NationStates Jolt Archive

It has been announced that teams from Casari will be visiting Bostopia to play in the first-ever meeting of Rugball teams from seperate nations. While Rugball is the second-most popular sport in Bostopia, it is still growing in Casari after being seen by Casaran visitors to Bostopia, who then set up local teams upon returning to Casari.

A list of the teams who will be playing and the venues will shortly be announced, but it is known that the Bostopian national side will play against a team of Casarans to round off the tour.

The Rugball Association of Bostopia has said that it is hoping this will provide more insight into the sport for all countries, not just Casarans, so furthur tours and perhaps international tournaments could come into fruition. They have also said they would gladly take invitations for furthur tours or tournaments after the current tour by Casari is completed.

The tour is being run by the Confederation of Rugball Associations, who have announced that Bostopian and Casaran referees will be used in the tour matches, then an Oliverrian referee in matches involving the national teams.

Furthur Reading:
http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Rugball
http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/International_Rugball
http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Confederation_of_Rugball_Associations

The newly-formed Board of Control for Rugball in Casari (henseforth referred to as the BCRC) has confirmed today the impending tour of a Casaran Rugball side of the nation of Bostopia.

The team, named merely the "Casaran Select XI" at this point, will be made up of professionals from both Soccer and Kandai (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Kandai) Clubs, as well as some amateur players of the game.

"We're quite excited that this Tour is taking place, and we hope that it will bring about a large amount of publicity for the sport, and an eventual establishment of a Casaran League." Board President Edward van Erikksen said to the media today. "We think this is a sport that could take off quite well."

The Team announced for the tour is as follows:
Managers
Name Age Position
Tylo Reimani 36 Manager
Aeri Tesar 35 Assistant Manager
Art Skynar 31 Trainer

Players
No. Name Age Team
1 Spencer Abbey 26 Ashford Knights (CKL)
2 Tristan Blackburn 25 Minera Pirates (CKL)
3 Adam Hobbs 31 Tyrellia Storm (CKL)
4 William Cryman 28 Nottsshire Rangers (CKL)
5 Leon Rellan 26 Winton Market SC (C1D)
6 Rav Verolet 27 Winton Wolves (CKL)
7 Josef Pyman 22 (Amateur)
8 Nico Orioles 24 Netsuoka Tigers (CKL)
9 Alfred Firman 27 Presscot FC (C1D)
10 Derrick Aldenkamp 23 Tyrellia Blues (C1D)
11 Ripley Reynder 22 Netsuoka Tigers (CKL)
12 Mick Schneiders 27 Astra Royal SC (C1D)
13 Ainslie Smits 25 Orleans Saints (CKL)
14 Kiyoshi Van Aarle 24 Sanjuku United (C1D)
15 Sawyer Penner 28 Podskiya Rockets (CKL)
16 Dirk Morren 29 Ostra Blades (CKL)
17 Sonny Kouman 26 (Amateur)

Officials
Name Age
Roy Goosens 26
Ivan Martens 31
Lewis Aardburg 29
Styla Remari 34

Notes:
C1D- Casaran First Division (Soccer)
CKL- Casaran Kandai League (Kandai)

More players may be added to the tour, if necessary due to injuries or form.

"I'm excited to be here." Kouman said when interviewed. "Being one of only two amateur players on the tour, it means a lot to be thought of so highly."

Dates for matches have yet to be set, but are expected to be announced soon.

The Rugball Association of Bostopia has announced which teams the Casaran Select XI will be playing on their tour of Bostopia, and they are;

Squigg RC (D1) - Seventh Field, Squigg, Port Flamerty State
Fort Geshrault (D3) - Denfeld Park, Fort Geshrault, Port Flamerty
Oughton Beach RC (D1) - Whitley Stadium, Oughton Beach, Drangmorie State
Fort Boston RC (D1) - Orange Lake Stadium, Fort Boston, Fort Boston State
Kayleton RC (D2) - College Field, Kayleton, Port Flamerty State
Norteaton RC (D1) - Manor Park, Norteaton, Drangmorie State
Haerwick (D2) - The Croft, Haerwick, Fort Boston State
Bostopia (INT) - Bostopia Stadium, Fort Boston, Fort Boston State

The Bostopian team is yet to be comprised.

The R.A.B. has said that by letter lower league teams play the Casarans, the Casaran squad may not get totally overwhelmed and not have a completely losing streak from their tour. When asked if they thought the Casarans had a chance, an official was said to have answered "It's our sport, of course they're not going to win."

"I'm not afraid of the Bostopians at all. I think they underrate just how good we can be." William Cryman said today at the Casaran Select XI's practice at the indoor practice field of Tyrellia City Football Club, there the team is preparing for their trip to Bostopia.

"They seem to think this game is far more complicated than it is. I think we've already made very tangible improvelemts in our play and understand of the rules, and we'll present quite a challenge to their various sides. Besides, if we lose a lot, no one will want to play, so in reality they're just shooting themselves in the foot."

When BCRC officials were asked about the comments coming out of Bostopia, all but one declined to comment. Kyle Miller, however, said "It makes a fair amount of sense to schedule the tour the way it has been, and we feel our side is capable of being competitive against all of the teams present."

The team will be departing in two days to finish warmups at facilities in Bostopia prior to their first match, with the entirety of the tour expected to last three weeks.

Television coverage in Casari for the tour has been announced, the first seven games being covered on National Broadcasting Red, with the final international match with Bostopia being televised live on Casari2. All eight matches will also be available on the Casari World Service Radio and Television networks.

Off-the-cuff comments land R.A.B. official in hot water!

After an off-the-cuff comment was made by a R.A.B. official, they have found themselves in hot water.

They stated that Casari were not going to win a game, stating Rugball was "our game." The R.A.B. has distanced itself from these comments, stating that Casarans had "every chance" of winning, despite the sport being relatively young there.

"With the quality of the players the Casarans had to choose from, they will be no easy team. While we are indeed established, upsets can and often will happen, such as when the national Football team beat Qazox 3 - 0 in World Cup 29 qualifying."

What this has to do with Rugball is yet to be discovered.

However, several members of Third Division side Fort Geshrault have stated that they are eagerly anticipating playing the Casaran side. "It'll be a great test for us. We hope that the Casaran players can learn something about the differences in the Rugball game at this level and in the higher divisions. Plus, with the boost in attendance numbers, financially it'll prove very successful for the team."

When the board of Fort Geshrault were asked if they knew anything about how much Casarans drank and whether laying on a free bar for the team and travelling fans was a good idea, they declined to comment, but were later seen checking their respective bank balances.

Off-the-cuff comments land R.A.B. official in hot water!

After an off-the-cuff comment was made by a R.A.B. official, they have found themselves in hot water.

They stated that Casari were not going to win a game, stating Rugball was "our game." The R.A.B. has distanced itself from these comments, stating that Casarans had "every chance" of winning, despite the sport being relatively young there.

"With the quality of the players the Casarans had to choose from, they will be no easy team. While we are indeed established, upsets can and often will happen, such as when the national Football team beat Qazox 3 - 0 in World Cup 29 qualifying."

What this has to do with Rugball is yet to be discovered.

However, several members of Third Division side Fort Geshrault have stated that they are eagerly anticipating playing the Casaran side. "It'll be a great test for us. We hope that the Casaran players can learn something about the differences in the Rugball game at this level and in the higher divisions. Plus, with the boost in attendance numbers, financially it'll prove very successful for the team."

When the board of Fort Geshrault were asked if they knew anything about how much Casarans drank and whether laying on a free bar for the team and travelling fans was a good idea, they declined to comment, but were later seen checking their respective bank balances.

The Casaran Select Team wrapped up their final practice today before the start of the first tour match against Squigg Rugball Club at Seventh Field.

"I think we're playing quite well. Naturally we're a little nervous, but I think we'll make a rather good showing of ourselves." Hoobs said.

Most of the team are members of the Casaran Kandai League, which is currently in the middle of it's offseason while the County Leagues and Championships are being contested.

The starting lineup is expected to be Abbey, Hobbs, Cryman, Verolet, Pyman, Aldenkamp, Reynder, Schneiders, Smits, van Aarle, and Kouman, with Blackburn, Orioles, Firman, Penner, and Morren in reserve.

In anticipation of the matck, a considerable home contingent of fans have already left to acquire the small number of away tickets available for the match, including a considerable number of Casaran Soccer and Kandai fans, eager to see their heroes compete in this new sport.

The Kits (http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b20/Casari/?action=view&current=casrugball.png) to be used by the newly formed Rugball team have been released by Casaran Corporation Hydra Sport. Modified from the company's Helios Soccer Uniforms, the kit is available for sale now.

"We're quite hopeful we'll give the away fans something to cheer about." Said Manager Tylo Reimani, when questioned.

Casaran Rugball Tour of Bostopia-
Match 1: Squigg RC 14:11 Casaran Select XI

A defensively tight opening game of the tour saw the Casaran side lose 14-11 in front of a small traveling group of home fans.

The match opened with a quick score by the home team, but a strong response in a coordinated effort by Hobbs quickly returned the score even at 2:2.

"It was a real thrill to play an actual match, and I think we made quite a good showing of ourselves." Hobbs said in an interview after the game. "I think today only proved that we're going to be able to compete at a high level through the entire tour."

By halftime, the home time held a narrow 8:7 lead, which quickly opened up to 10:7 with a try by Squigg. The back-and-forth scoring trend then continued until full time.

"I think we've learned a lot from this game, and we're expecting to do even better in the next, now that we know how to organize our team to counter the kinds of tactics we'll be seeing." Manager Reimani said. "We definately intend to adjust our style of play as well. We underestimated the success we can have with more traditional soccer tactics, and are looking into that for our next match."

The anticipated lineup for the upcoming match against Third-Division Fort Geshrault has all five soccer stars in the lineup, as well as Abbey, Blackburn, Hobbs, Pyman, Orioles, and Reynder.

"We're definately looking for a win from this one." Reimani said in his closing comments. "It's our best chance on the tour, and a win now will encourage the team to future success."

Casaran Rugball Tour of Bostopia-
Match 2: Fort Geshrault 12:14 Casaran Select XI

Breaking through for the victory in their second match, the Casaran Selects managed to defeat a Third Division Fort Geshrault team, although the final score does not tell the complete story of the match.

"We took the quick lead, and we sat back on it and let them get back into it, it's that simple." Reimani said in the post-match press conference.

An early 7:0 lead quickly dropped to 7:6 by halftime as the Casaran team for some reason took it easy on their opponents.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with the Away side scoring two quick trys, only to foolishly allow Fort Geshrault to equalize at 11:11. The final portion of the match ended up being a defensive battle as each side focused on shutting down the other, but the Casarans managed a try in the closing minutes to pull out the win.

"This game in no way shows our true potential." Blackburn said to the media in the locker room after the match. "We played stupid and we nearly paid for it, and we're not going to make these mistakes again."