Sport in Starblaydia
Starblaydia is a nation hugely motivated by Sports and sporting prowess. Competition and athletic ability are highly respected and promoted in Starblaydi society, as a way of keeping its population fit and healthy, as well as having a more-than healthy desire to win. Starblaydia are one of the most famous nations in the world of sport, be it Football, Rugby, Ice Hockey or any number of a myriad of events.
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Football
The most popular game in Starblaydia is Football (known in more-backward countries as Soccer), with the largest participation of any sport in the country. Governed by the Starblaydi Football Association, it is perhaps the sport for which Starblaydia are most well-known, with their World Cup 25 victory, Under-21 Championship and four AOCAF titles. All in all this makes them a nation no-one would wish to face in a match.
The National Football Team
For full information, see the Starblaydia national football team article.
- ...in the World Cup
More than a generation ago, lowly 115th-ranked Starblaydia began competing in the Qualifiers for World Cup 15 and have been regular participants ever since, even co-hosting World Cup 20 with Druida. It is the one tournament that every Starblaydi and every footballer in the world alive today wants to win. A Quarter-Final against Melmond in World Cup 17 is the farthest Starblaydia have progressed in the Finals, though they have made the Finals for World Cups 17 through 22, qualifing for World Cup 20 automatically due to the honour of hosting. Some twenty years later Starblaydia finally got through their glass ceiling of the Querter-Finals and won the entire tournament, beating the Orange-Blues of Rejistania. Starblaydia are, as of World Cup 25, the 3rd-ranked nation in the world, over one hundred places higher than forty years previous. Current record leading goal-scorer is World Cup Hall of Famer Simeone Di Bradini with 84 Caps and 44 Goals, though he shares this acheivement with the Dwarf Zhorin Tumunzahar, who also holds the Appearance Record with 91 Caps.
Starblaydia are certainly a footballing force to be reckoned with, and their trademark all-white kit with purple trim can strike fear into the heart of the most-experienced footballers around the world, never mind the fact they are former World Champions.
- World Cup Honours
- World Cup 25 & 28: Winners
- World Cup 30: Runners-Up
- World Cup 27: Third Place
- World Cup 20: Co-hosts
- World Cup 17 through 32: Finals reached
- ...in the Under-21 World Cup
The Starblaydia Under-21 programme is the best-run Youth System in the world, having been producing some of the best Under-21 teams in the world for over a quarter of a century. This came to fruition in Under-21 World Cup 14, where they took the Championship, never mind the two other Finals appearance, and 5 3rd-Place medals. Click here to find out more: Starblaydia Under-21s.
- Under-21 Honours
- U21WC14: Winners
- U21WCs 13 & 15: Runners-Up
- U21WCs 5, 7, 11, 12 & 16: 3rd Place
Starblaydia's first ever international football trophy was the 4th AOCAF, where they were playing at home as they hosted the Cup, beating NEWI Cefn Druids 2-1 in the Final. They have also made the Final on three other occasions, being beaten by the NEWI Cefn Druids 4-3 in AOCAF3 and beaten 2-0 by Vilita in the AOCAF6 Final. IN AOCAF7 Starblaydia came storming through unbeaten in the competition to defeat Krytenia in the Final for a second title. The very next Tournament, AOCAF8, Starblaydia won seven straight games to retain their title, something not achieved since the great Druidish teams of a generation ago. AOCAF10 saw Starblaydia equal the regional record of the NEWI sides of the past as they took their fourth Regional Title.
The AOCAF is seen as the 'B' Team of Starblaydi football, as it occurs at the same time as the World Cup. It does, however, provide an oppurtunity for those players deemed too young, too old or just plain not good enough for the World Cup Squad to win glory and honour.
- AOCAF Honours
- AOCAFs 4, 7, 8, 10 & 14: Winners
- AOCAFs 3 & 6: Runners Up
- AOCAF 12, 15 & 17: Third Place
- ...in the Cup of Harmony
Only twice have Starblaydia competed in the 'CoH', for World Cups 15 and 16. It is not a good Tournament for Starblaydia, however, as they have only ever won two of their ten games played, with six games lost. Though when a Competition has been won twice by Kylaai and once by lowly friends and neighbours Nova Britannicus, one wonders how valuable that tournament really is.
- Cup of Harmony Honours
- None
- ...in other Tournaments
The International Recreational Cup hosted by Cockbill Street, the Eagles Nest-hosted Eagle's Cup and Raptor Claw Jurassic Invitational have all seen Starblaydi teams competing for glory. A 'Wooden Spoon' and Second Place finish have been gained in the two IRCs, whie a Quarter Final in both an Eagle's Cup and a Jurassic Invitational have been Starblaydia's. Liverpool England hosted the second Four Nations Invitational to promote their World Cup 22 bid and Starblaydia won this tournament by coming Second in the Group play and beating Lethislavania in the Final. The Andossa Se Mitrin Vega-hosted Draggonnii Inviyatii (Dragon Invitational) provided Starblaydia with a Third-Place, after a Semi-Final thrashing by Tadjikistan, up until which Starblaydia were looking like being on-course for a Final showdown with rivals Sarzonia.
- Other Tournament Honours
- Summer Olympiad I: Winners
- Four Nations Invitational 2: Winners
- Tyrellian Ylompic Games: Silver Medal
- International Recreation Cup 2: Runners-Up
- International Recreation Cup 1: Wooden Spoon (0 wins, 0 goals in five matches)
- 1st Draggonnii Inviyatii: Third Place
- 2nd Draggonnii Inviyatii: Third Place
- 3rd Draggonnii Inviyatii: Fifth Place
- 4th Draggonnii Inviyatii: Second Place
The Starblaydi League
The Starblaydi Football League used to contain three divisions (Alpha, Beta and Gamma), which incorporated 21 teams in total from Starblaydia and Nova Britannicus. Due to outside League influences, the Alpha, Beta and Gamma Divisions were merged to form Liga Starblaydia to make the Starblaydi domestic season comply with more-accepted international standards. the Liga Omega is the feeder-league to this division, comprising mostly amateur teams and relegated Liga Starblaydia sides. Liga Ipsilon is the all-women's league in Starblaydia, although there is no official barrier to prevent female players from playing in Ligas Starblaydia or Omega.
20 Teams compete in Liga Starblaydia, and 18 in Liga Omega.
- Current Season: Liga Starblaydia Season 7
- Current Champions: Corinthian Spirits
Famous Football Personalities
- Khim Azanulbizarn: The first Dwarf to play for Starblaydia
- Simeone Di Bradini: Footballing legend, a Profile
- Cherry Garcia: Starblaydia's first and greatest female footballer
- Jean-Paul Georges-Ringeaux: The first International Manager
- Nunzio Gre: World Cup 25-winning Captain
- Nikola Lazerevski: The first Starblaydi Superstar and WC25-winning Manager
- Giovanni Lopez: Scored the Goal that won the Cup, later WCC President
- Spike Martin: AOCAF4-winning Captain
- Nick Matranga: World Cup scoring hero
- Menecrates: Greatest player of his generation
- Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu: The National Player-turned-National Manager
Ice Hockey
The National Hockey Team
- ...in the Cherry Cup
Starblaydia are, quite simply, the greatest-ever Ice Hockey nation in the World, with five Cherry Cups in their torphy cabinet, putting them head and shoulders above every nation that has ever taken to the ice with a puck. For full information about Starblaydia in the Cherry Cup, see the Rayzors article.
The National Hockey Game
An All-Human League, The NIHIL contains two Divisions, East and West, each containing 7 teams competing for the Saevion Cup.
The All-Dwarf SDL is a far more popular Ice Hockey League than the NIHIL, as Dwarves can overcome their natural... 'physicality' to become much more graceful on the ice.
Rugby Union
Starblaydia are also one of the top Rugby Union sides in the world, having competed in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Rugby_Union_World_Cups, finishing 4th, 3rd and 3rd respectively. They also hosted RWC2, having taken over from Aust at the 11th hour.
Find out more about the players of the Starblaydia Rugby Union Team.
Athletics
The Starblaydi Athletic Association controls Starblaydia's amateur athletes, who have competed in cancelled Olympic and AOlympic Summer and Winter Games, winning Gold medals in various events, particularly Rowing. In the cancelled Kaza '08 Olympic games, Starblaydia ended up fourth in the medals table with 4 Gold and 2 Silver medals, all won in or on the water before the games were cancelled.
Starblaydia is one of the seven founder members of the Olympic Upper Council, and present on the general Olympic Council too.
For more information, see the Starblaydia at the Tyrellian Ylompics article
Dodgeball
When the International Dodgeball League was formed by Druida, Starblaydia sent its own team of Dodgeballians, the Starblaydia Panthers. Read their article to find out more.
Motor Sport
Many forms of Motor Racing are contested in Starblaydia, from Formula 1-style to Rallying, classic car races and all sorts of other categories.
International Rivals
Football Rivals
With Starblaydia having been around for, at the last count, 13 World Cups (52 years' worth of competition), there are many, many nations that Starblaydia consider themselves rivals with. One of these teams is Sarzonia, who were neck and neck in the World ranks until World Cup 22, when Sarzonia took the Championship. Starblaydia won the World Cup in its 25th edition and climbed to their highest rank of 3rd in the world.
World rivalries:
AOCAF rivalries:
Under-21 rivalries:
Ice Hockey Rivals
Starblaydia quickly joined the ranks of international greats by being the first team to win the Cherry Cup twice. Subsequently Robotopolis and Tanah Burung also joined the two-time club, and they are included in a list of teams Starblaydia always love to compete with and beat. Starblaydia, however, are perhaps the team that everyone wants to beat, being the first nation ever to take four Cherry cups. The Starblaydi list of rivals, however, is quite short:
Rugby Rivals
After three Rugby World Cups, the three biggest teams in the world are Starblaydia, the Street and Aust, and such this is reflected in the following short llist:
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The Protectorate of Starblaydia |
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