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308 VRB World Cup

**308 VRB Cup**

308 VRB Cup Logo

Host	Shaelia
No. of Nations	16
Champions	Westria
Runner-Up	Shaelia
Matches Played	32
Tries Scored	159 (4.97 per match)
Attendance	1,411,559 (44,112 avg.)

The 308 VRB World Cup was the first staging of the VRB World Cup, a biannual international rugby world championship. Sixteen nations competed for the Huttler Cup, which was hosted in Shaelia from August 29 through October 5, 308. Shaelia was awarded the hosting rights in on 12 July 307, having be judged to have the best facilities available to host the event. The competition consisted of 32 matches played over 38 days in eight cities around Shaelia. The Grand Final between the home-standing All Shaels and the national side of Westria was held at New Commonwealth Grounds in Visis on 5 October 308. More than 90,000 spectators attended the match.

1 Qualifying
2 Venues
3 Nations
4 Format
5 Pool Stage
6 Knockout Stage

QualifyingEdit

Main article: 308 VRB World Cup Qualification

Only the host nation was awarded an automatic spot in the inaugural tournament. The VRB announced on 17 July 308, however, that the four nations advancing to the Semi finals of the 308 World Cup competition will earn automatic berths for the 310 VRB World Cup as the four Pool top seeds.

Qualification for the tournament began on 12 April 308 around Vexillium. Each of the five regional associations organized qualification tournaments which provided the remaining fifteen spots in the World Cup.

VenuesEdit

Eight venues around Shaelia hosted World Cup matches. New Commonwealth Grounds was the host venue for the VRB Rugby World Cup Bronze Final and Grand Final. The decision to leave out Commonwealth Grounds, the venue New Commonwealth Grounds was built to replace, remained controversial. The venue was officially shutdown, and had been since the NCG opened last year, but was still in good condition. With a capacity of 38,818, it is also the third largest rugby venue in the nation. The VRB and the Commonwealth Rugby Union declined comment on the controversy.

City	Stadium	Capacity	Rounds
Visis, Caelia	New Commonwealth Grounds	87,599	Pool C, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Grand Final
Cathal, Masion	The Oak	49,614	Pool A, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals
Keshon-Husul, Keshon	The Royal Arc	37,906	Pool B, Quarter-Finals
Asper, Sperana	Asper Rugby Grounds	26,959	Pool D, Quarter-Finals
Vixir, Glenatt	Baushon Stadium	25,515	Pool A
Lat Fale, Pisyra	The Highwall	23,378	Pool B
Mainum, Vissel	Pressa Rugby Grounds	22,438	Pool C
Apranum, Framidia	Apranum Rugby Grounds	20,211	Pool D

NationsEdit

The Pool assignments for the 308 VRB World Cup for each regional association were as follows:

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D
AERU 1 RUAM 1 ADFRU 1 AERU 5	ALRU 1 AERU 2 ALRU 3 RUAM 3	Shaelia AERU 3 RUAM 2 ALRU 4	RAN 1 ALRU 2 AERU 4 Repechage

FormatEdit

The competition was contested over 38 days between 16 different nations, over 32 fixtures. The tournament began on 29 August at the New Commonwealth Grounds with a match between the host nation, Shaelia, and Aethelnia. The tournament culminated at the same venue on 5 October for the Grand Final.

Pool stageEdit

The 16 nations were split up into four pools, designated A through to D, each consisting of four teams. Each nation played every other nation in their pool once; each nation therefore played three matches during the pool stage.

Each pool used the following scoring system:

four match points for a win;
two for a draw;
zero for a loss.

Bonus points were awarded if a team scored four or more tries (regardless of the match result) in match, or if a team lost by seven points (a converted try) or fewer.

At the end of the pool stage, teams were ranked first to fourth based on cumulative match points, with the top two nations proceeding to the knockout stage quarter-finals.

If at the completion of the pool phase two or more nations were level on points, then the following criteria is to be used in the following order until one of the nations could be determined as the higher ranked:

i. The winner of the match in which the two tied nations have played each other shall be the higher ranked;

ii. The nation which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked;

iii. The nation which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked;

iv. The nation which has scored most points in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked;

v. The nation which has scored most tries in all its pool matches shall be the higher ranked;

vi. Should the tie be unresolved at the conclusion of steps (i) through (v), the nation that is higher ranked in the updated Official WestEx VRB World Rankings on September 1, 308.

Knockout stageEdit

At completion of the Pool stage, the tournament moved into a knockout format comprising eight fixtures: four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, a third place match, and the Grand Final. The winner and runner-up from each of the four pools advanced to the quarter-finals. Pool winners were drawn against opposite pool runners-up in the quarter-finals, e.g. the winner of Pool A faced the runner up of Pool B, and the winner of Pool B faced the runner-up of Pool A.

Each match in the knockout stage must conclude in a victory. If, after eighty minutes of normal play, a match results in a draw, further play is made to determine an outright winner. Initially, there will be two periods of extra time, 10 minutes each; if there is no winner after this, then play proceeds to a single 10 minute period of 'sudden death' play. If the contest is unresolved after a total 110 minutes of open play, the winner will be determined by a placekicking competition.

Effect on 310 qualificationEdit

The four nations reaching the Semi-finals of the World Cup qualified for the 310 World Cup in Shaelia. The four nations earning automatic berths in the 310 World Cup were: Westria, Shaelia, Kemedal, and San Patricio.

Pool StageEdit

Qualified for quarterfinals
Eliminated

Pool A Edit

Team	Pld	W	L	TF	PF	PA	+/-	BP	Pts
Whiland	3	3	0	8	97	49	+48	1	13
Sempervirens	3	2	1	11	88	76	+12	1	9
Wesmerite	3	1	2	9	75	64	+11	1	5
Mariim	3	0	3	8	50	121	-71	0	0

Pool Match Schedule

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Crowd
29-Aug-308	Wesmerite - Whiland	The Oak	15-27	49,708
30-Aug-308	Mariim - Sempervirens	Baushon Stadium	27-40	26,097
6-Sep-308	Wesmerite - Sempervirens	The Oak	21-30	49,512
7-Sep-308	Whiland - Mariim	Baushon Stadium	42-16	26,033
13-Sep-308	Mariim - Wesmerite	The Oak	7-39	49,707
14-Sep-308	Sempervirens - Whiland	Baushon Stadium	18-28	25,884

Pool B Edit

Team	Pld	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	+/-	BP	Pts
Kemedal	3	3	0	0	19	133	64	+69	2	14
Solelhada	3	1	1	1	9	89	63	+26	2	8
Phenxia	3	1	0	2	6	57	131	-74	0	4
Allacoa	3	0	1	2	4	65	86	-21	0	2

Pool Match Schedule

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Crowd
29-Aug-308	Solelhada - Allacoa	The Royal Arc	24-24	37,906
30-Aug-308	Kemedal - Phenxia	The Highwall	72-17	23,905
6-Sep-308	Solelhada - Phenxia	The Royal Arc	47-20	37,906
7-Sep-308	Allacoa - Kemedal	The Highwall	29-42	23,431
13-Sep-308	Kemedal - Solelhada	The Royal Arc	19-18	37,906
14-Sep-308	Phenxia - Allacoa	The Highwall	20-12	23,379

Pool C Edit

Team	Pld	W	L	TF	PF	PA	+/-	BP	Pts
San Patricio	3	3	0	17	142	75	+67	1	13
Shaelia	3	2	1	13	110	73	+37	3	11
Fora Rifo	3	1	2	3	55	105	-50	0	4
Aethelnia	3	0	3	6	70	124	-54	0	0

Pool Match Schedule

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Crowd
29-Aug-308	Shaelia - Aethelnia	New Commonwealth Grounds	58-26	88,396
30-Aug-308	Fora Rifo - San Patricio	Pressa Rugby Grounds	15-69	22,435
6-Sep-308	Shaelia - San Patricio	New Commonwealth Grounds	26-30	88,149
7-Sep-308	Aethelnia - Fora Rifo	Pressa Rugby Grounds	10-23	21,618
13-Sep-308	Fora Rifo - Shaelia	New Commonwealth Grounds	17-26	89,013
14-Sep-308	San Patricio - Aethelnia	Pressa Rugby Grounds	42-34	22,450

Pool D Edit

Team	Pld	W	L	TF	PF	PA	+/-	BP	Pts
St. Samuel	3	3	0	8	75	36	+39	1	13
Westria	3	2	1	11	94	56	+38	1	9
Kukuria	3	1	2	8	76	59	+17	1	5
Cimera	3	0	3	5	49	143	-94	0	0

Pool Match Schedule

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Crowd
29-Aug-308	Westria - Kukuria	Asper Rugby Grounds	15-13	26,971
30-Aug-308	St. Samuel - Cimera	Apranum Rugby Grounds	28-9	20,211
6-Sep-308	Westria - Cimera	Asper Rugby Grounds	57-12	26,959
7-Sep-308	Kukuria - St. Samuel	Apranum Rugby Grounds	5-16	22,027
13-Sep-308	St. Samuel - Westria	Asper Rugby Grounds	31-22	26,984
14-Sep-308	Cimera - Kukuria	Apranum Rugby Grounds	28-58	21,510