quite possess the quality and depth most of the big four do, but they are still certainly capable of defeating any of them. If they can string a couple of big wins together this season, then who knows where they could finish.

Key players include Headphones, Laptop, Mobile Phone, Tablet and Television.

General Information:

Home Stadium: Sentient Dome (cap. 5,000)
Nickname: The Devices/The Sapients
Predicted Finish: 6th
Last Season: 5th
Titles: 0
WCHC Appearances: 0
Best WCHC Performance: N/A
Head Coach: Monitor 

Starting Lineup:

GK: Television 
LB: Laptop 
CB: Telephone 
RB: Tablet 
LW: Mobile Phone 
RW: Kindle 
P: Headphones 

Reserves:

GK: Computer 
LB: Charging Cord 
CB: Camera 
RB: Portable Charger 
LW: Game Boy 
RW: Ipad 
P: Earphones 

---

Sylestone vs Eshialand: A Recap

Sylestone Starting VII: Gotch; Strange - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Radcliffe - James - Fosbrook

Eshialand Starting VII: Unknown

Cards:

Sylestone:
26': Jonathan Younger ▮
36': Amber James ▮
51': Isla McCartney ▮

Eshialand:
Unknown

Goals:

Sylestone:
Lachlan Fosbrook - 6
Amber James - 6
Isla McCartney - 4
Zachary Radcliffe - 4
Patrick Barnsley - 2
Ellie McKean - 1
Lole Strezlecki - 1

Eshialand:
Unknown

Starting Lineup vs Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok

Gotch; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Raven - James - Fosbrook

Schedule:

Matchday One: Sylestone 24-16 Eshialand @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
Matchday Two: Sylestone - Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
Matchday Three: Natanians and Nosts - Sylestone @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok

[Qasden]

Handball Qasden
"The HandVans"

---

HOME - AWAY
*Due to finances and other bureaucratic nonsense, the HQ entered an agreement with the Qasden Volleyball Association to jack their kit designs.

---

---

Head Coach//Kentson Enfuego|48
1|GK//Philon D'Amore|29
2|LB//Kassandra Scheinberg|24
4|CB//Darnold Rubio|25
6|RB//Iosephus Bryant|22
3|LW//Maja Yu|32
5|RW//Desi Bonhomme|30
8|P//Cáelfind Fux|27 (C)
7|GK//Bacchus Vincent|31
10|LB//Ravi Anema|21
12|CB//Tanja Blackwood|26
14|RB//Melanie Hirsch|23
9|LW//Arawan Acardi|20
11|RW//Hagar Courtney|24
0|P//Johnnie Jae Monday|28.5

---

RP Permissions

---

No killing my players, citizens, venues, you get the gist. Elsewise, go nuts.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

This unnamed storyline is a spin-off story about handballer Jin Hyeong-Mi and Henry Lundrigan, the eventual second Earl Lundrigan. As a story of two persons with their love of handball (and eventually each other), it will (slowly) be written over the next few HWCs. Until HWC 31, it will be written from the scenes of future, meaning that while there will be plenty of time to cover the stories, there may be occasionally outdated aspects/lines/details that may get overwritten every now and then.

The very nitpicky details, of course, aren't the ones to really live for, as both Hyeong-Mi and Henry come from the universe of both Jin Chang-Wook's Adventure of Lifetime (15th Summer Olympic series about Jin Chang-Wook, volleyball setter whose legends begin in Bunjil) and TWGS Megaseries (Vol. 1 and eventual Vol. 3). There's a bigger picture to look into when analysing how they tie into everything, so it can either be super-fun reading all of the 'Asherverse' or not at all.

So really, just enjoy it for fun and nothing much - hopefully I'll be able to cover more about handball and other forms of this beautiful sport over next while.

---

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.

From the Future-Time (mid-2067 / 13 years from now)

Right. My mind moves freely but not necessarily my body.

The question caught Henry right off-guard. Whenever he met a stranger, he would either be the one telling how he had required using wheelchair whenever possible, or would just be left to the user's interpretation. People rarely wanted to ask the son of the prominent writer, who would end up as second Earl Lundrigan any moment now (especially after his father would go to the Palace for a ceremony in few weeks' time), an uncomfortable question. For most part, those not on his family or immediate circles would just be professional and ask him as needed.

'A crash,' Henry said after a quick recovery, taking a look at the ground before looking back at Hyeong-Mi. Henry didn't miss the initial reaction on her face - it was more than enough to tell him something. She had looked understanding, almost as if there were enough stories of her own to go through. I don't know enough of her story, but not one for me to know, he gave a nod before continuing. 'I was twelve. Had a really promising cadet driver's career. Won the national carting championships at 10 and all that. All it took was a crash.'

'Is it not easy?' Hyeong-Mi asked, trying her best not to say further. She felt him shifting his neck in an uncomfortable direction. Hyeong-Mi was unsure if he was having a hard time answering her question, or if Henry was more concerned that his sister was coming home after seeing the Prince of Abitibi back in Quebec City. 'It must have been awful for you...to feel like everything's ready on your hands and to wake up from a crash with everything crumbling down.'

'It certainly took a lot to get back to it, I have to admit,' Henry shrugged before chuckling as they slowly came to the end of the hallway. 'Well, I'm still here. Finding meaning of life in a sport that's fun to play, and one I can still associate with you, right?' His chuckle, resembling more that of his father, was enough to tell Hyeong-Mi that he's been asked this question plenty of times that there's really no reason to worry about it. Still, the sights of their condominium building felt closer than imagined at the end of the hallway.

'Yeah, sorry for asking that,' Hyeong-Mi said, before diverting topic to something more favourable. 'Anyways, on a brighter note - Naxos Nyhavn, Malihar Tigers or Avondale Avengers?'

Over the next few minutes, they continued to talk over their favourite team. As it turned out they were immersed into the international leagues abroad (his top league pick was SHIT, hers ​BHL), and after stepping over a couple of emotional landmines earlier, good feelings continued to spring as they slowly headed back.

Still, there was no doubt that they were being drawn into certain situations that weren't going to be easy to start anyway. Now they were standing right in front of the building, ready to say goodbye. 'Sorry that I have to go early today - if only I could stop time,' Henry said, his left hand habitually strumming over the buttons of his wheelchair. 'Will I see you next week? Or the week after? Sorry that I'm saying all this but...'

'It's okay, I'll text you first.' Hyeong-Mi answered as she, with a grin across her face, realised that they were practically strangers in a strange environment, no matter how famous their parents were or whatever the things the teens had lined up ahead of time. 'Don't worry about it. It's all going to be fine, right?' She quickly blushed, possibly because of language used, but also out of uncertainty.

'Yeah, don't worry about me,' Henry said, before waving back at Hyeong-Mi. 'See you!'

'See you!' she looked back, watching his wheelchair turn around and then depart.

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

While we’re on the subject of the new handball league, let’s talk about the potential names that have been thrown around for it. The first one that was mooted was the National Handball Association, which is bog standard as far as league names go, but the main issue that a lot of people have with it (including me) is that it’s a tad too conventional. Sure, it gets the point across, but as of time of writing, the proposed handball league isn’t even truly national just yet. This of course is related to the fact that handball is mostly confined to the northern part of the country even though there have been efforts made to spread handball mania to the Capital Islands and places further south. So the National Handball Association is out; what else is there? The National Handball League? Something tells me that the acronym of that name might cause some confusion with leagues from other places and other sports as well. Abanhfleft Handball League? Once again, there are quite a number of organizations with similar or so acronyms that there might be some confusion, and I’m pretty sure the league’s founders want to avoid any sort of confusion at all costs. So how about the Abanhfleft Handball Association? It mentions the name of the country where it’s located without going into specifics, and it’s also got a banger of an acronym. AHA. That’s sure to grab people’s attention, and surely that’s what the league’s founders want most of all. You heard it here first, guys. And I’m pretty sure that there’s some sort of poll going on about what sort of name should be given to the new league. If the AHA is one of the options, I know what I’m voting for.

And now let’s move on to the teams. Let’s start off with some of the OG teams, the ones that have been playing handball ever since we managed to talk our way into our first ever Handball World Cup. These are the teams from which the very first Abanhfleft national handball team was assembled, and it’s through this association to the national team that these clubs have been able to get the funds needed to keep themselves afloat until the moment that they could finally join a league arrived. Now, the eagle-eyed among you might have noticed that there is a Markovsky-based team among the twelve founders of the new handball league, but I have to sadly inform all of you that they are not one of the OGs. The Markovsky Guardsmen were only founded recently with the backing of the Avtozavodovs, the family that owns the Markovsky Red Army of the FBA (Fleftic Basketball Association) among other things, because they wanted to take advantage of a situation where they could potentially earn even more money than what they’re already raking in. Bloody capitalists. We’ll talk about the Guardsmen later, but like I mentioned earlier in this paragraph, I’m going to be talking about some of the OG teams. And I’m going to start with the Bytuch Azam Baysharks.

The people of Bytuch Feld Province don’t know how lucky they have it. Sure, the summer months there can get pretty stinking hot, but at least most of them have got the bay to cool off. Of course, there used to be a time when the beaches in Bytuch Feld were not really drawing in the crowd because of all the shark sightings, but after all those shark documentaries showed that sharks are actually more afraid of us than we are of them, tourism to Bytuch Feld finally skyrocketed. And then the next problem to that was all the stingrays, but that’s another topic for another time. I mentioned the sharks in the Bay of Shells because that’s where the Baysharks got their name. Seems pretty obvious now that I’ve spelled it out for you lot, doesn’t it? Anyway, three of the players who suited up for the blue, orange, and green for their first ever foray into international handball came from the Baysharks; namely, Alfonso Imler, Lamont Lamberti, and Farley Goretzka. At the time, the Baysharks were just a lads’ team, a team for boys to get together and have some fun while slamming into each other and flinging their balls all over the place. No, not like that. Get your bloody minds out the gutter, will ya? Anyway, that was how they started, but once handball started gaining traction and popularity throughout the country, the Baysharks started getting invited to more and more semi-pro tournaments out of their home province before they became one of the first teams approached by the new handball league to join them. It was also around this time that the Baysharks became a co-ed team just like all the other teams in the new league, and when they chose to adopt Bytuch Azam as their new “home town” for administrative purposes. I mean, they’ve always been based in Bytuch Azam, and all this did was add Bytuch Azam to their team name. At least now someone can point on a map where they’re located.

That’s one of the OG teams done then. Now I’m going to take a little break before delving into the next team, which is based in a place that many of us here in Abanhfleft say doesn’t actually exist as a joke. Yes, I’m talking about the Ferale Beef. Strange name for a strange team based in a strange place. But like I said, I’ll talk about them later. Right now, I gotta prep myself for another chapter in the story of the national handball team.

[Bollonich]

An exclusive with Reggie Mutton, the Bollonischian Handball star

Interviewer: So Reggie, you are the oldest player in the Bollonischian handball side and the one with the most experienced. How does that feel?

Reggie: Well it is kind of funny you know. I see these young players rising through the ranks especially in the domestic scene of the sport and it is interesting to me how the time as passed as I have been in this sport. The dynamic in the side is of course much different, we are all people very deeply interested in the sport and love to play it. The players do look upto me at certain points and it’s my pleasure to give them with tiny tidbits of knowledge which I have acquired over the ages.

Interviewer: How would you describe the early part of your career before the formation of the Handball Federation in Bollonich?

Reggie: Well, most of my career was actually before the Federation had been formed. Prior to it, opportunities for a career in handball were very scarce and pay was not very good either. It usually entailed playing at local clubs or regional competitions which hardly had a viewer base. That all changed with the Handball Cup and the BHL, as with proper advertisement and investment the results are in front of our eyes in the success we are witnessing today in the field of handball.

Interviewer: Talking about success, how would you say you feel being an Olympic gold medalist as well as a Handball World Cup winner?

Reggie: It’s definitely great, haha. I never imagined being so successful when my career was taking off. I was always an avid watcher of the Handball World Cup and remember those Costa de Ouro and Red Blackiland glory days. The level of sport has obviously risen in these times however I often watch some of those older games just to have a look at the vast history of the game. I never expected stand with such greats, but I have been gifted with these wonderful opportunities towards the tail end of my career to leave on a high. Winning the Olympic gold was a proud moment especially captaining the side. The Handball World Cup was the following year from the Olympics and all the players were very well rested and prepared by then. We wanted to win the tournament and the Olympics had just proven that we could. With the procured confidence from the Olympics, it was difficult to stop us in the World Cup as we defeated multiple rivals on our way to the trophy.

Interviewer: How would you say your life has changed since this burst of Handball popularity?

Reggie: Firstly, I have started to receive offers to give interviews like this one from multiple different channels and news houses so thank you inviting me. Popularity does many things to a person, maintaining privacy something which I am a great fan of, has become increasingly hard for me and my family. But it is also a heart warming moment to see myself as a role model for a number of young children. It is a double edged sword like lots of others things in our daily lives, but something I have to learn to live with.

Interviewer: What would you say the future holds for you in the sport and in life in general?

Reggie: I have been looking at retirement for some time now, retiring after the win in the last Handball World Cup would have been a good way to leave but I just could not bring myself to leave this beautiful sport knowing that I still have lots to contribute to the team. I might retire soon but who knows what the future might hold for an individual.

Interviewer: Thank you for spending time with us, we look forward to seeing you on the court at the 25th Handball World Cup. Good luck!

[Graintfjall]

RP cutoff for MD2.

---

Atlantian Oceania group
Kannap 27–22 Raspotochje
Sarzonia 29–23 Qasden

  Atlantian Oceania group                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kannap                                        2   2  0  0   59  49 +10    4
2 Sarzonia                                      2   1  0  1   56  55  +1    2
3 Raspotochje                                   2   0  1  1   46  51  −5    1
4 Qasden                                        2   0  1  1   47  53  −6    1

Rushmore group
Sajnur 27–34 Savojarna
Bollonich 27–22 Srednjaci

  Rushmore group                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     2   2  0  0   59  46 +13    4
2 Srednjaci                                     2   1  0  1   50  51  −1    2
3 Savojarna                                     2   1  0  1   58  55  +3    2
4 Sajnur                                        2   0  0  2   51  66 −15    0

Esportiva group
Eshialand 31–31 Natanians and Nosts
Sylestone 29–21 Gatchingerrak Union

  Esportiva group                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                     2   2  0  0   53  37 +16    4
2 Gatchingerrak Union                           2   1  0  1   45  50  −5    2
3 Natanians and Nosts                           2   0  1  1   52  55  −3    1
4 Eshialand                                     2   0  1  1   47  55  −8    1

Melayu Archipelago group
Muralos 21–23 The Sevens Federation
Græntfjall 31–22 Abanhfleft

  Melayu Archipelago group                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall                                    2   2  0  0   59  46 +13    4
2 Abanhfleft                                    2   1  0  1   49  55  −6    2
3 The Sevens Federation                         2   1  0  1   47  48  −1    2
4 Muralos                                       2   0  0  2   45  51  −6    0

Anaia group
Atheara 25–31 StrayaRoos
Quebec and Shingoryeo 31–29 Lisander

  Anaia group                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                         2   2  0  0   63  53 +10    4
2 Lisander                                      2   1  0  1   60  48 +12    2
3 StrayaRoos                                    2   1  0  1   48  56  −8    2
4 Atheara                                       2   0  0  2   49  63 −14    0

Sonnel group
Octapolis 29–24 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland
Juvencus 26–29 Varmennia

  Sonnel group                                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Varmennia                                     2   2  0  0   60  52  +8    4
2 Juvencus                                      2   1  0  1   54  56  −2    2
3 Octapolis                                     2   1  0  1   56  52  +4    2
4 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      2   0  0  2   50  60 −10    0

Independents group
Venmere 22–24 Pius Desurongcrandis
HUElavia 26–27 Kriegiersien

  Independents group                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kriegiersien                                  2   2  0  0   59  47 +12    4
2 HUElavia                                      2   1  0  1   61  49 +12    2
3 Pius Desurongcrandis                          2   1  0  1   45  54  −9    2
4 Venmere                                       2   0  0  2   44  59 −15    0

A reminder that no one will be eliminated tomorrow: teams finishing in the bottom half will head to the consolation round.

[Sarzonia]

Good times don't always last. And if you do bad things, karma has a way of taking care of you. That's something former Sarzonian national handball team right back Vivianne Taylor would find out the hard way.

She'd just finished an interview for a position as a colour commentator for a local broadcast network to cover the area's amateur leagues. Unlike her previous attempts, she felt she'd nailed this interview. Her audition video was solid. She came in for an in person audition with the station and one of the play-by-play announcers and things went well. There was good chemistry between the two as Taylor went over notes for the match they were watching and Taylor brought insights from her role as a starting right back.

It all went so well, in fact, that she heard what's typically the tell-tale comment from the station manager where Astrid Tucker made a comment about "discussing next steps." Tucker was impressed, and she'd even allowed it to slip during the course of the interview. Taylor was confident. She'd done her homework on the teams she was watching and commenting about. She had the rapport with her partner to be. The test audiences thought she did a great job.

She decided to go out to a local pub in Wilmington to watch the handball Stars take on regional rivals Qasden in the second match of the first group phase of the 25th Handball World Cup. Unbeknownst to Taylor, there was a camera crew at the pub. The smaller local station was looking to do a human interest piece about the bar and how it became Wilmington's unofficial headquarters for all things team handball. The young reporter saw Taylor there and saw a golden opportunity to interview an experienced player, one who had experience with the national team, and one who could shed some light on the team's thinking and the support the team would have in this bar and across the country.

The problem for Taylor was that interview happened when she was several Blue Fox Ales and Topgallant Ales into her watching the match. After a particularly soft goal by Qasden against goalkeeper Pat Agnew, Taylor bluntly yelled out "take them outta there!" which, on the surface didn't sound like much. However, she used air quotes around the "them" and she made it clear that she was disparaging Agnew because of their gender non-conforming status. When a patron called her out on it, she laughed. "Who cares what they think? I'm not on the team anymore, remember?" The station showed Taylor in her drunken state poking fun at Agnew. When Sarzonia pulled out the 29-23 victory to improve to 1-0-1 and move into second place behind surprising Kannap, who'd defeated Raspotochje 27-22 to improve to 2-0-0, Taylor sneered as the camera showed Agnew.

The next morning, Taylor grumbled about having a splitting headache when she heard her mobile give off the telltale sound that she'd received a text. She figured it was someone on the team reminding her they won, or perhaps Agnew giving her shit after she'd given them shit following the five-goal loss to Kannap. She looked at the number. It was Tucker's number. She knew Tucker had made a comment about next steps, but she usually heard through her agent when someone like Tucker wanted her for an interview or to schedule an appointment to discuss next steps. The fact that Tucker was texting Taylor directly was a concern. She tapped to review the text message. She also knew the usual contact point from the network or the station itself would come from Candie in Human Resources.

"Viv, saw you on the tele last night. Call me. This is URGENT," the text message read. Taylor eyebrows scrunched and her mouth formed a frown. She stared at the text for a few seconds. It was urgent, she read again. Tucker was well versed enough to know when typing in all caps meant shouting. This was urgent. Ignoring her headache, Taylor dialed Tucker's number.

"Viv?" Tucker answered.

"Yes," Taylor said, fully aware of what felt like a lump being caught in her throat.

"We don't tolerate bigotry on our station," Tucker said, getting right to the point of her text and demand that Taylor call her back. "And you demonstrated it in spades last night."

Taylor was shocked by what she heard. She suddenly wasn't thinking about the splitting headache or the fact that Tucker's text woke her up.

"But, I didn't say anything bigoted."

"Last night, remember? It was all over the news last night," Tucker said. "We can't move forward with hiring you. The optics of hiring someone who was a bigot toward someone who's gender non-conforming are horrible."

"But I'm not bigoted!" Taylor said. "Sure, I don't get along with them, but it's not because I hate people who are gender non-conforming."

"I don't care whether you get along with Agnew or not. That's not the point. The point is, you got caught saying something bigoted which goes against our network's values. I've already notified HR to put a stop to the process."

After a few minutes, Taylor sat up after she'd collapsed in her bed. She forced her way up from her bed and stumbled downstairs into the kitchen. She looked ruefully at the bottle of 1694 issue Pacitalian wine that was half-empty. She knew the tendencies of alcohol to force the truth out of people. Now she was the victim of it. She would end up answering questions and trying to deny that her drunken comments at the bar had anything to do with her being an enbyphobe or a transphobe or anti-anything other than specifically Pat Agnew. She would hold a hastily-assembled press conference where she apologised for her offence to the LGBTQIA+ community. She even apologied personally to Agnew, even though she never got the chance to speak with Agnew.

"Look, I don't blame them for not responding to my text or my phone call," Taylor would say in an interview a few weeks later after the dust finally cleared. "I said something hurtful. I don't expect them to forgive me."

The bigger question for anyone who really knew Taylor was would she forgive herself.

[Srednjaci]

HWC25-Graeintfjall, Rushmore Group

THE BOLLONICH TEAM WAS BETTER IN THE DERBY GROUP GAME

by Ana Buneta

Bollonich 27
Srednjaci 22

Our handball team did not manage to prepare any surprises in the game of the second round of group play. Tim Bollonich was more successful and controlled the whole match. there was not too much uncertainty. The first half was fairly even. We played goal for goal, but we went on vacation with the result behind our players 13-14.
In the second half, Bollonicha players play much better and more efficiently in counterattacks and increase the advantage, +5 at the end of the game.
In our group Bollonich with two victories leads the group in first place. The Master Bears have the imperative to win the next match if they want to pass the group.

  Rushmore group                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     2   2  0  0   59  46 +13    4
2 Srednjaci                                     2   1  0  1   50  51  −1    2
3 Savojarna                                     2   1  0  1   58  55  +3    2
4 Sajnur                                        2   0  0  2   51  66 −15    0

The best players in our ranks were Marina Prgomet and Antonija Ružić with 6 goals each, while Adela Music prevented the opposing players from scoring 18 times.

---

It is time to present the clubs from which our best players come.
We present you the most successful women's handball club in Srednjaci!

Katanija Women's Handball Club is the two-time champion of the then Handball Premier League.
The league later changed its name, format but in cash prizes. Today, the strongest league is called the Master League and ŽRK Katanija is the first winner of the Master League. We can freely say that they were champions of the country three times.
They finished in a disappointing fifth place last season and did not make the playoffs. This resulted in the resignations of almost the entire professional staff of the club. Despite the poor result, ŽRK Katanija is the richest club in DR Srednjaci and their budget last season was a staggering 182 million Dalats. ŽRK Katanija also has the most players in the first national team. Adela Musić,Viktorija Udovčić,Tihana Udvarić and Tihana Vidović are players in the national team who come from this club.

MASTER LEAGUE STANDINGS

1 Bistua Nuova             26   17   6   3   701  642  +59    40
 2 Kings Star Katanija      26   16   3   7   687  660  +27    35
 3 Automobili Raduč         26   16   1   9   690  657  +33    33
 4 Dormatisi                26   14   3   9   689  668  +21    31
 5 Katanija                 26   14   1  11   706  660  +46    29
 6 Jakovo Polje             26   13   2  11   707  711   −4    28
 7 Morska Plovidba          26   12   2  12   679  669  +10    26
 8 Hotels Lopud             26   12   2  12   682  677   +5    26
 9 Daratin                  26   11   3  12   692  704  −12    25
10 Pogratin                 26   11   0  15   647  682  −35    22
11 Markovo                  26    9   2  15   652  685  −33    20
12 Kula                     26    8   2  16   663  703  −40    18
13 Suraja                   26    8   1  17   682  707  −25    17
14 Tolmud                   26    5   4  17   649  701  −52    14

---

The fans were visibly disappointed with the game of our handball players against Bollonich.
Although they came in large numbers, they failed to see the second victory of Master Bears at this HWC.
Despite this, we believe that their support will not be lacking in the third match.

[Kannapian Sports Federation]

Kannapian News Network
Kannapian Team Wins Again in Jabal Akhdar City

The Kannapian National Handball Team finds its way to another victory in their second game of the Handball World Cup, having played against Raspotochje. The Kannapian athletes entered the match riding on the high of their victory against #1 Sarzonia in the preceding match. It appears that they rode this high to another win: 27-22 over Raspotochje.

In the first half of the match, Lucas Biffle looked sluggish and appeared unable to keep up with the opposing team's attempts to score. The first half of the match ended with a score of 8-14, with Raspotochje holding a sizable lead over the Kannapian team. Following the half time, Biffle was pulled from the floor for the rest of the game as Jakor Bergston took the goalkeeper position in the second half of the match. The Kannapian athletes were able to bring it back in the second half, with the Hartnell sisters rallying with the most goals of the game. Philippa scored 8 goals and Macy scored 7 goals, combined scoring over half the goals for the Kannapian team during this match.

Rumors are circulating around Biffle's apparent sluggishness, with some online commenters suggested he looked like he was drunk. We reached out to a former friend of Biffle's, who wished to remain anonymous and gave us this statement on the rumors: "Lucas was always a very nice and caring person and was often a good friend, but he would often be drunk and that would cause problems of its own. He was an alcoholic and eventually it just got too much for me to put up with and I couldn't be friends with him anymore. He lost a lot of friends that way back then. I haven't spoken to him, personally, in a couple years, but the last I heard about it he had managed to get sober and was doing well."

Are the rumors true and has Lucas Biffle relapsed into his past alcoholism? If so, what should that mean for his presence on this team and representing Kannap abroad? We'll see what happens as Kannap enters into their third match against Qasden tomorrow.

---

Lucas Biffle's hotel room, midnight

Lucas lays on his bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He thinks about how he let his team down by not performing well. He also thinks about the comments he's read online and heard in the news back home: rumors that he's fallen back into alcoholism.

He sits up and moves his legs off the edge of the bed before standing and walking to the glass sliding door that separated him from the balcony. He opens the door and walks out, breathing in the fresh air and leaving the door open behind him. He stares out at the city before him, feeling lonely despite being here with his teammates. He leans on the railing and frowns, thinking again about the rumors of him being an alcoholic. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Right? At least that's what people think about him anytime they learn about this part of his past. His mother still hasn't looked at him the same way as she used to before the intervention two years ago. But he committed to making himself a better man then and hasn't had any alcohol in over a year and a half, he's been completely sober. So it's hurtful when the news and people online and old friends start spreading rumors that aren't true and revealing your shameful past to the public.

He speaks out loud now, even though he's alone, "I bet it was you Fernando, you piece of shit." He picks up the vase of flowers from the table on the balcony and throws it off the balcony, "Fuck you, Fernando!" He screams as loud as he can into the night. He hears the sound of the vase shatter against the street below, managing not to hit anybody or their cars. People look up to see where the screaming and the vase had come from, but he's invisible in the dark above - with his hotel room's lights turned off, nobody can see him against the dark shadow of the sleeping hotel. He curses again when he hears a knock on his room's door.

He walks to the door, opening it and trying to pass a smile as he sees one of the Levin twins started in the hall. He's still not figured out a way to really tell them apart and takes a guess as to which one is standing before him, "Nino?"

The other man smiles, nodding, "Yeah, I've got the room next door. I thought I heard yelling coming from your room, are you okay?"

Lucas steps aside and lets Nino come in, closing the door behind him and walking back to the balcony silently. He leans on the balcony's railing again and notices some of the hotel staff cleaning the vase from the street below. Nino joins him on the balcony, leaning on the rail and peering below, "I-is that the vase from your balcony?"

Lucas nods and stares off into the distance of the city, taking in the sight of the strange place so far from home. Nino does the same, allowing Lucas to have some silence until he's ready to talk. Lucas doesn't take his eyes off the city as he starts speaking, "Yes, you heard me screaming. Yes, that's the vase from my balcony."

Nino looks concerned and glances at the other man but looks back out at the city as Lucas continues speaking, "No, I'm not feeling alright. I feel like I let all of you and the people back home down when I flaked the first half of the match. You guys wouldn't have won if you'd keep me in the goal. Have you heard the rumors from back home?"

Nino looks over as he thinks about the question, "Yeah, I've heard them but I don't believe them. I know you too well to think that there's any truth to them."

Lucas smiles a bit, continuing to stare out at the city, "I wish everybody thought like that."

Nino puts his hand on the other man's hand, "You're a good man, and a good friend, and no amount of rumors or what some old anonymous friend says about you is going to make that any different, right? The rumors will fade away and the people who continue to believe them or harass you over them are the fuckers who don't matter, fuck them. The only people who matter are the ones who believe the truth about you Lucas, and all of us on the team are in your corner."

Lucas nods, having started to cry as Nino pulls him into a hug. Nino smiles, "Just know that we're here for you and we care about you, alright? Everybody has an off performance every once in a while. But those losers back home? They're throwing bricks at you from their couches while you're representing our country on an international level. Not only that, but on a team that just beat the #1 team. Those losers back home are probably just jealous. Don't let them get to you, Lucas, we're your team and we're here for you."

Nino pulls from the hug and walks back into the hotel room and towards the door. Lucas walks back into the room and closes the sliding door before sitting back down on the edge of his bed. Nino opens and door and looks back at the other man one more time, "Get some good sleep tonight, tomorrow we'll kick Qasden's asses and silence those rumors back home." He walks out into the hall and closes the door, returning to his own room.

Lucas stares at the ceiling for a few more minutes before falling asleep.

[Kriegiersien]

Handball World Cup XXV

Venmere  22–24 Pius Desurongcrandis
HUElavia 26–27 Kriegiersien

With a 27-26 win Kriegiersien already secured a spot in the next round. HUElavia was the slightly favoured in the match at the bookmakers and the match kept what it promised. No team was able to break away and the audience got the thrilling world class match they came for.
It was Gregor Gorilla who made the deciding goal in the last seconds of the match to accomplish the much celebrated win.

Kriegiersien now only needs to draw Venmere to secure the first spot in the group.

“If we can’t beat a team with only 6 players, we don’t deserve any trophy”, said the Coach.

[Octapolis]

The Notes of Dr. Behai, Fashteli Scientist, in association with the Grand Institute of Jehanashan:

• Hellion struck again, scoring thirteen of the team's twenty-nine goals while Pompadour came through in the clutch, as the M21s ran away with the game in the last three minutes. Their unspoken communication - being in the same network will do that - was at a new level after one full game with each other. It was a joy to see.
• Jar committed three fouls during the match, the first M21 to do that in this trial run. All three times were strategic, and the team did well enough to handle the extra pressure of being down a member. The fact that they're learning all the intricacies of a sport is pretty nice.
• Leon continues to shine in the personality department, going above and beyond the optimal force needed a few times just because they wanted to. If the Basalt-Ani are to actually become more of a recognized species in the Council, the Basalt-Ani will need to continue to learn what constitutes a personality.
• We only expected three games to see this project through, and the possibilities of more is very exciting.
• When can we get the reserves to play a bit? Need a runaway win...

Written hastily at the bottom:

Project Urgo progresses as intended. Three individual models? Probably easy enough to do.

[Sylestone]

SYLESTONE HANDBALL INTRANATIONAL TOURNAMENT



Season Two - Matchdays 1-6


Matchday One

Betham Sunrisers 31–29 Dunkirk Daredevils
Sentient Sapients 27–23 Halpenley Scorchers
Dodle Mountaineers 19–27 Pesfield Poopers
Kirton Cavaliers 24–34 Avondale Stars
Chamberley Crocodiles 24–31 Avondale Avengers
Cleorough Thorns 22–27 Chamberley Snakes

Game of the Round: Betham Sunrisers vs Dunkirk Daredevils
It was as clear as day that the Dunkirk Daredevils had improved - just no one knew how much. However, playing away against the Betham Sunrisers in their opening fixture, this was their moment to show the nation just what they were capable of. And that they did, giving the favourites a serious run for their money in what eventuated into a 29-31 loss for the visitors, despite being ahead at various points throughout the first half and even at one point midway through the second. But in the end, the sheer strength of the Sunrisers proved to be too much for the Daredevils, but they certainly showed one thing: they were a side to be wary of.

Upset of the Round: Chamberley Crocodiles vs Avondale Avengers
The two sides might both be members of the so-called “big four”, but no one - and I repeat, no one - would have seen this sort of result coming. The Crocodiles, the reigning champions and the only side to go through the resulting WCHC group stage without dropping a single point, all of a sudden played like a mid-table team after their break. At no point did Angelina Marmion’s side really look in the contest, and only right-back Lole Strezlecki and Bollonischian winger Tom Thorly appeared to be really performing anywhere near their best. They led only twice - early on in the first half - and never came back, the Avengers kicking off their season with a whopping 31-24 victory away from home. And all of a sudden, they were the favourites.

Matchday Two

Dunkirk Daredevils 24–27 Chamberley Snakes
Avondale Avengers 27–23 Cleorough Thorns
Avondale Stars 25–24 Chamberley Crocodiles
Pesfield Poopers 31–25 Kirton Cavaliers
Halpenley Scorchers 23–23 Dodle Mountaineers
Betham Sunrisers 35–24 Sentient Sapients

Game of the Round: Halpenley Scorchers vs Dodle Mountaineers
While all eyes were focused on other games (one of which we’ll get to below), two lower-table franchises fought out their own thriller in each side’s bid to get their first points on the board. In the end, both achieved their goals and although each had to be happy with gaining half the amount of points they wanted, everyone acknowledged how good of a game it was. The Scorchers led for most of the game, but the Dodle Mountaineers never gave up, with some brilliant plays by young Quebecois centre-back Enza Lavarini producing a late comeback to draw the game 23-all. However, despite taking out the point, the result simply showed just how much the Mountaineers would rely on him to perform.

Upset of the Round: Avondale Stars vs Chamberley Crocodiles
And all of a sudden, in their second game in a row, the Chamberley Crocodiles have lost. Coming into the tournament as favourites, their title defence has taken the worst possible turn at the very beginning. For, once again, the Crocodiles failed to take points off an Avondale franchise. At least this one had a vastly more respectable scoreline - the game being won by the Stars by a sole point - but nevertheless, it was the same result for the Crocodiles, and against the apparently “weaker” Avondale side, too. But there were still 31 games to go, and their title defence was still far from over.

Matchday Three

Sentient Sapients 32–23 Dunkirk Daredevils
Dodle Mountaineers 27–24 Betham Sunrisers
Kirton Cavaliers 27–24 Halpenley Scorchers
Chamberley Crocodiles 24–24 Pesfield Poopers
Cleorough Thorns 24–30 Avondale Stars
Chamberley Snakes 21–28 Avondale Avengers

Game of the Round: Chamberley Crocodiles vs Pesfield Poopers
After losing their opening two games to the Avondale franchises, the Chamberley Crocodiles could have had no worse third-round pairing: world club champions Pesfield Poopers. And right from the outset, the Poopers, one of five clubs to get off to the perfect start with two wins in a row, appeared to be set for a third. But the Crocodiles fought, and fought hard, not letting the scoreline get out of hand. And eventually, through some smart plays in the forward line, they managed to equalise the scores with mere seconds on the clock. And Pesfield, try as they might, could not break the deadlock. They had dropped their first points, and Chamberley had gained theirs. Was this the way back up for them?

Upset of the Round: Dodle Mountaineers vs Betham Sunrisers
As much as people might say they might, no one saw this one coming. After their near first-round disaster against Dunkirk, Betham fought back with a convincing 11-goal victory over the Sentient Sapients to go two from two. And despite being on the road for matchday three, they were still easy favourites for their game on the foothills of the Cable Alps and as a result, decided to give some of their weaker players a go. Little did they know how much it would cost them, with wingers Liam Thompson and Dean Jessep running all over the inexperienced Sunrisers defence. By the time head coach Lincoln Veale realised that his side were in deep trouble, it was already too late, a late surge not being enough for the visitors as they slumped to their first loss of the season. When the final whistle was blown with the score 27-24 in favour of the hosts, the stadium erupted into a deafening cheer, for wins, especially against clubs of the Sunrisers’ calibre, had been far and few between last season. Was this their chance to finally make an impact on the competition?

Matchday Four

Dunkirk Daredevils 24–28 Avondale Avengers
Avondale Stars 26–30 Chamberley Snakes
Pesfield Poopers 27–24 Cleorough Thorns
Halpenley Scorchers 22–35 Chamberley Crocodiles
Betham Sunrisers 29–19 Kirton Cavaliers
Sentient Sapients 28–29 Dodle Mountaineers

Game of the Round: Sentient Sapients vs Dodle Mountaineers
There was a bit of contention over whether this would be game or upset of the round, but the sheer intensity throughout this entire match was simply too much to call it a mere upset. No, it was much more than that. During the entire match, neither side was able to take many breaks, play continuing in a rather back-and-forth manner. Sure, they happened every now and again, but more or less, each side’s front line was able to control the play. But when the Mountaineers got a point with just fifteen seconds on the clock, having stolen the ball from the Sapients’ half, the pressure was on. Despite the Tablet making a shot on goal in that time, it was not good enough to fool Brooke Lapsley in goals, deflecting the shot away. With two wins on the trot against two quality sides for the Dodle Mountaineers, the inaugural SHIT’s wooden-spooners were now a serious threat. How long until they could be stopped?

Upset of the Round: Avondale Stars vs Chamberley Snakes
In a clash between the two “weaker” franchises from Avondale and Chamberley respectively, the Snakes, predicted to finish ninth, were able to upset a stronger Stars side on their home turf, handing them their first loss of the season. The game itself was rather close - each franchise could only be separated by four goals in the end - but the final result shocked many, especially with the Stars in such superb form. However, it was a vital victory for the Snakes, who had gelled together surprisingly quickly, with internationals Damon Zachariasson and Carmen Penn hitting their straps right from the very first minute of the season. With three wins and just one loss from their opening four games, the same start as the Stars, they appear to certainly be punching above their weight.

Matchday Five

Dodle Mountaineers 21–31 Dunkirk Daredevils
Kirton Cavaliers 24–32 Sentient Sapients
Chamberley Crocodiles 27–24 Betham Sunrisers
Cleorough Thorns 33–21 Halpenley Scorchers
Chamberley Snakes 22–28 Pesfield Poopers
Avondale Avengers 29–24 Avondale Stars

Game of the Round: Chamberley Crocodiles vs Betham Sunrisers
It was a close one this week, between the Avondale derby and the Crocodiles - Sunrisers match, but the tightness of the latter game just managed to get the nod. After losing their opening two matches, Angelina Marmion’s side managed to get their heads back on for their game against the Poopers, drawing the world champions at home before tearing the Halpenley Scorchers defence to shreds in a commanding 35-22 victory. And here, against a Sunrisers outfit with six points from four games, they did not relent, producing arguably their best game of the season with a hard-fought three-point win over their fellow “big four” member. The result means that the Crocodiles have jumped up into seventh place, just one point behind the third-placed Sunrisers. They weren’t quite at their pinnacle just yet, but things were certainly looking up for the Crocodiles.

Upset of the Round:
No notable upsets.

Matchday Six

Dunkirk Daredevils 20–22 Avondale Stars
Pesfield Poopers 32–28 Avondale Avengers
Halpenley Scorchers 28–29 Chamberley Snakes
Betham Sunrisers 23–22 Cleorough Thorns
Sentient Sapients 21–25 Chamberley Crocodiles
Dodle Mountaineers 23–28 Kirton Cavaliers

Avondale Avengers (5-0-1; 2nd):
Having won their first five games, the Avondale Avengers have been toppled from their throne by the Poopers, losing 32-28 in a top-of-the-table clash. Their convincing wins over the Chamberley Crocodiles and cross-town rivals Avondale Stars certainly gives them an advantage, but they are going to need to keep up the good form despite this disappointing setback if they want to remain up in the top four. Their goal difference, at +23, is the second-best in the SHIT at the moment, but with only a two-point gap between them and third place, they are going to simply need to keep on winning. A lot is reliant on in-form pivot Gye Joo-Ha, of whom is the main reason the Avengers have scored more goals than anyone else this season. If she can keep up the good work, his franchise will undoubtedly follow.

Avondale Stars (4-0-2; 2nd):
Losses to the Chamberley Snakes and Avondale Avengers have certainly hindered this dogged Stars outfit, losing a bit of their form with those two losses in a row following their perfect start. However, an important 22-20 victory over the Dunkirk Daredevils in a low-scoring game has seen them hang onto fourth place, although both Chamberley clubs are right on their tail. With an important match against the ladder-leading Pesfield Poopers up next, the Stars can ill afford to falter despite still being in the early stages of the tournament. It will be tough work, but the Stars know how to play. They will refuse to go down without a serious fight.

Betham Sunrisers (4-0-2; 3rd):
Unfortunately, the Sunrisers really should be 5-0-1 if not for a tactical misjudgement from head coach Lincoln Veale in their third-round match against the Dodle Mountaineers. Their loss to the Chamberley Crocodiles was also disappointing, but rather expected considering the strength of the club. Instead, it was their 23-22 win against the struggling Cleorough Thorns that was the most worrying. Yes, they managed to still get two points out of the encounter, but the fact that they were unable to adequately dispose of a team with one win from five games is a cause of concern. More so is the form of winger Zachary Radcliffe, but for a player of his talent, it’s only a matter of time until he comes good again. But for the meantime, they’re going to have to live with it and hope his poor form doesn’t hinder them too much.

Chamberley Crocodiles (3-1-2; 6th):
Upon seeing the Crocodiles’ record and their position on the ladder, many of the defending champions’ supporters would quite literally throw up. Their opening losses to the two Avondale franchises really hurt, but from then on, something has changed and they’re now a club performing very close to their capabilities. Sure, they may not still be quite at their best, as their 25-21 victory over the Sentient Sapients confirmed, but it is certainly a start. A few more wins and all of a sudden they will be top three and back where they deserve to be. It will be interesting to see how they progress from this start.

Chamberley Snakes (4-0-2; 5th):
It is not often that the Snakes are higher in the ladder than their cross-town rivals, and their fans will certainly be rejoicing. With both of their losses coming at the hands of members of the “big four”, this is a better start that many of Maya Rowlandson’s players could have dreamt for. The form of Græntfjaller left-back Damon Zachariasson has been simply astounding, as has that of Bollonischian pivot Carmen Penn as she seeks to put herself into national selection discussions. However, if they are to keep up their good form, the Snakes will need to continue to perform, and hope that their homegrown players can step up a little bit more. It won’t be easy, but their start has certainly shown what they are capable of.

Cleorough Thorns (1-0-5; 10th):
Despite being widely-renowned as a franchise that can challenge the very top squads in the SHIT, the Cleorough Thorns have been nowhere near their best in the first couple of months or so of the second edition of the league. 36-year-old Bianca Gotch simply hasn’t appeared her usual alert self at all thus far, while youngsters Lucas Bochsa and Jaxon Yagan have failed to perform, struggling against the experience of their opposite numbers. Even Juven import Leonardo Cavallieri hasn’t really shown his class up until the Thorns’ latest match against the Betham Sunrisers, where the Thorns were able to compile their best performance of the season, pushing their opponents to the very last second in what eventuated into a one-goal loss. If they could do that every game, then all of a sudden, they would be a side to watch out for. Unfortunately, that is something they have struggled to do thus far.

Dodle Mountaineers (2-1-3; 8th):
Despite having only five points on the board, the Mountaineers and their fans will be extremely pleased with this start. Having been stuck with the wooden spoon last season, the Mountaineers’ two wins on the trot against the Sunrisers and the Sentient Sapients were very promising, finding themselves in the top half of the table for a round there following the 29-28 triumph over the latter. Unfortunately for them, though, they have not been able to find their mojo in the last couple of rounds, losing soundly to both the Dunkirk Daredevils and Kirton Cavaliers to drop back to eighth. Yet, it’s a start, and if they can keep up these sort of performances, then they certainly will not be finishing twelfth for the second season in a row.

Dunkirk Daredevils (1-0-5; 11th):
They’ve looked good, the Daredevils, and certainly do not deserve to be hovering down at the very tail of the table. Sure, there were a couple of games in a row there where they were not at their best, losing very winnable games against the Snakes and the Devices, but other than that, their performances have certainly been strong. As one of only two sides without an international player, not much is expected of them. But after their sound beating of the Mountaineers and pushing the Betham Sunrisers and both Avondale franchises to their very limits, they will be out for blood in their coming matches. It will be hard to stop them.

Halpenley Scorchers (0-1-5; 12th):
It truly has been a start to forget for the Scorchers. Their only point, coming from a thrilling draw against the Dodle Mountaineers on matchday two, has been their only somewhat positive sign and from then on, they simply have not been able to gel. Their star wingers, Claire Raven and Olivia Crace, have been the only two players to look in at least a bit of form, but everyone else appears to have their heads in the sand. Sure, the Scorchers are one of the weaker clubs in the SHIT, but even so, dropping three out of four points to the Mountaineers and the Kirton Cavaliers is really not a good sign.

Kirton Cavaliers (2-0-4; 9th):
They might only be in ninth place, but being anywhere not on the bottom of the table is a big tick for this struggling Cavaliers outfit. Star signing Brianna Tailor has performed, controlling the defence in a calm, collected manner and completely blocking her opposing left-wingers. However, both of the Cavaliers’ wins can be attributed to the heavy training manager Jane Goold-Adams put her side through before the beginning of the tournament, the side not letting a few heavy losses dampen their morale for winnable games against the likes of Halpenley and Dodle. And sure enough, a solid team effort saw the Cavaliers, on both occasions, over the line. And if that’s what they’ve got to do this season, then that’s what they’re going to do. They know that they won’t be pushing for a WCHC berth, so why not just try to build a team?

Pesfield Poopers (5-1-0; 1st):
The world champions have certainly lived up to their name, haven’t they? Under the management of Lauren Prior, the Pesfield Poopers have opened up with the dream start, only dropping a single point on the road against the Chamberley Crocodiles, the SHIT’s defending champions. Sure, they might have played some of the weaker clubs in the competition and not completely dispatched them, but that is to be expected, as the changes were wrung in order to rest key players and still take two points out of the encounter. Their four-point triumph last round against the Avondale Avengers saw them jump above their opponents to the top of the table, handing them their first loss after five wins on the trot. They are supremely confident, but with matches against the Avondale Stars and Dunkirk Daredevils up next, they can ill-afford to be cocky. For that will only see their unfortunate demise.

Sentient Sapients (3-0-3; 7th):
After finishing fifth last season, the Devices have had a very up-and-down start to this year’s SHIT. At one point, they were slaughtered by eleven goals at the hands of the Sunrisers, and then in the very next match, they were able to soundly defeat the Daredevils by nine goals. Where they are right now, in seventh place with three wins and three losses, seems about right for this mercurial Sapients side. However, they are only a couple of wins away from the elusive top four, and if they can put a few good performances together in a row, who knows what they might be capable of.

Current Table

*  SHIT                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Pesfield Poopers            6    5   1   0   169  142  +27    11
 2 Avondale Avengers           6    5   0   1   171  148  +23    10
 3 Betham Sunrisers            6    4   0   2   166  148  +18     8
 4 Avondale Stars              6    4   0   2   161  151  +10     8
 5 Chamberley Snakes           6    4   0   2   156  156    0     8
 6 Chamberley Crocodiles       6    3   1   2   159  147  +12     7
 7 Sentient Sapients           6    3   0   3   164  159   +5     6
 8 Dodle Mountaineers          6    2   1   3   142  161  −19     5
 9 Kirton Cavaliers            6    2   0   4   147  173  −26     4
10 Cleorough Thorns            6    1   0   5   148  155   −7     2
11 Dunkirk Daredevils          6    1   0   5   151  161  −10     2
12 Halpenley Scorchers         6    0   1   5   141  174  −33     1

---

Sylestone vs Gatchingerrak Union: A Recap

Sylestone Starting VII: Gotch; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Raven - James - Fosbrook

Gatchingerrak Union Starting VII: Andersson; Sarup - Wanne - Thycosen; Porogolev - Tavrizyan - Mandelshtam

Cards:

Sylestone:
8’: Claire Raven ▮
12’: Ellie McKean ▮
26’: Patrick Barnsley ▮
27’: Lole Strezlecki ▮
35’: Oscar Dumaresq ▮
49’: Lachlan Fosbroook ▮

Gatchingerrak Union:
2’: Irina Mandelshtam ▮
22’: Yoon Bo-Gyeong ▮
39’: Nils Palme ▮
42’: Galina Nachtaller ▮

Goals:

Sylestone (29):
Amber James - 9
Lachlan Fosbrook - 5
Claire Raven - 4
Zachary Radcliffe - 3
Lole Strezlecki - 3
Patrick Barnsley - 2
Samantha Hussey - 1
Ellie McKean - 1
Flynn Strange - 1

Gatchingerrak Union (21):
Vadim Tavrizyan - 8
Nils Palme - 6
Therese Engstrom - 2
Eduard Porogolev - 2
Rasmus Sarup - 1
Jean-Paul Thycosen - 1
Irene Varens-Panczenko - 1

Starting Lineup vs Natanians and Nosts @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok

Dumaresq; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Younger; Radcliffe - Barnsley - McKean

Schedule:

Matchday One: Sylestone 24-16 Eshialand @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
Matchday Two: Sylestone 29-21 Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
Matchday Three: Natanians and Nosts - Sylestone @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok

[Muralos]

La Nova Ĵurnalo de Sportoj
"It's like La Gazeto de Sportoj, but a little bit shittier"

Muralosian National Handball Team Sputters in 25th Handball World Cup
Hawks Are in Bottom of Melayu Archipelago Group
by an author who would rather not have this article in his journalistic portfolio, thank you

The Muralosian national handball team is currently competing in the 25th Handball World Cup in the Græntfjaller Commonwealth, which includes Græntfjall and several nations across various regions of the multiverse, including Sonnel and the Melayu Archipelago. The Muralosian team was drawn into a group competing in Berdeng Bundok, a nation in the Melayu Archipelago.

This Muralosian national handball team is the exact same team as the infamous one that competed in the 16th Handball World Cup in Ethane. Why and how was there not a group of more qualified, more sportmanslike handball players sent by the Muralosian Ministry of Sports to represent the country? This remains a mystery. It can be assured, however, that the Muralosian players are still in their physical prime; after the 16th Handball World Cup, they went into hiding in the nation of Jiadao, where time – and consequently, aging – is much slower. This is a good and bad sign for the handball Hawks: the handball players have only aged one and a half years, but they have only been able to spend one and a half years maturing and improving their skill.

The performance of the Hawks, so far, is looking not dissimilar to their performance in Ethane, either. The Hawks are currently in the bottom of the Melayu Archipelago group, in which they were placed for logistical reasons. They have lost their matches by fairly close margins - the first one by four goals against Græntfjall and the second one by two goals against The Sevens Federation. In Ethane, the Hawks drew one match, lost one match by two goals, and lost another by three goals. There is one key difference between the team's performance in Berdeng Bundok and its performance in Ethane, though, and that is sportsmanship. The Hawks' goalscoring celebrations in Berdeng Bundok have been humble, with no jumping, hardly any running, and certainly no removals of shirts. Their expressions of disappointment have also been kept to a minimum. Back at the 16th Handball World Cup, on the other hand...

Despite their 0-0-2 record and last place standing, the Hawks are not to be eliminated on the final group stage matchday, whatever the outcome of their match against independent sporting powerhouse Abanhfleft will be. The 25th Handball World Cup will feature a consolation bracket, in which the Hawks may see better results.

"I and the team will make sure to take advantage of the opportunity that is the consoles bracket, and yes, we are bracing for the consoles bracket," left back Aleksandro Chang - FIS champion, notably bad sportsman in Ethane, and current student at the University of Jiadao - told La Nova Ĵurnalo de Sportoj. "I've been honing my blocks and sharpening my vision of the court, and I think all of us on the handball team have never been better," he added. Other members of the national handball team declined to comment, including their anonymous manager.

The Hawks' final group stage game and consoles games will be broadcast on the television channel RTM-1, the radio station FM 109.3, and the website rtmnet.mur, just like the Cup of Harmony soccer games.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

This unnamed storyline is a spin-off story about handballer Jin Hyeong-Mi and Henry Lundrigan, the eventual second Earl Lundrigan. As a story of two persons with their love of handball (and eventually each other), it will (slowly) be written over the next few HWCs. Until HWC 31, it will be written from the scenes of future, meaning that while there will be plenty of time to cover the stories, there may be occasionally outdated aspects/lines/details that may get overwritten every now and then.

The very nitpicky details, of course, aren't the ones to really live for, as both Hyeong-Mi and Henry come from the universe of both Jin Chang-Wook's Adventure of Lifetime (15th Summer Olympic series about Jin Chang-Wook, volleyball setter whose legends begin in Bunjil) and TWGS Megaseries (Vol. 1 and eventual Vol. 3). There's a bigger picture to look into when analysing how they tie into everything, so it can either be super-fun reading all of the 'Asherverse' or not at all.

So really, just enjoy it for fun and nothing much - hopefully I'll be able to cover more about handball and other forms of this beautiful sport over next while.

---

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.

From the Future-Time (mid-2067 / 13 years from now)

Hyeong-Mi already felt her hair tangled, and was having issues with her footsteps when she arrived back to her apartment. The hallway from the elevator was done in carpet, meaning that it felt comfortable for the residents, even if it had meant great deal of inconveniences cleaning the carpet now and then. In the winters this had meant that the carpet itself would have been a nightmare with how wet it'd get, but Hyeong-Mi had no problem with the carpets alone as she entered.

'Is it Hyeong-Mi?' Her father, Jin Chang-Wook, smiled lightly at him, at he woke up from a couch. 'How was outside? I see that Sir. Asher got us a parcel.' Her father was a slightly tall, dark-haired man, whose smile never seemed to go all the way up. He had sharp tongue and honesty that more than covered for her mother's genuine warmth, though the way their behaviour really differed sometimes made Hyeong-Mi and her adopted brother, Hyeong-Woo, wonder on how they even got together to start with.

Her father slowly recovered from lying on the couch, before turning off the television. The living room, still in process to be decorated, held a couple of bookshelves that contained books, albums and lots of photo frames that had all four members of family together. On the other side of the room, Hyeong-Mi was standing in front of the kitchen table, and moved her head left and right twice. It was clear that her father came home while Hyeong-Mi and Henry Lundrigan were out on a walk, suggesting that two of them ended up chatting for lot longer than intended.

'Yeah, his son came. The guy in the wheelchair...' Hyeong-Mi had a slightly hard time describing Henry, her mind navigating through a two-hour videotape playing inside her mind, as she tried her best not to give her father, whose tongue's fieriness were famous, any faulty ideas.

'Ah, must be her son then!' Chang-Wook said, scratching his head, before giving his daughter a nod to suggest that it's nothing big of a deal to start with. 'Henry...what a charming fellow. He looks just like his father.' Then he turned his head around to look at the parcel. 'You see, my young lady,' her father pointed at the parcel. 'You'll really like this one. Not sure how Sir. Henry really found all the stuff inside. All the rare stuff you'd not believe where they came from...and in this form too. Just un-fucking-believable.'

'What is it?' Hyeong-Mi asked, wondering what the contents were. Is it something super-rare? Are they jewelry? Or are they signed copies of his books? Gosh, gotta be one of those...

'Well, it's for you.' Her father grinned back at him, slowly walking to the kitchen aisle to pick it up. 'Just don't open it yet. Or at least wait until you see that young chum another time. He knows how to handle them.'

'Why not now?' Hyeong-Mi felt frustrated at her father not exactly what saying what it was. 'Is it really that secretive of an object that only he can handle it? Come on...'

'Shh,' her father put a finger to his lips, looking even more amused. 'Well, it involves handball. There are three people I really know on this city who play handball - Samuele Henriksson the goalkeeper, you my daughter, and that Henry boy on wheelchair. Fortunate news is that he lives on this apartment as well...well not always..so just ask him next time.'

She sighed. 'Alright, dad.' Hyeong-Mi said, before picking up the parcel and going back to her room. 'Guess I will.'

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

Okay, let’s get all of the jokes out of the way before getting into it. Ferale is not real, Ferale is a conspiracy theory, Ferale is actually government property where they do various things out of the public eye, anyone who claims to be from Ferale is a government plant trying to root out those who know about the truth, blah blah blah. Well, I mean, I guess it’s understandable why a lot of people think that way. There’s nothing of note at all within the Province of Ferale (which, for those who are not from Abanhfleft, is pronounced similar to “for rail”) except for the bountiful natural sights of the Myleishi Plateau. And by bountiful, I mean brown and red sandstone repeated excessively with only the very occasional succulent plant to break up the monotony, at least as far as the eastern side of the province goes. There aren't even any oil or gas deposits in the area to justify 560,000 people deciding to leave their old places and calling this province home! In fact, probably the only consolation that anyone living in Ferale has is the fact that it doesn’t hold the record for the highest average temperature in an inhabited locality. That honor goes to nearby Selid, but they’ve got oil rigs and a bloody racetrack to make up for it. But what Ferale does have is a surprisingly fertile western coastal plain where ranchers can grow and breed beef all day long. And that is how we are introduced to one of the other OG handball teams in Abanhfleft, the Ferale Beef.

Unsurprisingly, the Ferale Beef started off as a bunch of ranch hands just looking for a way to cool off and have fun when there’s not much work for them to do. Most other people would usually form football or basketball teams, but not these guys. For some reason, an interest in the relatively unknown (at the time, that is) sport that is handball was what brought these ranch hands (and some of their friends from outside the ranches) together, and with beef in plentiful supply in their area, it was almost inevitable that that was what they were going to use for their team name. Originally, they were named after the ranch that employed them, Harkers’ Ranch, but with the arrival of the new league comes the need to rename themselves for geographical accuracy. They could have moved places and re-established themselves somewhere else, but the Beef, being a bunch of rowdy rancher boys, weren’t really into that. So instead, they just took on the name of the province where they lived and said, “That’s good enough.” As it should be. Naming a whole team after a single province is not unheard of in Fleftic sports, but when you’re based in the province with the lowest population in the entire country, it’s probably good to put the name of the entire province in your team name instead of just limiting yourself to one city. Imagine if it was named the Filake Beef. Sure, you’ve got the capital of Ferale Province but you might risk alienating the other towns in the province. I don’t know. Two of the players from Abanhfleft’s first ever national handball team, Norman Loza and Brock Spiva, hail from the Beef, and that’s one reason why they’ve been approached to join the new handball league.

The next team we’re going to look at takes us far away from the hot and harsh surroundings of the Myleishi Plateau and into the cooler and more windswept Province of Jep, specifically the city of Oui. It’s very far away from the place that we consider as the heartland of handball in Abanhfleft, but the sport managed to find a niche here anyway. Maybe it’s because of the high proportion of European-descended people in the area. I don’t actually know. I’m just spitballing, as they say. This is also the first team that’s been co-ed since its foundation, which is surprising only in that I took this long to talk about them. Yes, I am indeed talking about the Oui Orbiters. And they’re called the Orbiters, not because Oui is the center of the Fleftic space program (well, it is sort of the center because Oui is where Mission Control is located) but because they came from the factory that manufactures Abanfleft’s space orbiters.Yes, I’m not kidding. That’s the real story behind their name! Ask them yourselves if you don’t believe me. Folks like Carmela Hetherington, Emma Saling, and Allan Pavao will be more than happy to confirm everything I’ve just said. And because it was one of the teams where the national team got its first players, the Orbiters also got the honor of being one of the first teams to take part in the new handball league being formed here alongside the Handball World Cup.

Speaking of the Handball World Cup, the first group stage is about to reach its conclusion. I’m not going to spoil anything here for those who haven’t read my recap of Game 2 against Græntfjall just yet, but I am going to say that things could get really interesting against Muralos. And that’s all she said, literally.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Clear victory over Sajnur keeps hopes alive

By Argeir Stefansson

Savojarna’s return to the Handball World Cup after an internal investigation at corruption in the Handballförbundet have led to the Northlights missing the competition has been a bit hit or miss so far. A loss to Srednjaci in the crucial opener put them on their back foot, but they kept hopes alive by beating Sajnur with a focused offensive performance that outweighed a suboptimal showing by the young Arni Stefan Gunnarsson. Arni started the game with a shaky performance, giving up some goals that were not unstoppable, and was substituted by veteran Magnusson at the end of the first half, only coming back for three Sajnur penalties, a specialty of the young EUS keeper. The initial deficit had been easily overcome by half-time, as the Savojar backcourt showed a splendid effort. Particularly captain Halldor Laurison was remarkable with his ability to score shots from range, netting five goals in the first half before settling into a more laid-back, distributing role in the second half and finishing with seven goals to his name. Ingmar Fjällvik’s offensive impact likewise was keenly felt, with the CASK backcourter finding repeated passes to the front line.

The hidden star of the match was the scrappy Gudmundur Oláson, who exploited the fact that Sajnur never managed to find an answer to his pesky presence. In particular, he stood out with his leading goal to the 22-21, a highlight moment where he broke through between two defenders to score a goal in falling after being fouled. Gudmundur had greatly drawn attention from the Sajnur defenders too, leading to a great deal of space for the creative wingers who knew what to do with that. SHL top scorer Hrafnar Gylfison in particular was great at utilising this extra space, and scored the most goals of the game for Savojarna with nine points, a dominant performance by the ESK winger who also played for the longest in the Northlights side. Despite his issues to have the same impact on defence, Hrafnar was a major asset on the right side thanks to his left-handedness, giving Savojarna the option to attack from two sides in a way Sajnur never could quite match.

On the left side, Daniel Gislason might have been the biggest underwhelming player in the team, even though he still showed a performance that he should be happy with. The BHK Kjefla winger had trouble with the opposing defence, who had him marked out as one of Savojarna’s dangerous weapons, marking him closely whenever Gudmundur did not manage to draw enough attention away from him. Things looked a bit better for him in the second half, when Fjällvik got more time and could support his teammate more than the defensive specialist Tuivonen did, but he still struggled to make his presence felt on the left wing compared to his massive performance in the SHL. Joël Hemskov, the most criticised call-up of the roster, also did not manage to fully put in the performance expected by his supporters; it was two of his turnovers that resulted in Sajnur slightly gaining again in the second half, although it was never enough to put Savojarna in danger in the final phase of the game.

Coming up next is the final group stage game against the group favourites Bollonich, a difficult matchup that the Northlights will need to at least draw in order to make it out of groups. In case of a draw, they would have to hope for a Sajnur victory over Srednjaci to clinch second place, or potentially advance through the top 2 third places, something that will likely be difficult with only three points. A victory, however, would secure the move forward depending on goal difference, and place the Northlights in a good position to move on through the top 2 third-ranked teams as well. Coach Hrafnar Magnusson showed optimism in a press conference, stating: “My team is working together better every day. We’ve had not that much time to prepare and you could see that against Srednjaci, but we’ve improved a lot since then, and we’re not scared of what is to come now that Halldor and Hrafnar are reaching their form. We’re sorting out some more problems, especially in defence, but we’re not scared of Bollonich, we know that we won this tournament before and that’s our goal, so we need to beat whomever we meet anyway”.

[Bollonich]

Confident handball side steamrolls opposition

Ever since the victory in the final of the Handball World Cup, a sense of invincibility has been present around the team. Not to call it overconfidence as such but the team has been very sure of themselves. And to this, they have delivered results in the form of great victories. We started our World Cup defense against newcomers Sajnur, who had the terrible fortune of being drawn in the group as the defending champions and what followed in the game was simply a show of class. The managerial staff opting not to change a thing in the side had initially raised some eyebrows however looking at the vicious performance of the players especially the highly scrutinised ones, the managerial staff’s faith in these players has certainly been repaid. While the match against Sajnur was a simple formality, the Srednjacian team was going to be less of so. We were expected to win and were the favourites, however they were not any pushovers having just recorded a victory over Savojarna. This could be a difficult encounter for the players if the possibility of overconfidence was to play its hand.
The starting 7 begun the game in classic fashion opening the scoring and already putting some distance between us and Srednjaci. While our offensive department was effective to keep us ahead we were struggling defensively to keep up with Srednjaci’s players’ intensity. Maybe the higher age of the Bollonischian players was shining through. The trade off made giving up speed and intensity for experience could maybe bite us in the back. We managed to hold onto the lead in the first half and it looked like we were out of the woods.
That temporary feeling of safety however is exactly the moment before a dangerous predator pounces on you and gobbles you up. Well, in this case there was no predator instead the Bollonischians managed to hold onto the victory claiming our second win of the tournament. This gave us very good chances of qualification as we are to face a side that once dominated Handball on the world stage, Savojarna. Having won three consecutive Handball World Cup titles, Savojarna holds the record for most trophies won by one nation tied with Costa de Ouro and Red Blackiland. This encounter shall be one to watch for despite the current Savojar team not having reached the level of its past glory. A team hungry for the reestablishment of their past stature in a sport could very well be very dangerous for us.

[Graintfjall]

RP cutoff for MD3.

---

Atlantian Oceania group
Qasden 28–29 Kannap
Raspotochje 15–28 Sarzonia

  Atlantian Oceania group                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kannap                                        3   3  0  0   88  77 +11    6
2 Sarzonia                                      3   2  0  1   84  70 +14    4
3 Qasden                                        3   0  1  2   75  82  −7    1
4 Raspotochje                                   3   0  1  2   61  79 −18    1

Rushmore group
Srednjaci 30–22 Sajnur
Savojarna 24–22 Bollonich

  Rushmore group                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     3   2  0  1   81  70 +11    4
2 Srednjaci                                     3   2  0  1   80  73  +7    4
3 Savojarna                                     3   2  0  1   82  77  +5    4
4 Sajnur                                        3   0  0  3   73  96 −23    0

Esportiva group
Gatchingerrak Union 26–21 Eshialand
Natanians and Nosts 28–27 Sylestone

  Esportiva group                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                     3   2  0  1   80  65 +15    4
2 Gatchingerrak Union                           3   2  0  1   71  71   0    4
3 Natanians and Nosts                           3   1  1  1   80  82  −2    3
4 Eshialand                                     3   0  1  2   68  81 −13    1

Melayu Archipelago group
Abanhfleft 28–29 Muralos
The Sevens Federation 21–27 Græntfjall

  Melayu Archipelago group                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall                                    3   3  0  0   86  67 +19    6
2 Muralos                                       3   1  0  2   74  79  −5    2
3 Abanhfleft                                    3   1  0  2   77  84  −7    2
4 The Sevens Federation                         3   1  0  2   68  75  −7    2

Anaia group
Lisander 31–29 Atheara
StrayaRoos 34–35 Quebec and Shingoryeo

  Anaia group                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                         3   3  0  0   98  87 +11    6
2 Lisander                                      3   2  0  1   91  77 +14    4
3 StrayaRoos                                    3   1  0  2   82  91  −9    2
4 Atheara                                       3   0  0  3   78  94 −16    0

Sonnel group
Varmennia 24–31 Octapolis
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 22–27 Juvencus

  Sonnel group                                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Octapolis                                     3   2  0  1   87  76 +11    4
2 Juvencus                                      3   2  0  1   81  78  +3    4
3 Varmennia                                     3   2  0  1   84  83  +1    4
4 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      3   0  0  3   72  87 −15    0

Independents group
Kriegiersien 24–20 Venmere
Pius Desurongcrandis 22–32 HUElavia

  Independents group                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kriegiersien                                  3   3  0  0   83  67 +16    6
2 HUElavia                                      3   2  0  1   93  71 +22    4
3 Pius Desurongcrandis                          3   1  0  2   67  86 −19    2
4 Venmere                                       3   0  0  3   64  83 −19    0

3rd place rankings:

                                              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                                     3   2  0  1   82  77  +5    4
2 Varmennia                                     3   2  0  1   84  83  +1    4
3 Natanians and Nosts                           3   1  1  1   80  82  −2    3
4 Abanhfleft                                    3   1  0  2   77  84  −7    2
5 StrayaRoos                                    3   1  0  2   82  91  −9    2
6 Pius Desurongcrandis                          3   1  0  2   67  86 −19    2
7 Qasden                                        3   0  1  2   75  82  −7    1

Information on finals and consolation rounds to follow.

[Graintfjall]

Finals stage

Seeding:

                                               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
 1 Græntfjall                                    3   3  0  0   86  67 +19    6
 2 Kriegiersien                                  3   3  0  0   83  67 +16    6
 3 Quebec and Shingoryeo                         3   3  0  0   98  87 +11    6
 4 Kannap                                        3   3  0  0   88  77 +11    6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5 HUElavia                                      3   2  0  1   93  71 +22    4
 6 Sylestone                                     3   2  0  1   80  65 +15    4
 7 Lisander                                      3   2  0  1   91  77 +14    4
 8 Sarzonia                                      3   2  0  1   84  70 +14    4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9 Octapolis                                     3   2  0  1   87  76 +11    4
10 Bollonich                                     3   2  0  1   81  70 +11    4
11 Srednjaci                                     3   2  0  1   80  73  +7    4
12 Savojarna                                     3   2  0  1   82  77  +5    4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 Juvencus                                      3   2  0  1   81  78  +3    4
14 Varmennia                                     3   2  0  1   84  83  +1    4
15 Gatchingerrak Union                           3   2  0  1   71  71   0    4
16 Muralos                                       3   1  0  2   74  79  −5    2

Four groups were drawn from these pots, and the order of these groups then further randomized.

Bear Group
Savojarna
Lisander
Juvencus
Græntfjall

Eagle Group
Octapolis
Sarzonia
Kriegiersien
Muralos

Elk Group
Kannap
HUElavia
Gatchingerrak Union
Bollonich

Wolf Group
Sylestone
Varmennia
Quebec and Shingoryeo
Srednjaci

---

Consolation stage

Seeding:

                                               Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
 1 Natanians and Nosts                           3   1  1  1   80  82  −2    3
 2 Abanhfleft                                    3   1  0  2   77  84  −7    2
 3 The Sevens Federation                         3   1  0  2   68  75  −7    2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4 StrayaRoos                                    3   1  0  2   82  91  −9    2
 5 Pius Desurongcrandis                          3   1  0  2   67  86 −19    2
 6 Qasden                                        3   0  1  2   75  82  −7    1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 7 Eshialand                                     3   0  1  2   68  81 −13    1
 8 Raspotochje                                   3   0  1  2   61  79 −18    1
 9 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      3   0  0  3   72  87 −15    0
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10 Atheara                                       3   0  0  3   78  94 −16    0
11 Venmere                                       3   0  0  3   64  83 −19    0
12 Sajnur                                        3   0  0  3   73  96 −23    0

Three groups were drawn from these pots, and the order of these groups then further randomized.

Bull Group
Sajnur
Natanians and Nosts
Pius Desurongcrandis
Raspotochje

Owl Group
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland
The Sevens Federation
Qasden
Atheara

Spider Group
Venmere
Abanhfleft
Eshialand
StrayaRoos

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For both stages, the schedule is as follows:

Tue 15 Feb MD1: 1v4 2v3
Wed 16 Feb MD2: 4v3, 1v2
Thu 17 Feb MD3: 2v4, 3v1