Kalistan

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Kalistani Imperials prepare to represent Kalistan abroad
National Team will play in Six Nations Tournament in Valruzia
Yoshimi, Duchy of Suldanor
January 30, 5723


The 15 man starting line up began practice in Yoshimi last November, skippered by Sulari's Dak Conway (front)

"We are a pretty motley bunch," said Kalistan Imperials Skipper Dak Conway. "We come from all over the Empire and represent the best of the club teams." Conway was on hand to give a comment or two about the new Kalistani national Rugby squad's excitement about playing in the upcoming Six Nation's Team, in Valruzia later this year.

"We formed last November and all met up in Yoshimi to start practicing together as a single team," said Conway during a break in drills. "Union is quite a bit different from sevens, which is what we all play. So there are some different types of things we have to do on the field to get used to one another. I mean, like we all know each other from club play over the years. We all go back and we're great friends, and like being able to say yeah I know how this guy plays, and his tells when he's getting ready to toss back to me, and when I need to give it to this guy to get the try. Its a real advantage. But Sevens are roughhouse... Fifteens are more serious."

Coach Megan Denning, hired because she was the winningest coach in Rugby Sevens league, men or women, is stressing stamina. "These guys can run pretty hard for 14 minutes. Any idiot can. But when you're out there for 80 minutes, not including stoppage and overtime and all this... its a different ball game. And the rest of the world plays fifteens as much as they play sevens. So we have catch up to do. Plus Rugby is way more popular in other country. I was reading that Valruzia has 140 clubs. Besides school teams, we have nine semi pro clubs in the Kalistani Rugby Federation. That's it, and these guys are the best in their positions on those teams."

The National team is considered a professional team, in that the members are making a salary for the year. "We're used to pizza money," said Conway. "That's life in the semi pro league. I'm a bus driver by day... well, was anyway. Now I am making like 300 Pesos more a week than I was on the bus, so I may as well play Rugby for a living." Current corporate sponsorship is fairly limited: KMD and Dah Surf Co have signed on as corporate sponsors, while the Sulari Bookmakers Association has put significant money into the Team. "They had to turn ODEN down, sadly," said Conway. "Imagine how that would look if we went to Valruzia sponsored by opium growers!"

The team has undergone extensive physicals to ensure they are up to play at a professional level. "We have been poked and prodded by the docs quite a bit," said Conway, "and we had to do this combine to see if we had the skills. But I think more they were looking for discipline and endurance: Every last one of us club players can do all that stuff, but it was more can we do it fifty times and not give up. I guess those of us who made it were just the guys who could take getting yelled at for ten hours."

Conway and the Kalistani Imperials will head to Valruzia for the start of the upcoming tournament this spring. In the meanwhile, Yoshimi has become Rugby Headquarters this winter. "Yoshimi is about the only place we can play Rugby in the winter. The weather is nice here: We can still move around in shorts and not get pneumonia or hypothermia. The Yoshimi club was nice enough to let us take over their facilities in the winter, and by the time they start up in the Spring, we'll already be on the road."

If the Kalistani Imperials do well this year in Valruzia, attention and sponsorship is guaranteed. "Miramar and AeroKal have donated flights for the team, as well as hotel stays for the tournament. And each of the clubs have chipped in trainers and sports med guys who will travel along with us to keep us patched up. Now its all on us. I think we're ready!" said Conway.

@LaModa