5th Rugby Sevens World Cup - EVERYTHING THREAD

by **Barunia** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:49 am

Welcome to Barunia for the 5th Rugby Sevens World Cup.

This is the everything thread. You may now post rosters and roleplays.

GROUPS

Group A
Abahnfleft
Barunia
Ebrilond
Kelssek
Norway-Karelia

Group B
HUElavia
Hutanjia
Northwest Kalactin
Puroresu asteroid
Terre Septentrionale

Group C
Alice Bay
Elejamie
Holy Rhinish Islands
Kriegiersien
Vdara

Group D
Apox
Busoga Islands
Darmen
Trolleborg
United States of Devonta

Group E
Bolgano
Free Republics
Mkabia
Natanians and Nosts
Neu Engollon

Group F
Geektopia
Kandonica
Lisander
Savojarna
TJUN-ia

Match List
MD1 2v5, 3v4, 1 bye
MD2 5v3, 1v2, 4 bye
MD3 3v1, 4v5, 2 bye
MD4 1v4, 2v3, 5 bye
MD5 4v2, 5v1, 3 bye
MD6 5v2, 4v3, 1 bye
MD7 3v5, 2v1, 4 bye
MD8 1v3, 5v4, 2 bye
MD9 4v1, 3v2, 5 bye
MD10 2v4, 1v5, 3 bye

In Character Schedule and Host Information

When creating a roster, please add a permissions box and style modifier to your roster. I’ve included a sample one for you.

Choose my scorers: Y/N
Choose scoring events: Y/N
Godmod scoring events: Y/N
Injure my players: Y/N
Godmod injuries: Y/N
Hand out warnings: Y/N
Hand out exclusions: Y/N

by **Elejamie** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:30 am

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 fourth tournament in Rosetta saw the Avon Knights come back from their defeat last year with a 23-10 win over the Murgon Bullfrogs. The Auckhampton Birch Trees also managed to bounce back from last year, beating the Rosetta Sparrows 11-9, whereas the newly-repromoted Mainsborough Delphi were obliterated 37-0 by the Alvis Rams.

In the last AVBF Sevens, the first international rugby tournament since the XV-a-side's amazing Rugby World Cup win, the Elejamian Rugby Federation were hoping that their sevens team would be just as successful. And they got off to a great start with a 28-14 win over Khazuul. However, a sudden last-minute 21-19 loss to Copper Cuprum saw their plans scuppered a little bit and a 22-12 win over Aimena didn't raise hopes much. Fortunately, they bounced back with a 31-7 win over the United Civil Republic saw them get back into the swing of things and a 29-7 win over Widovia in their last group stage game saw them finish a respectable second place in their group, enough to qualify them for the Cup stage. Following a 29-12 victory over the hosts Neu Engollon, they would proceed to get their revenge on Copper Cuprum by beating them 26-14 to make it to the finals, where they'd face reigning champions and main rivals Lisander, with whom they compete for the Tillman Trophy (named after the first Elejamian ambassador to Lisander, Laurence Tillman) in union and its various sub-codes. Elejamie were current holders of the trophy going into the match and would retain it, as well as receive the Maracalo Cup, with an incredibly narrow 17-15 win that saw them rugby sevens champions of the multiverse (in a way).

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

Forwards

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
1	Marcus Ruiz		31	P		Coventry Wyverns
2	Mike Decker		34	P		Avon Knights
4	Diego Molina 		27	H		Auckhampton Birch Trees

Backs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
3	David Kramer		32	SH		Auckhampton Birch Trees
5	Gary Toda		30	FH		Davenport Commandos
6	Paul Koppel		24	C		Iceland Panthers
7	Adam McCracken		29	W/FB		Murgon Bullfrogs

Subs

No.	Name			Age	Position	Club
8	Riley Kroger		26	P		Avon Knights
9	Tom Correy		32	P/H		Davenport Commandos
10	Tim Crespin		25	SH/FH		Edgebaston Warriors
11	Patrick Hayden		29	C		Elejamie City Eagles
12	Adam Gates		26	W/FB		Iceland Panthers

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

by **Kriegiersien** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:29 am

Nearly the same team playing in the Fifth Annual AVBF Sevens Tournament, ending with a disappointing semi final loss in the plate, but now under new management.

The military send their own staff to support the players and they are playing in the Olympic black jerseys again.

Coaches
Sgt. Hammond Hammerstein
Lt. Amanda Ant

Fitness Coach
Major Jutta Jürgenwürgen

Medical staff
Dr. Gregory Krieg
Lt. Barbara Bonebreaker (Physio)

Motivational Division
Captain Kriegiersien

Squad

• Forwards
◦ 1 – Prop Theodore Hernandez
◦ 2 – Hooker Saoul Bastian
◦ 3 – Prop Phelix Yuda

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

Reserves

Chris Brew
Bernhard Beer
Vladimir Vodka
Malz Hopfen
Hop Sing
Ethan Whole
Freddy Ferment
Mark Thunderstorm

RP Persmissions: Everything allowed that doesn't break the game

by **TJUN-ia** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 12:58 pm

Rugby is a brutal sport, one that makes Gridiron Football look like a non-contact sport. It's fast, hard and tactical. Rugby TJUN-ia (the International Community's new governing body for Rugby Football) has set the aim of preparing and training it's players to take on both codes of rugby: Union and League. For now, young players who aspire to different codes are joining together to develop the sport in it's simplest form: Sevens (a 7-player variant of Union). These players, in the future, may decide to stay in this format, to "promote" themselves to 15-a-side Rugby Union or even switch codes to League. Whatever they decide, Sevens will always be the testing ground for TJUN-ian talent in the sport as a whole.

As for coaching, RT is following in the footsteps of other teams from TJUN-ia in first tournaments: send a bunch of rugby coaches to the tournament with the aim of deciding a head coach from one of them. Because this is a variant of Union, this coaching staff will be handled by Rugby TJUN-ia's Union arm: RT-U. If RT-U think that a coach from this group would be better in 15s Union or with the other arm RT-L, then it can move coaches to suit the code's needs.

TEAM

Nation Name: TJUN-ia
Trigramme: TJN
Nickname: Jaguars
Governing Body: Rugby TJUN-ia (RT-U)
Home Jersey: Blue Shirts/Orange Shorts
Away Jersey: White Shirts/Blue Shorts
3rd Jersey: Orange Shirts/White Shorts

FORWARDS

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

BACKS

SH: #4 Jose Valbuena
FH: #5 Carl Crorker
C: #6 Suke Hoshinawa
W: #7 Kennedy Vakatawa

SUBSTITUTES

P: #8 Vincent Leclerc
H: #9 Frederico Giabueno
SH/FH: #10 Vittaly Rossi
C: #11 Roman Hevnostanivich
W/C: #12 Beka Chkoidze

RESERVES

P: #13 Lasha Tetrasvili
H: #14 Enrique Carlos de Guzman
P: #15 Caoimhín O'Carolan
SH/FH: #16 Michael Jeferson
FH/SH: #17 Chris Lincoln
C/W: #18 Mohammad Al-Kafa
W: #19 Musa Helema

PERMISSIONS
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Injure my players: Y
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: Y
Style Mod: (-1)

SCHEDULE

All games to be played at Karl Marx University.

FRIDAY
M1: Kandonica vs TJUN-ia (10:28:00 AM Local Time)
M2: TJUN-ia vs Lisander (12:40:00 PM Local Time)
M3: Savojana vs TJUN-ia (3:58:00 PM Local Time)
M4: BYE

SATURDAY
M5: TJUN-ia vs Geektopia (10:50:00 AM Local Time)
M6: TJUN-ia vs Kandonica (12:40:00 PM Local Time)
M7: Lisander vs TJUN-ia (3:36:00 PM Local Time)
M8: TJUN-ia vs Savojana (6:10:00 PM Local Time)

SUNDAY
M9: BYE
M10: Geektopia vs TJUN-ia (12:18:00 PM Local Time)

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 2:43 pm

Northwest Kalactin rugby team
Coach-Bobby Wright
Squad
Prop-Shawn Butler
Hooker-Billy Long
Prop-Todd Bell
Scrum Half-Nick Long
Flyball-Ryan Ward
Centre-Bobby Washington
Wing- Johnny Ramsey

Reserves
Eric Johnson
Albert White
Paul Price
Henry Garcia
Harold Russell
Jeffrey Bryant
Thomas Edwards

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

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 3:54 pm

Équipe nationale de rugby à sept de Terre Septentrionale

Reprezentacja Nordycki w Rugby siedmioosobowe

Northern Land National Rugby Sevens Team

Nation Name in French: République de Terre Septentrionale
Nation name in Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polnocna
Nation Name in English Republic of Northern Land
Short Nation names: Terre Septentrionale / Ziemia Polnocna / Northern Land
Trigramme: RTS
Demonym: Septentrional (plural: Septentrionaux)
Nicknames: Nordiques, Reprezentacja Nordycki, Northmen
Team colors at home: Red and black
Team colors on the road: Green and white
Style Mod: +3

Staff:

Head Coach	Jean-Guy O'Connell	53
Ass. Coach	Serge Bigras	        62
Ass. Coach	Boguslawa Drazkowska	48

Starting VII

Num     Pos             Player                  Age     LRS Team                Birthplace
1	Prop	        Wayne Seabrook	        22	Marriot's Rugby Club	Woodstock, SH
2	Hooker	        Dylan MacNichol	        23	U.S. Oujé-Bougoumou	Broughton Station, CS
3	Prop	        Jean-Pierre Cabana	32	Stade septentrional 	Saint-Lin, CN
4	Scrum Half	Olivia Fouquet	        31	U.S. Oujé-Bougoumou	Lac-des-Plages, PA
5	Fly Half	Dustin Donnelly	        30	Marriot's Rugby Club	Allardville, FR
6	Center	        Pierre-Louis Wisniewski	23	Stade septentrional 	Fort-Coulombe, PA
7	Winger	        Grace MacGuire	        33	U.S. Oujé-Bougoumou	Port O'Connor, TX

Bench

Num     Pos             Player                  Age     LRS Team                Birthplace
8	Prop	        Julia Robinson	        30	Marriot's Rugby Club	Shelburne, SH
9	Hooker/Prop	Przemyslaw Zblewski	28	Budowlani Trzebiegoszcz	Kaluszyn, MA
10	Half	        Autumn O'Flynn	        27	Krzczonow Chiefs	Knightsville, SH
11	Half/Center	Margarita Schulze-Martinez 23	Port O'Connor Saints	Los Lunas, TX
12	Winger	        Francis McNally	        29	Port O'Connor Saints	Alba, TX

Extra players

Prop	        Alexandre Mailhot-Chaumont	35	U.S. Oujé-Bougoumou	Sainte-Geneviève, CN
Hooker	        Marshall McRath	                22	Krzczonow Chiefs	Oujé-Bougoumou, CN
Scrum Half	Élisabeth Niquette-Fitzgerald	22	U.S. Oujé-Bougoumou	Terrasse-Robillard, HY
Fly Half/Center	Méganne Sauvageau-Panneton	21	Stade septentrional 	Saint-Stanislas-de-Champlain, CN
Winger	        Jennifer Davies	                32	Krzczonow Chiefs	Holiday Beach, TX

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

by **Bolgano** » Wed Mar 11, 2020 4:57 pm

Bolgano Rugby Sevens National Team

First Seven
#1 Rodd Holbart  Prop
#2 Daniel Holbart   Hooker
#3 Samuel Tonsond  Prop
#4 Carl Peters  Scrum-Half
#5 Franco Lombardi Fly-Half C
#6 Thomas Dennis Center
#7 Lord Hollman Wing

Reserves
Forwards
#8 Wilson Seets
#9 Martin Lombart
#10 Roger Howard*
#11 Albert Donssom*

Backs
#10 Roger Howard*
#11 Albert Donsson*
#12 Patrick Illinois
#13 Daniel Kitper
#14 Louis Lats

*Roger Howard and Albert Donsson they can play in both positions

Coach: James Tinow

Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
Injure my players: Y
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: N
Hand out exclusions: N
Style: +1

by **Neu Engollon** » Thu Mar 12, 2020 2:19 pm

NEU ENGOLLON
NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS SQUAD
'THE GOATS'

Coach: Rolf Mertzen
Assistant Coach: Jean Semmes
Trainer: Antonia Pfelger

Starters
Loosehead Prop - Guillaume Venmont (Geneva Gargoyles)
Hooker - Andino Paticci (San Remo Ospreys)
Tighthead Prop - Conrad Gemmel (Ludenthal Wolves)

Scrum Half - Felix Marten (Torino Terrors)
Fly Half - Giannaro Caravolo (Panoli Dockers)
Centre - Johann Dorff (Burgunden Brawlers)
Winger - Hugo Koernsoff (Schwartzgarten Warriors)

Reserves
Forwards:
Rudi Marcoux (Ciavno Alpenhawks)
Henri Eichel (Schwartzgarten Warriors)
Carmine Narpaccia (Ludenthal Wolves)

Backs:
Denis Renaud (Burgunden Brawlers)
Primo Serrofino (Konstanz Owls)
Dietrich Carametti (Telleursville Gargoyles)

RUGBY KIT

HOME

AWAY

GROUP E

Bolgano
Free Republics
Mkabia
Natanians and Nosts
Neu Engollon

GROUP MATCHDAY SCHEDULE FOR THE GOATS

MD1 Free Republics v Neu Engollon
MD2 Neu Engollon v Mkabia
MD3 Natanians and Nosts v Neu Engollon
MD4 Bye for Neu Engollon
MD5 Neu Engollon v Bolgano
MD6 Neu Engollon v Free Republics
MD7 Mkabia v Neu Engollon
MD8 Neu Engollon v Natanians and Nosts
MD9 Bye for Neu Engollon
MD10 Bolgano v Neu Engollon

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: TG me first
    Godmod other events: TG me first

by **Kelssek** » Thu Mar 12, 2020 5:03 pm

1. Luke Fitzpatrick
2. Cole Arbeiter
3. Phillippe Lapointe-Moreau

4. Aidan Smither
5. Blaine McTavish
6. Séan Ó Connaigha
7. Eamon Robervale

8. Darren Lecarie
9. Leslie Hiltsen
10. Sherrin Barnes
11. Ashley Howard
12. Matt Deltollo

Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Injure my players: N
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: Y

by **Trolleborg** » Sat Mar 14, 2020 5:31 am

TROLLEBORG NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS TEAM

After the unconvincing performance of our football and hockey players in world forums, the nation is watching with interest the debut of its fellow citizens in another sport. Rugby is not the most popular sport in Trolleborg, but in a country as large, populated and diverse as ours, there will be people which was fond even to the most extraordinary activities. And since the country is rich and wants its inhabitants not to deny themselves anything they desire to do, there is also the opportunity to provide places for training and the possibility to go to international competitions. In this case, the state also paid for the travel of the group of fans (mainly, to tell the truth, the relatives and friends of the players themselves). Therefore, the team will be guaranteed support on the stadium, albeit not as noisy as in matches of the football and hockey teams, but still passionate and loud.

Rugby is a power sport that requires excellent physical condition and speed, and this dictates the requirements for the players. As a result, most of the players are recruited from the area southeast of the capital, traditionally famous for its military traditions and serious approach to educating young people, of which things like long-distance running over cross-country, force marching through mountains and forests, swimming on stormy rivers, participating in military games and competitions for strength, speed and agility, is considered essential. In line with ancient tradition for such a competitions, it is assumed that before the start of every game - of course, with all the precautions taken – team players going to light a ritual bonfire in our half of the field and perform ceremonies that are appropriate for the occasion.

Coach – Seamus Iomhair (45 years old)

1st prop - frist choice - Eirdre Artair (185 cm - 90 kg); second choice - Roald Cadwalader (178-85)
Hooker - Finlay Tadhg (190-98), Ruud Lochlainn (188-94)
2nd prop - Roderick Christen (180-90), Einion Mungo (182-90)
Scrum-half - Cailean Carbrey (178-92), Rían Éimhín (180-95)
Fly-half - Torben Kerneels (175-85), Tom Sjoerd (178-84)
Centre - Tòmas Heddwyn (188-94), Bared Ruadh (184-90)
Wing – Boele Rhys (180-88), Lughaid Darragh (184-94)

PERMISSIONS
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
Injure my players: N
Godmod injuries: N
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: N
Style Mod: -5

by **Free Republics** » Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:38 pm

Free Republics National Rugby Union Sevens Team

Colors: Blue and White
Head Coach - Malia Tokuta
Assistant Coach - Yukiko Kawamura

Starting Lineup

Loosehead Prop - Tomohisa Ootake (M - 22)
Hooker - Keisuke Okuno (M - 20)
Tighthead Prop - Joseph Long (M - 24)

Scrum Half - Tove Johansson (F - 19)
Fly Half - Takiko Kishimoto (F - 21)
Center - Ronnie Moore (M - 26)
Winger - Yuzu Aoyama (F - 20)

Reserves

Forward - Tabor Carriere (M - 23)
Forward - Kozue Komori (F - 17)
Forward - Blanchefle Vachon (F - 21)
Back - Thomas Wolf (M - 23)
Back - Marie Nadel (F - 27)
Back - Azuma Yamamura (M - 22)
Back - Jie Chen (M - 20)

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Y

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:43 am

“How’s the group draw looking” said Centre Ryan Washington
“Not too hard the only nation I think that we might have trouble with in HUElavia” Said Prop Shawn Butler
“Well you can’t underestimate anyone considering that we didn’t qualify for the last rugby sevens World Cup” Claimed Todd Bell
The team was packed into a hotel room in Barunia watching the World Cup Group draw. The team did not get into the last cup after many injuries during their qualifiers.
“I would not want to be in group D” Shawn explained to them how that Group was far harder than any of the other Groups there.
And he was right a group packed full with some of the best rugby teams in the world.
“Well who are we playing first” Asked Ryan
“We are playing Puroresu asteroid” Said Shawn
“What that is a silly name for a nation” laughed Ryan
“Yes I think they have ever Qualified but who knows they might be good”.
As the Kalactinian team went out to their practice they were introduced new drill they had run 50 laps around the field while passing the ball around between them it did not make Ryan very popular because he dropped the ball on the 47th lap. That did it 3 Times before they made it all the way through.

by **Hutanjia** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:59 am

HUTANJIAN NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS SQUAD
'The Spiders'

Management

Commissioner of the Wishtonian Rugby Association: Arturo Bovaptu
Coach: Jaunders Malaptra
Assistant Coach: Bentley Reraptke
Trainer: Giancarlo Wziputala

Starting Seven

Jean-Luc Tarepka - Prop
Francis Yosepgka - Hooker
Emmett Jelego - Prop
Monterrey Apegku - Scrum Half
Vladimir Sokota - Fly Half
Samson Wakala - Centre
Harold Nepedku - Winger

Reserves

Johannes Charopa - back
Mitchell Zangaka - back
Grendel Lintanu - back
Rhys Pentagke - forward
Townsend Vagatu - forward
Matthew Pitaga - forward
Weston Ketsangu - half

KIT

Kit courtesy of Valls Rugby

by **Neu Engollon** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:53 pm

Ministry of Defense
Geneva, Neu Engollon

They had rolled out the red carpet for their foreign guests, who had traveled very far to be here today. A full honor guard of DGC troops in dress khakis had lined the halls as the dignitaries were escorted to the main meeting hall where the Neu Engollian government officials awaited them. The halls were lined with paintings of battles throughout Western Madurin history, along with busts of famous Neu Engollian military figures arrayed on pedestals below them, with the most famous of them, Wilhelm Tell, Independence hero, holding the place of honor next to the door to their destination.

As the foreign dignitaries entered the main reception room, they would notice that the centerpiece was a large oaken, ornately carved table, with people assembled around it. Those people then stood up: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aldric Servino; Minister of Finance Dietfried Plemarche; the Minister of Defense, who was also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Confederacy, Marshal Jacques Fernand; and Admiral Walter Ziehausen, Commander of the NEDN (Neu Engollon Defense Navy). They were all there to sign papers that would confirm a special treaty of friendship, economic trade agreement, and the papers that would commence the first, but hopefully not the last, annual military exercises between the Confederacy of Neu Engollon and the Islamic Republic of the Busoga Islands. Most of the informalities had already been covered in separate meeting rooms, but this final signing would make it all official.

The Busoga Islander delegation visiting Geneva, and now entering the main reception room, was an important group of people. Dr. Mustafa Karakus, the Foreign Minister, led the delegation. Coskun Onay, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs was also present. Volkan Safak, the President’s National Security Advisor, was here, as well. The Minister of Defense, Fatima Berk, the highest ranking woman in Busoga Islander politics, and the only female of the senior members of the Busogan delegation, hung back but was no less in importance. The Islander Ambassador to Neu Engollon, Gurgen Ozturk, followed. Those were, of course, the civilian government officials in the Islander delegation. A number of high ranking military officials were here as well, led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Busoga Islander Military Forces, General Boran Keser, and the Chief of Staff of the Busoga Islander Naval Forces, Admiral Sezen Ozil.

Dr. Karakus spoke first. “My friends, on behalf of President Razav and the Islamic Republic, we would like to thank you for hosting this meeting. This has been a top priority of the President’s, and the fact that we have gotten this deal completed, is very crucial. As everybody here knows, the Islamic Republic is a new and small country. We are not the massive empires that exist in our corner of Atlantian Oceania. But yet, we believe that we have a lot to offer. We have a growing economy, and we are a nation that fiercely protects our independence. And working with others is the best way to do that. We believe that this new partnership between Neu Engollon and the Islamic Republic will be for the benefit of us both. The economics in particular - trade and mutual investment between our two nations will be for the benefit of all involved.”

Dr. Karakus sat down, and then gave way to the Minister of Defense, Fatima Berk. She adjusted her hijab slightly, and then started speaking. “The military partnership between our two nations is something that we believe will be beneficial for all involved.” She began. “This has long been a priority of President Razav’s, and he has been very personally invested in making sure that we were able to get this deal done. His pleasure cannot be overstated. Of course, we have built our military essentially from scratch in the short time since independence. The benefits to the Busoga Islands are, of course, obvious. But this isn’t charity- we believe that this is a mutually beneficial agreement, between allies. As you can see on these walls, Neu Engollon has a rich history- and we can benefit from the expertise. These exercises will help everyone stay sharp, which helps keep the peace.”

Minister Servino stood up next, speaking loudly for the press and photographers that had been let in to record the event, minutes before the Busogan delegates had spoken.
“I should mention that while Council President Garavano could not be here today, she sends her regards and hopes to sit down with President Razav in person soon to cement the new friendship between our nations.
While we are an older nation than the Islamic Republic of the Busoga Islands by many centuries, make no mistake that we do not hold this new bond and partnership between our nations with any less importance than any other diplomatic relationship currently maintained by the Confederacy. We will honor it to the best of our ability, as we have discussed during negotiations with the Busoga Islanders in matters of trade, mutual security, and diplomacy. We hope to see our friendship flourish and that our people will find more and more common ground as time moves on.”

Servino looked to Marshal Fernand, who stood up next. Fernand cleared his throat.
“Speaking specifically about the security issues, it will be incredibly invaluable for our nations to have such strategic partners in each other, and this will provide for mutual global security for more than just the two nations. The training exercises that Minister Berk mentioned are to be planned in the upcoming months between the armed forces of the Busoga Islands and the Neu Engollian Defense Forces. Expect a major exercise to kick off in the next five months, if not sooner. We hope to train with Busogan forces in some tactics using modern technology, a lot of that utilizing aircraft, vehicles and vessels, some developed by domestic Neu Engollian companies. But the learning will definitely be two ways as we are sure a newly, fiercely, independent island republic has much to teach us about defending against a modern foe.”

Minister Plemarche stood up last as the Marshal took some time to find his seat again.
“There are many levels of industry and trade that our two nations can build upon, but figuring out an optimal access to each others’ resources, as well as opening markets in each others’ nations, is foremost. Of course, the Confederacy must not use our vast economic power to dominate over the Islamic Republic, and we must respect that we are going in to these arrangements with a trade balance far in our favor. Several Neu Engollian companies have already expressed interest in developing new factories, work forces and markets in the Busoga Islands, but we must temper that by working with the Busogan government agencies to make sure that local companies are not squeezed out of their own markets. We have much to learn from each other.”

With that, the senior members of the Busogan delegation put pen to paper on the agreements. The photo-op, of course, was of the small Busoga Islander flag, next to the small Neu Engollon flag, and Dr. Karakus signing the documents. He put pen to paper on all of the relevant documents. Everyone else signed the documents relevant to their subject area. Fatima Berk signed the military agreements, alongside the General and the Admiral who had been brought here. The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs signed the economic agreement. And then, of course, they yielded to their hosts.

The Neu Engollian Ministers and military officials signed next, also posing for photo opportunities with the flags, pens to documents, and finally their Busoga Islander counterparts.

After taking a few questions, the Busoga Islanders and Neu Engollian officials parted with some light hearted pleasantries and promises to give fuller interviews to various reporters from both nations, and other international journalists, later.

The Busoga Islander delegation were escorted to their vehicles, to drive back to their embassy. They remained in the Confederacy capital for two more days after the historic signing to enjoy some of the other sites and enjoy a pleasant Lake Geneva cruise. Their business was concluded and they should be able to enjoy themselves. Lower level officials on both sides put the finishing legal touches on all the political, military and trade documents to conclude and commence the agreements. Packets were sent along with the Busoga Islander Ministers and military chiefs of staff to solidify the new friendship between the two nations.

[OOC: Co-RP’d with Busoga Islands.]

by **Barunia** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:24 am

About Barunia
The socialist Federation of Barunia consists of three large islands and a smaller island chain, situated in the southern ocean. The climate is temperate, with winter temperatures (when the tournament is being held) ranging from around 5 to 25 degrees Celcius. It doesn't snow here, but there is a chance of rain on the tournament weekend.

Barunia is a socialist nation, but visitors should not worry about being able to shop. Barunia has many competitive businesses, withthe socialist principles being applied in how these are operated. Most notably, employees act as shareholders in their place of work. For visitors, this means that when you recieve service here, you recieve it from someone who cares about the corporation they work for, not just their pay cheque. Attendees at sports events might not another curious consequence of Barunia's strong business regulation: a lack of advertising around the ground. Corporations are not allowed to endorse clubs or players, or advertise at sporting events. This rule does not apply to international teams, so you can wear your club's jersey with its company logo without fear, as can your club's players.

Culturally Barunia is a fairly liberal society, with personal freedoms enshrined in law. Tourists should note that recreational drugs are illegal in Barunia, and while the age of consent is 16, the legal age for alcohol consumption is 18. Barunia is a land of natural beauty, and on most days you will find locals enjoying the waters that surround their island home. On weekends many Barunians engage in sport, with sailing, hockey (field), and football (soccer) the most popular. Rugby Union has seen massive growth in the country since the nation won the world cup, and Sevens, with its abbreviated format, is also widely popular.

About Hamilton
Hamilton is situated in the state of Havenia, about 50 kilometres south of the state and national capital, Porthaven. Hamilton is a small city with most services centred in the central business district, with mostly residential suburbs surrounding it. The suburb of Samford sits to the north, about 15 minutes drive from the Hamilton CBD. Samford stadium, the primary venue for the World Cup sits in the middle of a cultural and commercial precint. The other venue, Karl Marx University (KMU), is located in the heart of the city. The university has a strong sporting tradition, and guests will be made very welcome, with additional facilities added to the already existing ones.

Barunia has a strong public transport network, and visitors will be able to access both venues using public transport. Hamilton does not have an airport, so your journey will begin in Porthaven. There is a train that connects the two cities, with a connection to Hamilton's local services. Samford stadium has a train station across the road, while buses link KMU to the nearest station. Extra services will be provided, and the price of fares will be included. Please note, that while locals are entitled to free public transport, if you are a visitor to Barunia, you will need to purchase tickets for any other travel.
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IC Schedule
Due to the large size of the tournament, it shall take place over two venues. Samford Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000, shall be the primary stadium and will host the finals. Other games shall be played at the palying fields of Karl Marx University, which has been temporarily upgraded to 5000 seats, with plenty more space on the grass.

The tournament shall be played on one weekend, Friday to Sunday. Group's A, B, and C will play their games at Samford, while Groups E and F will play all their games at KMU. Group D will play all of their games at KMU with the exception of the last two, which will be played at Samford. This is to give teams enough time to travel from KMU to Samford for the finals.

(OOC Note: The schedule shows two games with the same number.
Example:
9:00:00 AM Group A M1
9:22:00 AM Group A M1

The M number is the matchday that the game will be scorinated on, so this would be a game scored on the first matchday. The first game listed on the IC schedule will be the first game listed in the match list for that matchday, and the second game would be the other game. So, in the example, the match list shows MD1 2v5, 3v4; so the game at 9 o'clock would be Group A 2v5, and the game at 9:22 would be 3v4. Hopefully this all makes sense.)

SAMFORD

KARL MARX UNIVERSITY

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:00 am

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
National rugby sevens team

This will be the third time that Abanhfleft will be participating in the Rugby Sevens World Cup, which is currently in its fifth edition, and they are coming in as defending Cup champions. 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 and won in Alice Bay have come back to defend their glorious title for the glory of the Democratic Republic.

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Official history: This will be the third 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, 30, captain)
#2 Rupert Dearth (Right prop, 26)
#3 Abdulrahman al-Thabsi (Scrum half, 31)
#4 Justiniano Reid (Hooker, 28)
#5 Marouane Mahout (Fly half, 27)
#6 Ken Greathouse (Center, 24)
#7 Paul Partridge (Fullback, 30)

RESERVES

#8 Horace Honeycutt III (25)
#9 Mile Foreman (28)
#10 Markos Iordanou (27)
#11 Emery Schmoll (25)
#12 Moritz Zilner (28)
#13 Radomir Rakitic (29)
#14 Wendel Van Alphen (23)
#15 Bradley Votaw (Utility player, 24)

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 **HUElavia** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:11 am

HUElavia Rugby Sevens WC Squad:

First Seven
#1 Arthur Vidal Ribeiro Prop
#2 Nino Grado Hooker
#3 Erasmo Melo Duarte Prop
#4 Yeray Tejedor Scrum-Half
#5 Lionel LeMahieu Fly-Half
#6 Aitor Aviles Center
#7 Vinicius Madruga Wing (C)

Reserves
Forwards
#8 Vincent Bossuet
#9 Mikhalev Filippovich
#10 Bento Nunes
#11 Alonso Roca

Backs
#12 Ezequiel Moniz
#13 Alca Guaman
#14 Wayanaysi Chamba
#15 Rubens Queiros
#16 Denikin Yemelyanovich

+1.5 Modifier

Permissions
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose scoring events: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Injure my players: Y (Nothing severe)
Godmod injuries: Y (Nothing Severe)
Hand out warnings: Y
Hand out exclusions: Y (Nothing Severe)

by **Darmen** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:19 am

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

Head Coach: Arn Bonnay (54)

 # Pos Name                 Age NRC Franchise
 1 LP  Calum Ó hEidirsceóil 26  Johnho RFU
 2 HK  Talmai Bambach       30  Western Border Warriors
 3 TP  Sly Townsend         25  Northwestern RFU         CAPTAIN
 4 SH  Rupert Davies        30  Brham Titans
 5 FH  Connie Fitzroy       29  Liverpool RFU
 6 CN  Bart Blackman        26  Northern Sharks
 7 WG  Gonzalo Hafner       29  Rogerton Blues

 8 PR  Pete McAlpin         24  Coastal Golden Chiefs
 9 SH  Ninian Weiss         28  Northern Sharks
10 FH  Hirsh Halloran       34  Southwestern Blue Tigers
11 CN  Alfred Mark          22  Metro Saracens
12 WG  Eckehard Sharman     28  Western Border Warriors

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

by **Mkabia** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:51 am

Some will claim that this is just an amusing travel for some of the more affluent Mkabian ruggers and well... They've got a point. Whilst Rugby Sevens is considered to be as important as any other form in some parts of the multiverse, it is rather seen as an amusing diversion for the 'real deal' in Mkabia. All this would lead one to assume that this bunch, inexperienced in international confrontation, is most likely to suffer a handful of defeats on their way to the exit.

Nonetheless, it would be a bit too easy to set them aside as 'just a bunch'. Among them, you will find some of the stars from the Kaorak 7, the domestic pro competition which had a noteworthy run. The initiative to field a team in this World Cup came, after all, from one of those key players: Stephane Moussa. Successful businessman by day, guiding light of the Massagui Raiders by night, he sees this as a great opportunity to strengthen the ties between the top domestic teams to assure for a more robust (and profitable) competition in the longer run.

To achieve that goal, Moussa invited some top players and carries most of the financial burden for this trip. Will his leadership not only unite Mkabian rugby players but also give them some unexpected success on the pitch? Or will his decisions find opposition and fail to inspire the Leopards to a single point?

Starters

#1  - LP - Kondo Kaboré           Bogourma Tigers        29y
#2  - HK - Aliou Sakho            Massagui Raiders       24y
#3  - TP - Aio Diakité            Oulo Warriors          26y
#4  - SH - Yao Tchagnirou         Young Boys Kada        27y
#5  - FH - Yacouba Diané          Oulo Warriors          24y
#6  - CN - Stephane Moussa        Massagui Raiders       32y
#7  - WG - Valens Sissako         Djalenga Redshirts     23y

Reserves

#11 - LP - Aboubakar Dia          Djalenga Redshirts     29y
#12 - HK - Djigui Kouma           Massagui Raiders       35y
#13 - TP - Moussa Thiam           Oulo Warriors          27y
#14 - SH - Lass Koanda            Salou Pirates          25y
#15 - FH - Aristide Feindouno     Young Boys Kada        28y
#16 - CN - Sedounody Soré         Young Boys Kada        20y
#17 - WG - Hilaire Doumbouya      Garo College           19y

Style Mod - +2
Choose anything, no career-ending injuries, only godmod when funny/original

by **Free Republics** » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:37 pm

Without a television contract or any coverage from Sporting World, the Free Republics National Rugby Union Sevens Team, an offshoot of the Free Republics National Rugby Organization, LLC was nonexistent. The Republican media did not consider rugby to be worth covering, especially when it wasn't happening in the Free Republics. A team coached by 2 Taiyouese women and filled with Taiyouese-Republican players was simply not something the Republican press cared much about. Afterall, the overwhelming majority of their audience were Native Republicans (OOC: white) who had little interest in what was largely seen as a sport for immigrants and athletes who weren't good enough to make it in (gridiron) football. Afterall, if you're from the country that (claims to have) invented football and is currently the reigning World Bowl champion, why should you care about the bizarre foreign cousin of the sport that is rugby?

Of course, Malia Tokuta, Yukiko Kawamura and their players did care about rugby and the coaches were quick to remind any naysayers that Ronnie Moore and Joseph Long had both played Division I RCAA football. But of course what really mattered was that they were good rugby players. To select the Rugby Sevens team, Tokuta held a couple weeks worth of tryouts and brought in a total of 100 players that she eventually narrowed down to 14 with the help of Kawamura. Now, these 14 had a tall order in front of them.

While Neu Engollon had been falling down the ranks of late in union, they were nonetheless a major rugby power. The Republicans were definitely nothing of the sort even though they had hosted the 25th Union World Cup. None of the players from that team were still involved with the Republican National Team and no Republican National Team had ever done much of note in international rugby. Tokuta and Kawamura had recently purchased the bankrupt Free Republics National Rugby Organization and were now seeking to rebuild the organization by fielding teams that weren't going to be paid beyond expenses until such time as the organization actually had money to pay them.

The Republicans arrived on Thursday night, having secured sponsorship from All Taiyou Pro Wrestling, the Taiyouese wrestling organization which had been expanding into the Free Republics in recent years. ATPW (or "Zen Taiyou Puroresu" in Taiyouese) was known for its more realistic style of pro wrestling that emphasized sport rather than the theatrics of the New Republican Wrestling Conglomerate. The wrestling sponsorship was sufficient to cover the organization's expenses and they were relived to discover that they could wear their jerseys with the ATPW logo on them. It also meant that Taiyouese pro wrestling would be advertised to a large international audience over a weekend. The next morning, they arrived at the Karl Marx University campus for the first time. The opening match against Neu Engollon would reveal just how prepared they were to compete at the international level.

by **Barunia** » Tue Mar 17, 2020 5:58 am

Set off the fireworks, it's time for action!

Matchday 1 Results

Group A
Barunia 35–7 Norway-Karelia
Ebrilond 0–36 Kelssek

  Group A                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 Kelssek                     1    1   0   0    36    0     3
2 Barunia                     1    1   0   0    35    7     3
3 Norway-Karelia              1    0   0   1     7   35     0
4 Ebrilond                    1    0   0   1     0   36     0

Group B
Hutanjia 47–5 Terre Septentrionale
Northwest Kalactin 31–7 Puroresu Asteroid

  Group B                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 Hutanjia                    1    1   0   0    47    5     3
2 Northwest Kalactin          1    1   0   0    31    7     3
3 Puroresu Asteroid           1    0   0   1     7   31     0
4 Terre Septentrionale        1    0   0   1     5   47     0

Group C
Elejamie 24–14 Vdara
Holy Rhinish Islands 7–27 Kriegiersien

  Group C                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 Kriegiersien                1    1   0   0    27    7     3
2 Elejamie                    1    1   0   0    24   14     3
3 Vdara                       1    0   0   1    14   24     0
4 Holy Rhinish Islands        1    0   0   1     7   27     0

Group D
Busoga Islands 14–35 United States of Devonta
Darmen 34–0 Trolleborg

  Group D                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta    1    1   0   0    35   14     3
2 Darmen                      1    1   0   0    34    0     3
3 Busoga Islands              1    0   0   1    14   35     0
4 Trolleborg                  1    0   0   1     0   34     0

Group E
Free Republics 26–14 Neu Engollon
Mkabia 24–12 Natanians and Nosts

  Group E                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 Free Republics              1    1   0   0    26   14     3
2 Mkabia                      1    1   0   0    24   12     3
3 Neu Engollon                1    0   0   1    14   26     0
4 Natanians and Nosts         1    0   0   1    12   24     0

Group F
Kandonica 28–26 TJUN-ia
Lisander 17–17 Savojarna

  Group F                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   Pts 
1 Kandonica                   1    1   0   0    28   26     3
2 Lisander                    1    0   1   0    17   17     1
  Savojarna                   1    0   1   0    17   17     1
4 TJUN-ia                     1    0   0   1    26   28     0

Important Note: I totally missed it when I set up the OP thread, but the Rugby Sevens file on xkoronate does not allow for style mods. Thus, style mods will not be used. Apologies to those who did post style modifiers.

by **Northwest Kalactin** » Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:01 am

Kalactanians Win 31-7
In the Kalactanians match against pusuero asteroid Todd bell and Ryan Washington combined for 4 tries it was a good match for the kalactanian team considering they had not played in a while. The other nation certainly struggled on defense. The Kalactanians meanwhile gave up 7 points the entire match.

Scoring Events
Conversion- Nick Long 2-0
Try- Ryan Washington 7-0
Try- Ryan Washington 12-0
Try-Todd Bell 17-0
Conversion- Johnny Ramsey 19-5
Try- Other Team 19-5
Try- Todd Bell 24-5
Conversion- Shawn Butler 26-5
Conversion- Other Team 26-7
Try- Billy Long 31-7

Other Groups
Group A
Barunia 35-7 Norway Kaleria
The hosts easily take down Norway Kaleria.
Group B
Hutanjia 47-5 Terre
The number 3 team in the world Easily handles Terre.
Group C
Elejamie 24-14 Vdara
Elejamie has trouble scoring on vdara.
Group D
Darmen 34-0 Trollberg
We all thought Trollberg would be better turns out Darmen was a whole lot better.
Group E
Free Republics 26-14 Neu Engollon
Free Republics handles Neu Engollon surprisingly easily.
Group F
Lisander 17-17 Savojarna
Lisander ties which is amazing considering they might be the best rugby nation in the world.

by **Elejamie** » Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:47 am

Dave Carrey's Brief Guide to the Fifth Rugby Sevens World Cup, Group C
Dave Carrey - Hamilton, Barunia

Well, we thought we'd never see this happening again. Especially since the last Rugby Sevens World Cup was hyped up to be this big end tournament after a long series that would see the cream of the crop duke it out to become the official world champions. Granted the Freedom Sevens never ended up happening but the next scheduled event went off without a hitch, we found a good host to run the grand finale and everyone seemed so pumped up and excited for it. So what happened? A lot of the planned matches ended up not happening and the whole event had that air of the main people running the show leaving at some point and causing someone else to step in just so it'd see completion. A disappointing end to something that ran out of steam so quickly you could see the cracks that were already there when it started to form.

But before we get onto this tournament, let's get onto the last international sevens tourney. More specifically, the AVBF Sevens and its fifth installment over in Burgenden in Neu Engollon. And what a competition it was for us! We got off to an OK start, beating Khazuul 28-14, before we lost to Copper Cuprum. It was a narrow defeat, 21-19, but it was still a minor disappointment. They were still the stronger side for that 15-20 minutes so any and all praise go to them for putting up a good fight and grabbing a shock win. We kind of bounced back with a 22-12 win over Aimena to end that say 2-0-1 but it still wasn't really enough to shake off that defeat. Fortunately the two final group stage wins the following day, 31-7 over the United Civil Republic and 29-7 over Widovia (who finished the tournament without a single win), were enough to get Coach Kim's men back into the mood even if it meant a second place finish behind the Copperites.

Coach Aaron Kim, who has
announced he will be stepping
down from coaching the Sevens
squad. We wish him well in his
future endeavours.

For the last match on the second day, we were up against the hosts Neu Engollon in the Round of 16. The Ibexes looked to be a strong opponent, as they had not only won all of their games but also racked up a lot of points, 166 to be precise. Fortunately, we managed to hold our own as we went on to win quite convincingly, 29-12. Guessing Neu Engollon scored themselves out during that group stage. We'd go on to face Copper Cuprum in the semi-finals where we managed to grab a 26-14 win to book our place in the finals. Where we had to face Lisander, who were not only our biggest rivals of sorts and reigning Cup holders but had also finished their group stage run with a 4-0-1 record (their sole loss also being a 21-19 defeat to their undefeated group winners, in this case Neu Engollon), though the main difference was that they had an impeccable offence who must've grabbed a record when they thrashed Kandonica 52-0. That's not a typo, by the way, that actually happened. Indeed, the Irises would proceed to score three tries against us, though fortunately due to some brilliant defending Matias Beaudelaire was unable to convert a single one of them. Meanwhile, a try each from Paul Koppel and Adam McCracken, as well as two conversions from Gary Toda and a drop goal from Tim Crespin meant that we not only won the match 17-15 but also won the Maracalo Cup, as well as retained the Tillman Trophy that both nations compete for when it comes to union and sevens.

Fond memories. Now the Tillman Trophy's been flown over here, presumably the Prince of Ermines Cup too, in anticipation for any matches between Elejamie and Lisander for the former and Lisander and Lisander and Alice Bay for the latter. Any other trophies that two teams compete for might also show up but for now let's concentrate on the actual tournament itself. Because we're over in Barunia and we've been put into Group C. Which on paper seems to be a fairly decent group for us as we've got two sides that can be summed up as "decent enough but won't cause us any threat" and two newcomers, one of which comes across as an automatic 2/3 points. But, as we all know, it's going to be anything but.

So let's begin with our first opponent, Vdara. While I can't seem to find much in the way of an official league or list of players, sources do tell me that rugby's fairly popular there. Union and league probably, sevens not so much. However, we look forward to facing off with them and hopefully giving them a good game and a good introduction to international sevens.

Next up, we've got Alice Bay, our first ranked opponents. And they actually did fairly well for themselves last time. They grabbed a narrow opening win against the Ross Isles, 28-24, before drawing 24-24 with Darmen. After a 26-14 win over Buevos Aires saw them top the table, they'd go on to thrash Ouna 34-0, though due to point difference (+62 compared to +50) Darmen overtook them for the top spot, before rounding things off with a
massive 35-7 victory over Danubia to finish second in their group and, thus, they qualified for the Cup stage. Then they found out they had to face Darmen again in the Round of Sixteen. That probably seemed to have sucked any optimism out of them as they'd proceed to lose 31-12 to the Darmenis and, thus, had to exit the competition. They're quite a formidable side and I'd imagine they'd cause us some grief at some points but if we buckle down and concentrate on closing them down we might be able to come away with a pair of Ws.

Following our bye game, we then move on to play the Holy Rhinish Islands. Again, a newcomer to the tournament and, much like Vdara, I can't seem to find any information about any leagues, players, etc. over there. However, unlike Vdara, I'm not exactly sure what the sport's like over there and which code's popular, if anything. So I'd imagine it's just a simple "one and done" team. Easy pair of wins unless they turn out not to be.

Then it's Kriegiersien. Although they were kind of a powerhouse when it came to Olympic Sevens, it took them a while to actually move into an officially sanctioned non-Olympic tournament. More specifically, they were at the last AVBF Sevens as well. There they were drawn into Group E and they didn't exactly have the best time, as you'd expect for someone who'd usually more used to weaker competition, which resulted in them being dismantled 34-10 by Bolgano in their opening game. But they still did a good job, getting a couple of wins (26-12 against Riysa and 35-12 against winless New Quomir) and even held their own against much stronger teams like Abanhfleft (20-14 loss) and Terre Septentrionale (26-22 loss). Though they had to settle for the Bowl, they did a very good job when they grabbed a comfortable 26-12 win over the United Civil States. Though they'd go on to lose to Geektopia, it was an incredibly narrow win, 26-24. They played very well and, admittedly, with enough practice they could be cup competitors in no time. Once we've played them, we go back to Vdara, as this is a double round robin group stage.

So who do I think will qualify? Us, of course, as we're pretty much a sevens powerhouse. We won't win every single match, mind, as I'm sure we'll end up drawing or even losing one or two games. Indeed, I highly doubt any team here will get a perfect 8-0-0 record, though I wouldn't be too surprised if there ends up being an imperfect 0-0-8 record somewhere. As for who'll be joining us? I'd probably have to pick Alice Bay, as they seem to be the strongest out of our opponents, though I won't be surprised if Kriegiersien ends up snatching it at the last minute.

A slightly blurry Adam Gates, who will
also be leaving our sevens squad to
play full-time for the XV-a-side squad.
We wish him well too.

Any other teams to look out for? Yes. Lisander will be in Group F where they'll not only play against Kandonica again (and hope for a couple more defining victories) but they'll also take on Savojarna, Geektopia and newcomers TJUN-ia; don't ask me what TJUN stands for, I have no idea. Group E seems to be a group of death for anyone not named Neu Engollon (who'll easily top it) or Mkabla (who'll easily flop) as Bolgano, the Free Republics and the Natanians and Nosts have to battle it out to see who'll finish second. And Group A sees the hosts Barunia having to face Abanhfleft and Kelssek, who had recently hosted the 39th World Cup of Hockey, as well as Ebrilond and Norway-Karelia. There's also Groups B and D but, unless your team's in that group, then I can't seem to find any big names to talk about.

Any other news? Yes, there is. Following rumours that he'd retire from international rugby following the AVBF Sevens, only for him not to, Mike Decker has announced that he will actually officially retire come the end of the season. No names have been announced for his replacement for any future international sevens tourney, nor has he gone into any detail with what he'll do following his retirement, but we here at DG wish him all the best. Coach Kim has announced that he'll be stepping down at head coach at the end of the year, though again he hasn't named a replacement and sources tell me that Kevin Gabriel, current vice coach of the sevens squad, won't be stepping in to replace him. And Adam Gates will be leaving the international sevens squad after this competition to concentrate fully on XV-a-side, though he'll still compete for the Iceland Panthers in the ERC 7s; although it has been confirmed that he will be placed by an EUXV graduate, there has been no official confirmation of which person will be taking his place.

And I'm afraid I'll have to add my name to this list of leavers as I have to go and do a little bit of sight-seeing before we kick-off. I'll be back in time to write how we're doing by half-time, no need to fret. On the upside, at least it gives me time to watch some potentially awe-inspiring sevens action. I hope you'll do the same thing to, whether you made the trek to Barunia or if you're watching it from the comfort of your own home. Dave out.

5th Rugby Sevens World Cup - EVERYTHING THREAD

5th Rugby Sevens World Cup - EVERYTHING THREAD

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