[LRF] URSA Sevens 2

by **Lisander** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:01 pm

Welcome to URSA Sevens 2 Official In-Character and Results Topic!

NSRB Sevens Rankings | Rugby Discussion Thread | LARFC Lions Sevens

FORMAT
24 teams: 4 pools of 6 teams. Single round-robin.
The top two teams in each pool advance to Cup. Third and fourth-placed teams advance to the Plate, and still score points in Series Table. Bottom two teams will contest the Bowl.

Tiebreakers will be (in order):
1. Head-to-head result between the tied teams.
2. Difference in points scored and allowed during pool play.
3. Points scored during pool play.
4. Coin toss (higher RP points).

POOL DRAW, based on current NSRB Sevens Rankings:

Pool A
Elejamie (2)
Hutanjia (8)
Mattijana (14)
Alpine Union (19)
Kita-Hinode (UR)
Northwestern Kalactin (UR)

Pool B
Frenline Delpha (4)
Natanians and Nosts (9)
The Kiaser Colonies (15)
Alice Bay (19)
Al Qurija (UR)
Velstrania (UR)

Pool C
Abanhfleft (5)
Neu Engollon (10)
Islana Lunigo (16)
Darmen (21)
Aquitayne (UR)
Greater Vakolicci Haven(UR)

Pool D
Lisander (6)
Bvriania (12)
New South Munster (16)
Savojarna (39)
Filindostan (UR)
Copper Cuprum(UR)

CALENDAR
In a common rugby sevens tournament, many games are played in one day. Thinking about 20 minutes per match, only 2 or 3 days would be enough, but since the focus is the Roleplay, each round will take one day. So there will be 5 rounds in Pool Stage before the Knockout Rounds. The tournament will span over three IC days.

SCORINATION, CUTOFF AND ROLEPLAY INFO
As usual, xkoranate Rugby Union Sevens formula will be used for the scorination. The most recent NSRB Sevens Rankings will be used, and unranked teams theoretically start with 0.00, but each posting a roster will be awarded with some points, more or less depending on the presentation.

Roleplay bonus applies and will be cumulative. Quality over quantity is encouraged, as always. Since Lisander Rugby Festival is a multi-topic event, Roleplays on LARFC Lions topic should and will be counted to URSA Sevens, provided they're relevant or at least have connection with the events in this topic. Another way to earn small bonuses (up to 10%) is to meet small Roleplay challenges that will be added to the thread. It will be small things, like "Use the word pineapple in your RP, in a way that is consistent." Stay tuned for the challenges.

Cutoff will be around 20h GMT, but this is subject to change depending on my non-NS duties. Eventual changes will be informed via OOC thread.

The standard rugby sevens points system will be in effect for this tournament where: 3 points are awarded for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, and 0 for a forfeit.

RP PERMISSIONS
As usual, you should add RP Permissions to your roster, so your opponents may know what they can do:

Code: Select all: [box]My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following: Choose my scorers: Yes/No Godmod Scoring Events: Yes/No RP injuries to my players: Yes/No Godmod injuries to my players: Yes/No Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes/No Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes/No Godmod Other Events: Yes/No[/box]

by **Lisander** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:02 pm

In-Character info

ABOUT LISANDER
Lisander is ~~an Autocracy~~ ~~an Absolute Monarchy~~ a constitutional monarchy with reserve power provided to the monarch. Is a massive, cultured nation, known for its natural beauties, is a great destination for tourists. Lisander progressive government is known for its investments in education and healthcare. This dedication generated a society known by its book publishers and IT corporations, like NTXIS and EON

ABOUT LISANDER RUGBY
Lisander have high levels of youth rebelliousness. And most of this rebelliousness is dispersed into sports. Rugby, a game of heavy contact, is the national sport of the Principality. For about a century, rugby was an amateur sport, but in last years, partnerships between unions, corporations and the government were vital to turning Lisander into one of the rising nations of the international Rugby Union. The Irises sevens, its national sevens team, reached the state of grace after winning the Maracalo Cup in AVBF Sevens, weeks ago.

VENUES
URSA Sevens is annually held by União de Rugby de Soria and Azhaar, the oldest regional rugby union in Lisander. In this edition, two stadiums will receive the tournament, in Soria, the Lisander Capital.

URSA Park: Also called Soria Park, is the main rugby stadium of Soria, and is usually shared by Top 12 teams (Blues, Victorian Rugby and Harlequins) and the URSA Roses (regional representative side). It is able to seat 28,000. URSA Park will host Pools A and C, as well as Cup Knockout Rounds.

St. Helen's Park: St. Helens Park is a private middle-class stadium in St.Helens/Marina neighborhood. Is a Property of St. Helens Club, one of most traditional clubs from Soria. The stadium was opened in 1926 and is currently able to hold 15,400 people. It will host Pools B and D and the Knockout rounds for Plate and Bowl.

CALENDAR

Day 1 AM: Round 1
Day 1 AFT: Round 2
Day 1 PM: Round 3

Day 2 AM: Round 4
Day 2 AFT: Round 5
Day 2 PM: Plate/Bowl Quarterfinals

Day 3 AM: Cup Quarterfinals, Plate/Bowl Semifinals
Day 3 AFT: Cup Semifinals, Plate/Bowl Finals
Day 3 PM: Cup Finals

ROLEPLAY CHALLENGE, ROUND 1
We do not just want to read, we want to see it too!

Give us a look on your team, players or local rugby. And when I say look, I'm talking about images, not only texts and tables. An illustrated newspaper article, your national team logo and uniforms, a depiction of your star players or any image your imagination can think. You don't need to be an image-editing software master (if you are, good for you), you just need to choose good images to represent your team. The most creative roleplay following this guidelines will be awarded a 10% bonus for URSA Sevens.

by **Lisander** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:03 pm

Irises Sevens - URSA Sevens Info

New year, new team. With the stars of Top 12 in the Irises XV, a new selection was made before the olympics. Patricio Bernauer is assuming slowly the functions of Leonard Assen, recently-promoted to LRU Director of Rugby. Assen is now responsible for selecting and managing all the first-tier national teams: The Irises (XV), Irises Sevens, Junior Irises (U-20), The Lilies (Ladies XV). Bernauer keeps his eyes in Lisander A and in Lisander Barbarians, "unpaid" touring team, and is also the Head coach of Sevens. Gaetan Morian, who coached the team in Olympics, return to the Assistant Coach position.

The Irises Sevens are now relying more than ever in speed, with the entry on the roster of two of the fastest players in Lisanderian Rugby: Eleazar Castell and Christian Alte.

Modifier: +4

The Lisander Rugby Union uniforms for the season 25 are made by Valls Rugby. Contrary to what was believed, Valls didn't produced new Uniforms for Sevens, not for this tournament. They're trying to sell the pieces yet in the stores.

#	Name			Pos
1	Gaetan Latta (C)	Prop
2	Baltasar Boján		Prop
3	Maximiliano Luna	Scrum-Half
4	Russel Held		Hooker
5	Eran Lasses		Fly-Half
6	Eden Stadler		Center
7	Eleazar Castell		Wing

8	Oliver Bussière		Prop
9	Afonso Leenvrouw	Prop
10	Alex Rosso		Scrum-Half
11	Christian Alte		Fly-Half/Center
12	Atlas Caron		Fullback

STAFF
Coach: Patricio Bernauer
Assistant Coach: Gaetan Morian
Team Doctor: Guillaume Germain
Apparel Manager: Filipe Wurz

LRU Main Sponsor

by **Elejamie** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:20 pm

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

Style Mod: 0 (as always)

Rugby is the third most popular sport in Elejamie, behind ice hockey and football (or soccer; American football is called "gridiron" and is considered a niche sport at best). Rugby union is the most popular form in Elejamie, with rugby league having a small but loyal fanbase. However, it wasn't until 2016 when there finally was an officially sanctioned rugby sevens tournament was announced: The ERC 7s, which begins on the fourth Friday of August and lasts for three days. Simply put, all twelve teams in that season's ERC (Elejamian Rugby Championship) are divided into two groups of six and play a single round robin tournament to see whether they'll play for the Cup, the Plate or the Bowl. The first group's games are played on the Friday, the second group's games are played on the following Saturday and the semi-finals, 3PPOs and Cup/Plate/Bowl finals are played on Sunday afternoon/evening. The second tournament in Edgebaston saw the Murgon Bullfrogs shut out the Coventry Wyverns 12-0, thanks to two tries from Adam McCracken. The Plate saw the Avon Knights crush both their opponents (44-0 against the Elejamie City Eagles in the semi-final and 41-6 against the Auckhampton Birch Trees in the final), whereas the Iceland Panthers beat the newly-promoted Mainsborough Delphi 19-11 to take home the Bowl.

Elejamie had a decent time in their first stop at the AVBF 7s in Burgenden, Neu Engollon, winning all but one of their group stage games to finish top of the group; a 21-21 draw against the Natanians and Nosts prevented them from getting a perfect group stage run. After a 24-19 win over Racao in the Cup quarter-finals, they were up against the Kiaser Colonies in the semi-finals. A game that ended in Elejamie absolutely destroying their competition, 35-7, to make it through to the final against Lisander. However, the Irises proved too much for Elejamie and would finish the match as the Cup winners thanks to a 21-17 win.

And so they've arrived at their next stop, Lisander. With 15 points so far in the tournament thanks to them finishing second overall, as well as two all-star university rugby teams competing at the LARFC sevens, Elejamie are hoping to carry on their good run at the last tournament. Will they add a few more points to the board and edge closer to a spot in the Rugby Sevens World Cup? Or will they end up dropping out of the top sixteen? Only time will tell...

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

Forwards

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
1	Marcus Ruiz		30	P		Coventry Wyverns
2	Mike Decker		33	P		Avon Knights
4	Diego Molina 		26	H		Auckhampton Birch Trees

Backs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
3	David Kramer		31	SH		Auckhampton Birch Trees
5	Gary Toda		29	FH		Davenport Commandos
6	Paul Koppel		22	C		Iceland Panthers
7	Mical Caerofim		34	W/FB		Coventry Wyverns

Subs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
8	Riley Kroger		25	P		Avon Knights
9	Tom Correy		31	P/H		Davenport Commandos
10	Tim Crespin		23	SH/FH		Edgebaston Warriors
11	Patrick Hayden		28	C		Elejamie City Eagles
12	Adam McCracken		28	W/FB		Murgon Bullfrogs

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

by **Filindostan** » Tue Nov 07, 2017 9:10 am

FILINDOSTAN
National Rugby Sevens Team
URSA Sevens 2

About the National Team

Filindostan will enter the rugby scene for the first time, starting with the Rugby Sevens. Should they have a good performance in the tournament, the Filindostani Rugby Board will consider entering the Rugby League and Rugby Union World Cups, and in the future, establish a competition for these sports.

Style modifier: +4

Playing Squad

In Filindostan, people are often called by their nickname. Some players opt to put their nickname instead of the customary last name in their kits. The shirt names for the squad are noted by ALL CAPS.

Playing Lineup

 1 | Prop            | Rome Tony "ARTIE" Esca      | 23 | Male
 2 | Prop            | Trinity "NITY" Wasyudi      | 24 | Female
 3 | Scrum-Half      | Daniel "DAN" Simangunsong   | 26 | Male
 4 | Hooker          | KUWAT                       | 22 | Male
 5 | Fly-Half        | THAABITA Luhukay            | 29 | Female
 6 | Center          | Joselie "JOS" Juan          | 19 | Female
 7 | Wing            | JEMIMAH Jadibata            | 17 | Male
 8 | Prop            | Annie "ANI" Batombaka       | 28 | Female
 9 | Prop            | Thaabita "BITA" Sipanggang  | 35 | Female
10 | Scrum-Half      | Ronn BASTE                  | 19 | Male
11 | Fly-Half/Center | Exequiel "SEKK" Warunjita   | 25 | Male
12 | Fullback        | Radanits LEKATOMPESSY       | 28 | Female

Kits
Due to the short notice of the team joining this tournament, the official rugby kits have not yet been made. However, they saw a set of rugby shirts in a thrift shop (AKA ukay-ukay) and used it for this tournament. The main shirt color is all red, while they use white T-shirts as an alternate.

Team RP and Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes - I'll determine the severity.
Godmod injuries to my players: No - Absolutely no death here please.
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Tue Nov 07, 2017 5:17 pm

Alpine Union National Rugby Team

Reprezentacja Alpejski w Rugby

Selección de rugby de Unión Alpina

Équipe d'Union Alpine de Rugby

Alpischen Rugby Nationalgemischtschaft

Sgioba Nàiseanta Rugbaidh na Ailpeach Aonadh

Full nation name: Union of Socialist Alpine Republics
Short nation name: Alpine Union, U.S.A.R.
Trigramme: UAR
Demonym: Alpine
Nicknames: Alpine Union, Alpines, Green & red, Bisons, Reprezentacja Alpejski
Team Colors: Green and red
Style modifier: -1

Kits (designed by Valls Rugby from Lisander):

Home (left) ; Away (right)

Staff:
Head Coach: Maolmuire GilleChrìost
Assistant Coach: Wlodzimierz Szabakiewicz
Assistant Coach: Eilidh Nic Maoláin
Captain: Philipp Schweinsteiger

1	Prop	Nicola Lazzaroni	26	Benedetto Rugby 	        Porto Santa Margherita, AC
2	Hooker	Luke Chisholm	        25	Mariot's Rugby Club	        Holybourne, BR
3	Prop	Krzysztof Szerszenowicz	26	Waddington Athletic Club RFC	Szczawnica, WP
4	Scr Half Philipp Schweinsteiger	32	Roxburgh Rugby	                Mönchenholzhausen, AM
5	Fly Half Serge Dusautoir	29	Stade tournubertais	        Soulac-sur-Mer, AQ
6	Center	Jack Banahan	        28	Cwmffrwd Blues	                Monkton Wyld, BR
7	Winger	Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil 29	Roxburgh Rugby	                Roxburgh, CD
					
8	Prop	Ogilhinn Flimean	28	Linlithgow Warriors	        Stronachlachar, CD
9	H/P	Ryszard Owczarzak	31	Legia Puck	                Dulkowszczyzna, WP
10	Half    Fiona Nic Leoid	        23	Linlithgow Warriors	        Glengarnock, CD
11	Half/C	Raghallaigh Ó Conghalaigh 27	Castletown-Bearhaven Rugby	Creggaballagh, HY
12	Winger	Finn MacArthur	        26	Linlithgow Warriors	        Dail an Leigh Dalelia, CD

AC: Amalfi Coast
AM: Alsace-Mecklenburg
AQ: Aquitaine-Languedoc
BR: Britannia
CD: Caledonia
HY: Hybernia
WP: Wschodnioprusy (Prussia East)

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

by **Savojarna** » Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:10 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar Roster for the URSA Sevens 2

Savojarna's rugby culture is relatively young, even though similar games have been played in the nation since the middle ages. Mediaeval football games were very popular in Savojarna and looked probably more like today's rugby, often ending in a vicious brawl. In fact, it was so bad that the authorities had executed a total of 9 men in 1241 for playing a football match carrying swords, which apparently did not remain unused. In later times, Savojar warriors enjoyed a game that is seen by Savojars as the direct predecessor to rugby, and was often also played with blunt weapons as it was seen as a preparation for battle. Many of the traditions from this game carried over to rugby.

Sevens and Union are the two most popular codes in Savojarna, with League almost unheard of. The Savojar league is conducted in Rugby Union, and it consists of 14 teams playing each other twice. Between the seasons, there is a prestigious series of Rugby Sevens tournaments, the so called Triple S (Savojar Sevens Series). The Triple S consists of the eight best teams of the Savojar Rugby Serien ranking, which is conducted over the last three years, referred to as the Triple S Class. They are automatically invited to all four Triple S tournaments, traditionally played in Storevik, Savojagrad, Virkaja and Thorsborg. Each tournament also invites four more teams (not necessarily the same four), and the tournaments are played in groups of 6 followed by a semifinal and a final. After the four tournaments, the six best teams are invited to Sjoedrhavn for the Triple S Final Tournament. There, they play a play-off for the title of Rugby Sevens Champion of Savojarna. Last season, the SRS was won by Zenit Nordrvik from Ejana while the Triple S got won by Motor Savojagrad.

SQUAD
Coach: Ragnar Mikkelsen
Assistant coach: Erik Sjöström
Medical staff: Dr. Valentin Myshkin, Dr. Filip Johansson, Petter Nydberg, Anna Carlsson
Further staff: Petra Aaltonen, Victor Sanden, Mikhail Yovarenko, Olaf Grygg

Style: -1

STARTING VII
#1 Valeri Kravchuk (23, Pawlograd)
#2 Simon Hjalmarsson (29, Landsmark)
#3 Jacob Bengtsson (31, Linder)
#4 Alexander Newarov (24, St. Andrei)
#5 Kristjan Niskanen (27, Virkaja)
#6 Fridtjof Lindberg (20, Thorsborg)
#7 Harald Akeson (30, Nordrvik)

RESERVES
#8 Grigori Smichov (26, Pawlograd, Prop)
#9 Aksel Johanson (25, Thorsborg, Scrum-half)
#10 Jesper Groen (32, Sjoedrhavn, Hooker)
#11 Mika Ranttanen (18, Virkaja, Centre)
#12 Rolf Eythorsson (21, Storevik, Wing)

KITS

RP PERMISSIONS

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y (if it is serious, TG me and wait for approval)
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y (no more than one)
Godmod other events: N

A note about godmodding: Everything that could happen under real world physics and rules, but is unlikely is fair game. So, if you want to RP someone kicked a ball across the whole pitch to score, do it, even if that is possibly a godmod (and probably not "possible" under RL physics and RL humans, but not completely unimaginable if you have exceptionally strong players I guess. If you do stuff that is impossible though - magic etc. - that is not okay.
Second note regarding violence: Feel free to stage a fight between Savojars and your people (be it fans or players) if you want. However, Savojarna has an incredibly strong warrior culture and always honoured fighters, so expect to get a bloody nose or two. Also, along with this culture comes a strong sense of honours and ethics in a fight. In Savojarna, it is regarded as extremely bad form and a strong sign of cowardness to hurt a person who is visibly beaten or does not want to fight. This means that you are free to brawl with Savojars, but please do not have any Savojars attacking innocents or engaging in group violence against people laying on the ground. We do not do that. Also, we don't hit people from behind if we are not in a fight already. Getting behind an opponent is a sign of bad skill on their part and a it's fair move to use in a fight. Getting behind an unsuspecting person and sucker punching them from behind is a move for cowards who don't dare to confront their opponent face to face.

by **Neu Engollon** » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:06 am

NEU ENGOLLON
NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS SQUAD
'THE GOATS'

Coach: Rolf Mertzen

Starters
Bartolomeo Fendini - Loosehead Prop (Enbrun Saisers)
Rocco Gondino - Hooker (San Remo Ospreys)
Conrad Gemmel - Tighthead Prop (Ludenthal Wolves)

Horst Emmett - Scrum Half (Ludenthal Wolves)
Wilhelm Hoerner - Fly Half (Schwartzgarten Warriors)
Alexander Renvier - Centre (Telleursville Gargoyles)
Marino Riazzi - Winger (Panoli Dockers)

Reserves
Forwards:
Felix Marten (Torino Terrors)
Silvio Usadino (Ciavno Alpenhawks)
Andino Paticci (San Remo Ospreys)
Guillaume Venmont (Telleursville Gargoyles)

Backs:
Johann Dorff (Burgunden Brawlers)
Giannaro Caravolo (Panoli Dockers)
Ernst Urbach (Burgunden Brawlers)
Hugo Koernsoff (Schwartzgarten Warriors)

POOL C
Abanhfleft (5)
Neu Engollon (10)
Islana Lunigo (16)
Darmen (21)
Aquitayne (UR)
Greater Vakolicci Haven(UR)

RP Permissions:

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
    Choose my scorers: Y
    Godmod scoring events: Y
    RP injuries to my players: Y
    Godmod injuries to my players: N
    Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
    Hand out red cards to my players: N
    Godmod other events: TG me first

by **Hutanjia** » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:30 am

HUTANJIAN NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS SQUAD 'The SPIDERS'

by **The Kiaser Colonies** » Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:36 pm

The Kiaser Colonies Rugby Sevens Roster

Men's Squad:

No.	Name		Age	Height
 1.	Rob Maloney	25	6ft 2in		 87kg
 2.	Oliver Paul	20	6ft 1in		 93kg
 3.	Corey Barnett	23	6ft 3in		101kg
 4.	Arthur King	26	6ft 0in		 92kg
 5.	George Beale	24	6ft 2in		 97kg
 6.	James Watson	20	6ft 7in		122kg
 7.	Seta Naisarani 	29	6ft 5in		121kg
 8.	Bruce Hegarty	30	5ft 10in	 90kg
 9.	Rhys Skelton	26	6ft 4in		103kg
10.	Dan Horne	21	6ft 2in		 93kg
11.	Ken Ainsley	28	5ft 8in		 83kg
12.	Heath Newsome	22	6ft 1in		 89kg

RP Permissions: Don't kill anyone or have any ridiculous injuries like losing a limb or being paralysed.

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:17 pm

#Name-Age-Position
3Ion Victor César-26-fullback
5Cáius Cláudius Numídio-24-centre
8Ion Carolus Mihailescu-22-flyhalf
7Lucas Lúcius North-25-scrumhalf
10Gabriel Mihai Ognek-21-hooker
9Logan Márcus Hûs-23-left prop
11Kaeso Nínnio dos Santos-18-right prop

Capitain's name is in blue

Bench:

#-Name-age-position
4-Bruno Iohannis da Silva-29-fullback/centre
13-João Rog dos Santos-19-centre
20-Astrogildo Hermenegildo Mačekvić-20-flyhalf/scrumhalf
21-Willelm Uêin Rúca-22-Hooker
23-Guillaume Numa Bijelo-25-prop/hooker

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers: No
godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes(only one per match)
godmod other events: No

by **Mattijana** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:44 am

Mattijanan Roster and Team Information

Rugby in Mattijana

The sport of Rugby has always had a reasonable following in Mattijana, but has never troubled the likes of Hockey, Cricket and Winter sports in terms of popularity. That began to change after the Olympics however, when the Mattijanan women's sevens team beat North Eurasia to seal a surprise gold medal.
Rugby Sevens has always been the most popular form of rugby in Mattijana due to the cocktail of speed, skill and strength required to be successful at it. Union is less liked, due to what Mattijanans, who are in general fairly slender, see as an unfair advantage to big people.
Following the success of the Olympics, Mattijana began to expand its fairly underdeveloped league with some players even taking up the sport professionally. The increased awareness for the sport also led to increased participation at grass-roots level with young people and adults all encouraged to participate.

Sevens is particularly popular in the West and Centre North of Mattijana, which has a wetter climate leading to the softer pitches that are more friendly to players of a fast contact sport. These areas are largely Germanic, but have training facilities where players from other parts of the country can learn and practise the game.
The Mattijanan team itself is a largely female one following their success in Aeropag, but with a few of the male players who were ultimately disappointing after a strong performance in qualifying.

Head Coach-Dominika Simonic:

Despite only making the switch from rugby league into full time coaching 2 years ago, Simonic is already regarded as a national hero and a very good manager, both tactically and in terms of the personal relationship with the players. She masterminded the Olympic victory and appreciates that there is only one proper way to play rugby sevens-attack, attack attack.
The URSA sevens championship was a new challenge for the 38 year old however. An increased level of expectation and more established Rugby teams were on show and the team struggled, losing all three group stage matches. As a result, there is increased pressure on the coaching staff coming into the AVBF 7s.
Offensive Coach-Mattias Sichermann:

Attack is the most important part of most rugby sevens teams, in particular this one and Mattias Sichermann is as good a choice as any to manage it. Mixing a less popular, but ultimately extremely effective method of drilling his players in order to achieve maximum possible consistency with imagination and creativity, Sichermann is responsible for working out how to best use the talented attacking players at his disposable.

Defensive Coach-Andreas Marinicic:

Defense is a tough task in sevens, but Marinicic managed to introduce some form of resistance during the Olympics and plans to continue this. His main tactic is a seven-man defence with the attacking players responsible for pressing the attacking team high up the pitch to prevent them from breaking out, whilst introducing defensive techniques to wingers who have the pace to get back and make match saving tackles. All teams concede points, but Marinicic's mantra is that attack and intensity are the best ways to limit this.

Fitness Coach-Julia Kranjeberg:

Fitness plays a huge part in any Rugby sevens team, but the high attack and intensity of the Mattijanan side means it is even more applicable to them, especially with teams often having to play multiple matches on the same day. Kranjeberg, a chemical and bio-medical scientist with an experienced job in the Mattijanan Olympic side, Julia has a range of exercises and techniques to enhance speed and stamina.

Starting VII:

Prop-Martin Schimpelsberg:

A powerful player making up part of Mattijana's all male scrum, Schimpelsberg is a mainly defensive player with the occasional run forward to supply the backs.

Hooker-Danil Pecirep:

The typical central enforcer, Pecirep is an intimidating presence in the team in both directions with some driving runs forward and some solid tackles when defending. His pace (or lack of) is probably his biggest weakness, but that is made up for by other members of the team.

Prop-Sami Kravinski:

Another powerful player, Kravinski completes the scrum and is one of the younger members of the team at the age of 21. He can make a tackle, but is slightly quicker than his two scrum-mates and will likely be the last line of conventional defence.

Scrum-half-Katarina Ljubjevic:

The team captain, Ljubjevic is an experienced scrum half with both the ability to thread moves together and the pace and talent to finish them off. She was one of the star players during Mattijana's Olympic victory and will definitely be one to keep an eye on. Also takes the kicks, normally quite well.

Fly-half-Jessika Vrisilic:

Another gold medallist, Vriisilic has a great relationship with the players either side of her and will play in a mainly passing position during the tournament. She can also step in at scrum-half or centre if required.

Centre-Maria Uranj:

Maria Uranj was by far the most prolific scorer for Mattijana at the Olympics and makes up for a slight deficiency in pace with a repertoire of tricks and fancy footwork that can send even the most alert defender the wrong way. She has been in continued form for her domestic side and will look to trouble the opposition defences yet again.

Wing-Jasmin Simjonic:

One of the headline players in the team, Simjonic mainly earns her success through good timing and blistering pace which not many opposition defenders managed to temper during the Olympics. She ran in a try during the final, sandwiched by two from Urinj and will be looking for more during the tournament.

Reserves:

Jelena Dragovic-Hooker
Julia Donnersberg-Prop
Helena Kreuzmann-Prop
Martin Jelavic-Scrum half
Kevin Xhaka-Fly half
Naomi Regner-Centre
Matej Blaszikov-Wing

Style Modifier= +3

RP Permissions:

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but 2 per match maximum
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes, but only 2 per match maximum.
Godmod Other Events: Telegram me first, but most things will be fine

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:38 am

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
National rugby sevens team

This will be the third time that Abanhfleft will be participating in AVBF Rugby Sevens, which also happens to be in its third edition right now. Rugby sevens is, quite frankly, a fringe sport in the Democratic Republic, with most of its players being either rugby union or rugby league players in their professional careers. However, the country simply couldn't resist the temptation to go for some sporting silverware, and therefore the rugby sevens national team that was assembled and sent to Londinium in Nova Anglicana for yet another shot at glory is now back and in Burgunden, Neu Engollon for more glory, and this time they want something very shiny!

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

STARTING SEVEN
Key: Number, name, position, age
#1 Adam Jaden Sforza (Left prop, 28, captain)
#2 Julio Ortega (Right prop, 30)
#3 Abdulrahman al-Thabsi (Scrum half, 29)
#4 John Borisov (Hooker, 30)
#5 Marouane Mahout (Fly half, 25)
#6 Dixon Cochabamba (Center, 31)
#7 Paul Partridge (Fullback, 28)

RESERVES

#8 Rupert Dearth (24)
#9 Mile Foreman (26)
#10 Justiniano Reid (26)
#11 Emery Schmoll (23)
#12 Moritz Zilner (26)
#13 Radomir Rakitic (27)
#14 Ken Greathouse (22)
#15 Bradley Votaw (Utility player, 22)

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

by **Copper Cuprum** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:43 am

THE CHIEFDOM OF COPPER CUPRUM
NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS TEAM

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

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: The Chiefdom of Copper Cuprum
Demonym: Copperite
Kits: Initially, the Copperite national rugby sevens team was not supposed to wear any kits as ordinary people know them. Instead they would have played wearing only white loincloths and nothing else. However, in the interests of modesty and compliance with the international standard, the Copperite team has elected to choose a new uniform with alternating black and white hoops and white shorts.
Team colors: Black and white
Style modifier: +1.00 (A balanced team with a slight focus on offense)
Head coach: Count Tumale Boweba (47 y/o, Copper Cuprum)
Notes: It is Copperite tradition to slit the throat of a live chicken before a game and then spread the spilled blood on the field. However, after the Valladar authorities advised the Copperite Football Federation against performing this tradition after local audiences were shocked by this tradition, it has been decided that in place of this tradition, Copperite players will now cut off the head of a rubber chicken before a game and then toss the head around like a hot potato. However, Copperite players will now perform the chicken sacrificing ritual whether or not the other team (or the event organizers for that matter) likes it. The Copperites hope to turn this tradition into their version of the haka.

STARTING SEVEN
Key: Number, name (in boldface), position, age
#1 Mabuda Oweda (Left prop, 25)
#2 Homeka Omega (Right prop, 24)
#3 Tabuta Isoka (Scrum half, 26)
#4 Satusa Heyedy (Hooker, 25)
#5 Banunu Honele (Fly half, 30, captain)
#6 Irakta Kasugna (Center, 21)
#7 Vobeda Polema (Fullback, 24)

RESERVES
#8 Isama Ubedo (21)
#9 Horneba Bowekta (29)
#10 Isali Umatu (24)
#11 Botero Ismakta (30)
#12 Ismail Govore (28)
#13 Fenoktu Gefora (27)
#14 Chorode Hizekte (24)
#15 Hiram Massoudoglu (23, Utility player)

HOME STADIUM: CHIEF GON STADIUM

Chief Gon Stadium (capacity 2,000) is the Copperite national football team's home stadium. Located in Wa Gon, the capital of Copper Cuprum, it is also the home ground of Athletic Wa Gon and all the other clubs based in the capital city.

RP PERMISSIONS
Anything except killing is fair game.

by **Bvriania** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:12 am

Roster:

Coach:
Jonah O'Driscoll - 39

Starters:
1.  Prop - Adam Manning - 32 - Causeway Kings
2.  Hooker - Manu Movu - 19 - Paddican Pouncers
3.  Prop - Thor Colbert - 28 - Westwind Falcons
4.  Scrum-half- Danny Rayner  - 25 - Buccaneers
5.  Out-half - Buck Jackson - 24 - New East Tornadoes
6.  Centre - Pete Davis - 24 - Buccaneers
7.  Winger - Sam Jones (C) - 28 - Paddican Pouncers

Reserves:
8. Hooker - Declan Ryan - 30 - Red Rebels
9. Prop - Jack Crowley - 20 - Minotaurs
10. Scrum-half - Martin Dunne - 31 - Paddican Pouncers
11. Out-half/centre- Joshua Malli - 26 - New East Tornadoes
12. Wing - Joseph Rasolo - 18 - Red Rebels

Roster:

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (anything non-lethal goes)
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y

Style Mod: -1

The saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it, is what O'Driscoll chanted to himself while picking the team. The boys put in some great effort and scored some dazzling tries, but luck won out in the end. They're a little more experienced now, with a whole tournament together to get to know each other's moves and timings. New South Munster await in the group, a blast from the past who ought to pose no great challenge. And of course, Lisander, sitting comfortably atop the World Cup qualification table, yet only ranked sixth in the world. Then some others of no note. The Cup is well in sight.

by **Darmen** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:33 am

Darmen National Men's Rugby Sevens Team

Head Coach: Arn Bonnay (49)

#  Pos Name                 Age NRC Franchise
 1 LP  Tranter Evelyn       26  Southwestern Blue Tigers
 2 HK  Bruce Schubert       31  Menomonie RFU
 3 TP  Sly Townsend         17  Northwestern RFU
 4 SH  Cyrille McNab        33  CFR United Cotdelapomais
 5 FH  Hirsh Halloran       26  Southwestern Blue Tigers
 6 C   Stian Ellis          25  East Coast Black Knights
 7 W   Fiete Giles          26  Metropolitan RFU
 8 P   Calum Ó hEidirsceóil 18  Johnho RFU
 9 SH  Rupert Davies        22  Brham Titans
10 FH  Gladwin Schreier     17  Menomonie RFU
11 C   Connell Alfredson    22  Springfield RFU
12 W   Gonzalo Hafner       21  Rogerton Blues

RP Permissions: No killing or other serious life altering events, otherwise have fun!

by **Lisander** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:31 pm

Cutoff for round 1.

by **Lisander** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:01 pm

Round 1

Pool A - URSA Park
Elejamie 40–10 Northwestern Kalactin
Hutanjia 26–14 Kita-Hinode
Mattijana 19–19 Alpine Union

Pool A                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Elejamie                     1   1  0  0   40  10 +30    3
2 Hutanjia                     1   1  0  0   26  14 +12    3
3 Alpine Union                 1   0  1  0   19  19   0    2
  Mattijana                    1   0  1  0   19  19   0    2
5 Kita-Hinode                  1   0  0  1   14  26 −12    1
6 Northwestern Kalactin        1   0  0  1   10  40 −30    1

Pool B - St. Helen's Park
Frenline Delpha 33–7 Velstrania
Natanians and Nosts 27–7 Al Qurija
The Kiaser Colonies 28–10 Alice Bay

Pool B                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Frenline Delpha              1   1  0  0   33   7 +26    3
2 Natanians and Nosts          1   1  0  0   27   7 +20    3
3 The Kiaser Colonies          1   1  0  0   28  10 +18    3
4 Alice Bay                    1   0  0  1   10  28 −18    1
5 Al Qurija                    1   0  0  1    7  27 −20    1
6 Velstrania                   1   0  0  1    7  33 −26    1

Pool C - URSA Park
Abanhfleft 33–21 Greater Vakolicci Haven
Neu Engollon 40–7 Aquitayne
Islana Lunigo 7–29 Darmen

Pool C                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Neu Engollon                 1   1  0  0   40   7 +33    3
2 Darmen                       1   1  0  0   29   7 +22    3
3 Abanhfleft                   1   1  0  0   33  21 +12    3
4 Greater Vakolicci Haven      1   0  0  1   21  33 −12    1
5 Islana Lunigo                1   0  0  1    7  29 −22    1
6 Aquitayne                    1   0  0  1    7  40 −33    1

Pool D - St. Helen's Park
Lisander 28–12 Copper Cuprum
Bvriania 24–14 Filindostan
New South Munster 17–21 Savojarna

Pool D                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Lisander                     1   1  0  0   28  12 +16    3
2 Bvriania                     1   1  0  0   24  14 +10    3
3 Savojarna                    1   1  0  0   21  17  +4    3
4 New South Munster            1   0  0  1   17  21  −4    1
5 Filindostan                  1   0  0  1   14  24 −10    1
6 Copper Cuprum                1   0  0  1   12  28 −16    1

by **New South Munster** » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:41 pm

New South Munster Rugby Sevens Roster

Men's Squad:

No.	Name		Age	Height
 1.	Duncan Archer	26	6ft 0in		 90kg
 2.	Chris Goggin	22	6ft 2in		 97kg
 3.	Dave Holland	25	6ft 2in		105kg
 4.	Iain O'Byrne	24	6ft 3in		100kg
 5.	Ronan O'Donnell	23	6ft 1in		 96kg
 6.	Niall Sweetnam	20	5ft 11in	 95kg
 7.	Simon Murray 	26	5ft 10in 	 89kg
 8.	Stephen Wootton	27	6ft 4in		106kg
 9.	James Hanrahan	25	6ft 1in		 99kg
10.	Darren Conway	24	6ft 2in		 97kg
11.	Cian O'Shea	28	5ft 9in		 86kg
12.	Donnacha Cronin	25	6ft 5in		119kg

by **Elejamie** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 10:40 am

Dave Carrey's Quick Guide to Group A
Dave Carrey - Soria, Lisander

Well that was slightly less disappointing than the last time. After an amazing 24-14 win over New South Munster (who'd go on to be Bowl runners-up, losing 38-14 to Bvriania) in the first game, we ended up drawing 21-21 to the Natanians and Nosts in a game we could've easily won. Oh well, not really a big deal since N&N proved why they're one of the top teams in the multiverse, with Captain Kaeso being his usual excellent self. Not to mention we bounced back, first with a shaky 24-19 win over Mattijana, then a 29-21 win over the winless AllahAkbarium and, finally, a 24-14 win over the Alpine Union to finish first in the group and, therefore, the only team in our group to make it to the Cup stage thanks to the five group format. There, we beat Racao 24-19 and then clobbered the Kiaser Colonies 35-7 to make it to the finals, where we'd be up against our old friends and rivals in Lisander. Sadly we didn't beat them, as they managed to win 21-17, but it wasn't all bad. Not only did they deserve to win it as they were the best team in the tournament but we still got 15 points from coming second, meaning we're in the running for qualifying for the Rugby Sevens World Cup.

Gary Toda, seen here in training for the Commandos. Despite
injury concerns, coach Kim did say that Toda will be playing on
the first day of the tournament.

But let's cast that out of our minds and look ahead to our current stop on the NSRB Sevens Tour, the URSA Sevens here in Soria, Lisander. Not the first time we've been here but it is the first tournament that's been sanctioned by the NSRB. Still, let's recap the last time we were here. We finished top of our group, thrashing Barunia 38-0 and Bvriania 33-7 but somehow drawing 19-19 to Saintland. Still, we recovered and beat Frenline Delpha 26-14 in the Cup quarter-final, before going on to lose 21-17 to Abanhfleft, who'd go on to lose the Cup final to Nova Anglicana, 31-14. Still, at least we won the bronze medal match against Racao, 24-12. As for everyone else? Frenline Delpha won the plate, beating Ethane 26-14; Neu Engollon thrashed Bvriania 38-0 to win the Bowl; and Mattijana beat Saintland 24-12 to take home the Shield. Oh, and yes, there's also the LARFC Lions Sevens down in Linville, not too far from Soria, but that's got its own article over here, which is why I'm not going into detail about it.

Now that's over and done with, let's go onto our opponents who, like most of the time, will be listed by rankings. Mostly because I don't have a clear schedule yet. And first up we have Hutanjia, who were in our group at the second AVBF 7s. And they beat us, 28-14. We had the last laugh, though, as we won the Maracalo Cup whereas they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the United States of Devonta of all teams. And at the last AVBF 7s, the first stop in this tour, they finished third in the group, losing 35-21 to the Kiaser Colonies and 24-10 to eventual group winners Abanhfleft. Fortunately, they bounced back in the plate section, beating Mattijana 26-14 in the quarter-finals and the Alpine Union 19-17 in the semi-finals before losing their plate final against the Natanians and Nosts 26-19. While their performance may have dropped off a bit, they're still a formidable opponent and I won't be surprised if they bounce back in style against us.

Next up is Mattijana, who were in our group the last time around so I won't go into too much details since we already know about them. But they finished third in our group, winning games against AllahAkbarium (25-21), the Natanians and Nosts (31-21) and the Alpine Union (27-15), but losing to us (24-19) and to New South Munster (28-14). And then things went from bad to slightly more bad with the aforementioned 26-14 loss to Hutanjia in the plate quarter-finals. So, naturally, they might be out looking for revenge? I doubt it. But do you know what I don't doubt? That this will be another close match.

And we've got another familiar face after that, the Alpine Union. Once again, no point in going into too much detail so let's recap their performance in the last one. They finished fourth in the group, with two wins (31-12 against AllahAkbarium and 26-19 against New South Munster), a single 21-21 draw against the Natanians and Nosts and two losses; 27-15 to Mattijana and 24-14 to us. They did bounce back in the plate section, though, with a 26-19 win over the United States of Devonta. Sadly, they came crashing back down to Earth with that 19-17 defeat to Hutanjia I mentioned earlier, not to mention that there wasn't a third place match, but for a team on their first go around you have to admit that that's pretty impressive.

An image of Kevin Gabriel warming up for the national
sevens team. Why have I put this here? Because I
couldn't think of anything else.

Fortunately, after that, we go into the unknowns. And the first unknown is Kita-Hinode. I have no idea how popular rugby is over there, no idea who's on their team or anything like that. So this could be an easy game. However, I'm fairly confident something will show up later. Not to mention they could get a couple of wins, not just over this next team, but also a team we know had have heard about. So let's not underestimate them just yet.

And, last but not least, it's Northwest Kalactin. Again, not a super great amount of detail about this team, like who's playing for them or even how popular the sport is over there. Gridiron's popular over there, although since the season's been cancelled due to player strikes it's just a question of whether or not the fans will flock over to rugby or just watch the college stuff to get their fix. That's as far as I know. An easy win, probably, but we'll see.

So who's going to be ending up in what? Elejamie will be competing for the Cup, if I can blow my own trumpet for a minute. But who'll be joining us? I'd probably say Hutanjia, since they show a whole load of promise and could easily bounce back from the poor showing in Burgenden. Mattijana and the Alpine Union will be heading to the plate section for the second tournament in a row and, to round things off, the two newcomers will be competing for the bowl. Predictable on paper, yes, but we could be in for a surprise. Like us having to play for the Bowl or Northwest Kalactin joining us in the Cup stage. A lot can happen in 15-20 minutes, you know.

But what about the other groups? Group B has Frenline Delpha and the Natanians and Nosts, as well as the Kiaser Colonies and Lisander's neighbours Alice Bay, with newcomers Al Qurija and Velstrania to round things off. Over in Group C, Abanhfleft and Neu Engollon are joined by Islana Lunigo, Darmen, Aquitayne (who are in their first competition since the inaugural AVBF 7s) and the Greater Vakolicci Haven. And, finally, the hosts are in Group D, playing against Bvriania, New South Munster, Savojarna, Filindostan and Copper Cuprum. Yes, you've read that right. No Nova Anglicana, no Racao and no United States of Devonta. There might be good reasons for their absences but chances are they might return for the next stop in Frenline Delpha. Either way, I'm going to check out some quality rugby. I suggest you all do the same, since the matches are on the free-to-air TRC or are free on the channel's website for a week if you can't watch the TV for whatever reason. Alright, Dave out.

More from Dave Carrey:

Dave's Carrey's Incredibly Quick Guide to the LARFC Lions Sevens

Dave's Blog: Fleur-de-Lisander

Dave Carrey's Guide to the University Rugby Season

Alpen View Brew Festival 7s Roundup

by **Mattijana** » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:56 pm

Mattijana Held By Alpine Union In Entertaining Draw.
Mattijana 19-19 Alpine Union, URSA Sevens, URSA Park, Lisander

The Mattijanan team's return to the international Rugby sevens circuit ended with shared spoils as a late try from winger Alasdair MacIlleMhicheil denied Mattijana victory.

Kicker Serge Dusautoir missed a tough kick to send all three points the Alpine Union's way, but most agreed that a draw was the fair result for a match that had about as many twists and turns as it's possible to pack into 14 minutes of rugby.

Mattijana took an early lead as quick hands from Maria Uranj shovelled the ball into space for Jasmin Simjonic who ran in behind to score. Katarina Ljubjevic added the two points from in front of the sticks to put Mattijana 7-0 up.

The Alpine Union responded well to going behind however, building up immediate pressure that culminated in Jack Banahan squeezing through a stretched Mattijanan defence to dive over. Dusautoir hammered over the kick to level the scores.

With a couple of minutes to go in the first half, it was the Alpine Union who were once again pushing for the points. Banahan was held up around five metres out after bursting through, but managed to feed Schweinsteiger who flung a long pass out to Dusautoir, the fly-half snaking inside of Maria Uranj to run in a second try. The half-time hooter sounded just after the kick-off, with the scores at 7-14.

Head Coach Dominika Simonic was keen to instil some more energy into her side at the break and whatever she said appeared to have the desired effect with slicker passing and movement from the Mattijanans having seized a turnover. The Alpine Union managed to get bodies in the right places, but a dummy from Uranj earned her space on the wing. A pass to Simjonic on the touchline followed and the winger managed to dive over in the corner before her opposite number could get across and make the tackle. Ljubjevic pulled the kick wide, but Mattijana had at least managed to cut the deficit to two points.

The momentum was kept up after the try as Ljubjevic, Uranj and substitute fly-half Kevin Xhaka continued to make driving runs at the Alpine Union back line. With space opening up, Ljubjevic decided to dink a grubber kick through a gap in the defense where Simjonic darted through to beat Nicola Lazzaroni to the ball, touching down for the try. Ljubjevic slotted through the kick to give Mattijana 7 points and a 19-14 lead.

A scrappy period of play followed with a few knock-ons changing possession a few times. Maria Uranj missed a golden opportunity to increase the Mattijanan lead as she fumbled a long pass from Xhaka into touch.

But with just moments to go, the Alpine Union once again turned on the gas. Some slick offloading spat the ball into the hands of Banahan who, with just one defender to beat, played a simple pass into the path of MacIlleMhicheil who touched down in the corner.

With the scores tied at 19-19, Serge Dusautoir had the chance to snatch victory for the Alpine Union, but dragged his kick from a tight angle wide and a handling error following the kickoff eventually ended the game as the ball scooted into touch.

Mattijana will also take on tournament-favourites Elejamie, 8th ranked Hutanjia and unranked Northwest Kalactin and Kita-Hinode in pool A. All matches will be shown live on MFO 2 with radio commentary on MFO Radio 5.

by **Lisander** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:00 pm

Cutoff for round 2.

by **Lisander** » Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:07 pm

Round 2

Pool A - URSA Park
Northwestern Kalactin 12–24 Alpine Union
Kita-Hinode 15–17 Mattijana
Elejamie 22–19 Hutanjia

Pool A                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Elejamie                     2   2  0  0   62  29 +33    6
2 Alpine Union                 2   1  1  0   43  31 +12    5
3 Mattijana                    2   1  1  0   36  34  +2    5
4 Hutanjia                     2   1  0  1   45  36  +9    4
5 Kita-Hinode                  2   0  0  2   29  43 −14    2
6 Northwestern Kalactin        2   0  0  2   22  64 −42    2

Pool B - St. Helen's Park
Velstrania 19–19 Alice Bay
Al Qurija 7–45 The Kiaser Colonies
Frenline Delpha 26–12 Natanians and Nosts

Pool B                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 The Kiaser Colonies          2   2  0  0   73  17 +56    6
2 Frenline Delpha              2   2  0  0   59  19 +40    6
3 Natanians and Nosts          2   1  0  1   39  33  +6    4
4 Alice Bay                    2   0  1  1   29  47 −18    3
5 Velstrania                   2   0  1  1   26  52 −26    3
6 Al Qurija                    2   0  0  2   14  72 −58    2

Pool C - URSA Park
Greater Vakolicci Haven 12–42 Darmen
Aquitayne 12–26 Islana Lunigo
Abanhfleft 31–21 Neu Engollon

Pool C                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Darmen                       2   2  0  0   71  19 +52    6
2 Abanhfleft                   2   2  0  0   64  42 +22    6
3 Neu Engollon                 2   1  0  1   61  38 +23    4
4 Islana Lunigo                2   1  0  1   33  41  −8    4
5 Greater Vakolicci Haven      2   0  0  2   33  75 −42    2
6 Aquitayne                    2   0  0  2   19  66 −47    2

Pool D - St. Helen's Park
Copper Cuprum 19–17 Savojarna
Filindostan 17–15 New South Munster
Lisander 33–7 Bvriania

Pool D                     Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Lisander                     2   2  0  0   61  19 +42    6
2 Savojarna                    2   1  0  1   38  36  +2    4
3 Filindostan                  2   1  0  1   31  39  −8    4
4 Copper Cuprum                2   1  0  1   31  45 −14    4
5 Bvriania                     2   1  0  1   31  47 −16    4
6 New South Munster            2   0  0  2   32  38  −6    2

by **Savojarna** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:59 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Fierce clash between Savojarna and Copper Cuprum results in a loss

Soria, Lisander - Hours after the victory against New South Munster, Savojarna struggles to beat Copper Cuprum and loses out eventually, thanks to their opponents having better stamina. As Copper Cuprum had played against Lisander earlier on and lost out rather quickly, they didn't have to work as much as the Savojars in the second half of the game. The Copperites seemed to have given up on the game earlier on and preserved their energy for the later matches, while Savojarna had to hold off the aggressive attack from the New South Munster team as they held on to their lead in a very tight game. This harsh match took their toll from Savojarna's team, as they failed to regenerate fast enough to deal with Copper Cuprum's fierce opposition.

In one of the weird traditions produced by rugby, the Copperites were throwing around the head of a rubber chicken before the game, a rather funny-looking ritual that nevertheless seemed to fire up their opponents. Not wanting to stand back, Savojar captain Simon Hjalmarsson led a chant to Thor, for luck in rugby (which Savojars typically see as a replacement for war), and to Jaervan, the local protector god of the Sjoedrhavn bay area that was assumed as a national deity during the Second Empire. They were accompanied by a chant of the Orthodox members of the team, Newarov, Smichov and Yovarenko, while the Nordic team members approached the Copperites in a display of strength and braveness to the Gods. This is no longer done commonly by the Savojars on the international stage, but still common in response to any similar rituals by the opponents as well as in the Savojar League.

It initially seemed as if Savojarna's appeal to their Gods were superior than the Copperites', as the team started out furiously. A bit over a minute after the game began, Valeri Kravchuk dished out a hard tackle against Banunu Honele and got the ball onto the Savojar side. Scrum-half Newarov took up the ball and led the charge down the field, dodging a challenge by Heyedy and passing back to Lindberg. As he took up speed, he couldn't get past Oweda, but Savojarna kept controlling the ball and Akeson, finding himself at the back of the game, decided to kick it across the field to the waiting Niskanen. Kristjan Niskanen, having a lot of space at his hands, managed to carry the ball down the pitch close to the goal line, where he threw it back to Lindberg, whose speed put the Copperites into trouble. Lindberg found his own way blocked, but had a way to pass to Alexander Newarov, who put it over the line to make the score 5-0 Savojarna. The luck continued as Akeson converted the following kick to make it 7-0.

The lead, however, motivated Copper Cuprum who became faster and stronger now. The Copperites failed to push through the very stable and efficient Savojar defense. Eventually, there was a mistake by the Savojar side as they let Isoka pass on the left side, Kravchuk failed to stop him and Hjalmarsson had to cover two players at once, something he was unable to do and allowed Irakta Kasugna to score the first try for Copper Cuprum. As the conversion succeeded, the score was only 7-7, but Savojarna had lost the lead nevertheless. It seemed to trouble the Savojar side, who now committed several unnecessary mistakes. Put under pressure early on, Bengtsson threw an inaccurate pass that wasn't caught by Lindberg, and as a consequence led to a lineout for Copper Cuprum. They managed to use that opportunity for a quick attack against a nervous Savojar defense, who failed to prevent captain Banunu Honele to score again. As the conversion failed this time, it stood 12-7 at half time.

The second half saw a changed Savojar team, with the unlucky and somehow disappointing Bengtsson replaced by Grigori Smichov. Smichov had played a role early on, as he tackled Polema to get the ball into Savojar hands. A quick series of passes led to some space for Kristjan Niskanen, one of the fastest Savojar players on the pitch. He was caught by Isoka, but managed to pass the ball on to Newarov, who had already scored the first Savojar try. As he ran into a wall of Copperite defenders shortly before the goal line, he could not repeat his success, but with the help of Kravchuk and Smichov, the ball remained under Savojar control. As the game concentrated on Newarov and the players around him, space opened up on the far right side, where Harald Akeson was just waiting for the pass that came shortly after. Akeson was tackled before the goal line, but in falling he managed to hold on to the ball and score the second try for his team. Despite the bad angle, Akeson managed to convert yet again, getting back the lead.

Defending is usually a speciality of Savojarna's rugby squad, but today, they seemed unable to contain the Copperites. As the game went into its final minutes, the team struggled increasingly with the speed and strength of the Copperites, something that Ragnar Mikkelsen tried to combat with replacing Hjalmarsson with the legendary Jesper Groen three and a half minutes before the end and, ultimately crucial, replacing Akeson with Rolf Eythorsson a bit less than three minutes before the end in an effort to hold on to the 14-12 lead. However, their more defensive stance couldn't avoid individual mistakes. The team already narrowly avoided losing the lead as a slightly frustrated-looking Polema took a dropkick and just narrowly missed the left post, leading to Mikkelsen ordering his team to become somewhat more assertive and aggressive in their defense. This was eventually their downfall, as the rather unexperienced Eythorsson threw a bad pass during a counter and enabled the Copperites to catch the Savojars on the move forward, using the open space to see Kasugna run through and score the third try for his team. With the conversion successful, the Copper Cuprum team now lead 19-14.

Savojarna had to throw everything forward for another try now, but the Copperites were stable and the team had run out of gas. In the final minute, Mikkelsen brought on another sub as he replaced Lindberg by Ranttanen, who didn't play in the previous match and was still fresh, but it was not enough to break through the now very physical defense. Ranttanen provided a lot of danger, but the rather short centre was kept in check by the opponents. However, it was him who managed to draw two players onto himself and open space for Newarov, who now could only be stopped with a foul. In a much contested decision, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Savojarna, but despite Eythorsson's conversion they were still behind by two points. A desperate last-minute-kick from quite a distance by the strong Kristjan Niskanen failed quite clearly to hit the goal as he shot about one and a half metre wide to the left, causing the Copperites to win their first match.

by **Mattijana** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:35 am

How The Humble Sprinkler Is Making Rugby Accessible To All

A GrunesKorb pitch at upper-Kirka Rugby club, just across the water from Revinka on the island of Kirka.

The temperate and often damp climate of Western and Northern Mattijana make it an ideal site for playing the game of rugby. The rain makes for a soft landing, good sliding conditions and not too much heat.
Yet those who live in or have visited the South and in particular the South-East of the country will know it is a completely different story in other parts of the country. A drier and hotter climate makes for drier playing surfaces and more punishing conditions-not conducive to throwing yourself around at high speeds.

Yet a recent initiative by the MRB has started to change that. A number of oases of slippery green have popped up across the warmer parts of the country, all maintained by a network of sprinklers.

The GrunesKorb (green-sphere) project has transformed several dust-bowls around the region into excellant surfaces for all forms of the game, in particular for the frantic nature of Rugby Sevens, the nation's most popular format. With a Mattijanan international team participating in the URSA sevens in Lisander currently, it is hoped that the project will enearth talent for the future, particuarly those who would otherwise have been discouraged from taking up the game.

Of course, finding professional talent is not the only motivation for the MRB and the Mattijanan government. With social sport a large part of the Mattijanan culture, it is important that local people have the opportunity to take up the sport, make friends and improve their fitness.

"Since the project started, we've seen a massive increase in people playing the game here", says chairman of Revinka rugby club Tomas Kušnić, whose club just outside the city walls are one of the major beneficients of the scheme. "The Sevens teams in particular are thriving. The game is intense, but speed and agility are the most valuable atributes, so people are not scared off because they feel they aren't big or strong enough to play. It's brilliant for the club and also for the game in the region.

Before this, the pitches weren't in great shape. Our grounds-staff did the best they could with what they had, but we didn't have the resources to employ proper drainage and even if we could, the water use would be simply unsustainable. We are very lucky to have a few dedicated players who would brave the scrapes and bruises, but hitting the deck on these surfaces isn't pleasant and increases the injury risk. The amount of people we had playing definitely suffered as a result."

A Revinka RK Sevens team before the project began, on a fairly arid playing surface.

It was a similar story in many other parts, and more so in the South-East where climates can be even harsher. Rugby players were seen more as brave, masochistic pioneers than participants of a popular sport.

Since the start of the project, 10 Rugby clubs have been given state of the art irrigation systems with an additional 10 planned, allowing more comfortable all-year-round rugby that ultimately leads to a better quality of play. Maja Nuremchuk, a centre for Revinka's second VII was one player pleased with how her team has progressed since the change in conditions.
"It took us a little while to get used to the moisture on the ball, there were a few slips and drops at first, but it's much kinder on the fingers, we can play a much sharper game and our tackling has really come on because we have confidence in the consistency and safety of the surface. Both when we train and play competitively, we can be much more committed."

Youth sport is a particular focus on top of the semi-professional leagues that players like Maja are involved in. With the number of under 18s playing the game dwindling in the South, the MRB decided a rejuvenation of the sport was needed to prevent potential Mattijanan match-winners and social players alike going to other sports, or worse still, not being active at all. Sevens has a large role to play in that renaissance due to its high energy and quick game times, but a lack of suitable facilities was ultimately cited as the reason for the dramatic and concerning slide in numbers. The ultimate goal for the GrunesKorb project is to have a properly irrigated pitch within 30 miles of every child in the IstriaAntaljana region, centred around Revinka, and one within 50 miles of every child in the more sparsely-populated south-east. Local schools will also be allowed access to the pitches at their owner's discretion.

Of course the long-term success of the scheme depends not just on the people instigating it, but on the practical sustainability of the irrigation systems. As pointed out by Kušnić, a low tech watering system would drain both the club's finances and the region's limited water supply. Yet each GrunesKorb pitch has also been fitted with a modern under-pitch drainage system, collecting and recycling around 90% of water that neither evaporates or gets absorbed by the grass. Extensive training for grounds-staff about how to conserve and look after the pitches through traditional techniques and the new technology was given and the water use of the pitches is being closely monitored.

The extensive conservation methods were clarified after concern about the use of water resources by some local groups, however since the public reveal of the details, such opposition has died down and with possible benefits for domestic water conservation and of course other local sports clubs, Rugby may not be the only thing taking advantage of the new technology.

Tomas Kušnić gets the final word. "We shall hopefully see over the next couple of years what the technological benefits of the scheme will be. For now we're happy to see the benefits for the club, the game and the communities in this part of the country.

[LRF] URSA Sevens 2

[LRF] URSA Sevens 2

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