30 Mar Europe – S1 Week 9’s Round Up (Super Sunday!)

Super Sunday of Season 1 in Quiz Nations Europe saw the league champions crowned, the top two in the Elite leagues qualifying for the Champions League, the play-off spots confirmed, and the promotion places decided. 

Congratulations to Broken Warriors, who swept all before them in Elite 1. The valiant Viddr were their latest opponents, and they put up a good fight, but like the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA playoffs, they were worn down by the Warriors relentless points accumulation, and with Kevin, Pat, Olav and Keith draining buckets from downtown like the Splash Brothers, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in their prime, Viddr eventually succumbed 55-39. So kudos to the constellation of stars that comprise the Warriors, so luminous a sextet that quizzing stats alone are insufficient to convey their magnitude – we really need to plot them on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The Champions League awaits the stellar six: Messrs Ashman, Gibson, Bjortomt, Bayley, Westcott and Andrew. Ollie and Gracies Lonely Heartclub Band have also had a fantastic season, and the Irish thoroughbreds cantered to their 8th win from 9 with a 48-37 win against Chiltern Wanderers, to secure a Champions League play-off spot. Elsewhere France’s Gallium surprised Norway’s Nerds of Steel 43-34, with one of the performances of the week, but the Nerds secured the final play-off spot by finishing third in the table, so congratulations to both. Elsewhere Switzerland Quizzers leapfrogged Viddr to finish fourth, thanks to a 44-29 win over Danish Pastry, and Social Quiztancers triumphed over Denmark Y 37-30.

Over in Elite 2, North-South Divide have glided effortlessly towards the title, polishing off the opposition like a turbo-charged Zamboni machine, and the latest team to get iced were Capercaillies, though the Scots were certainly game opponents, going down 47-38. Hats off to N-SD though, who take the title with a 100% record, a superb achievement in a tough division. Messrs Haughton, Rowlands, Bennett, Hanson, Elliott, McCarthy and Webb march on to the Champions League, and the Magnificent Seven look like sharp-shooting septet to watch. Paul Jam have had a great season, as expected, and secured second place and a Champions League play-off with a 43-36 victory over Denmark X, and although The Motley Crew fell to the excellent Tiimi Nimi 51-37, they pipped their opponents to the second Champions League play-off place, after a campaign that would surely have had Ashford & Simpson purring – solid as a rock. The Pyromanians registered a great win, 43-41 over Team North East, a powerful combo whose fifth-placed finish is a testament to the strength in depth of Elite 2, and the Northern Lights shone as they overcame Witless Protection Programme 49-29.

Over in the Civilian League, as OG Shakey, reprezentin’ the old school, once said, ‘The Quality of Mercians is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven’. But on the other hand, as Will.I.Am so eloquently countered in Epic Rap Battles of History vol.76, ‘Them chickens jockin’ my style; Beats so big, I’m steppin’ on leprechauns.’ The truth as ever lies somewhere in between, but you can be sure that the Mercians can list the rap contenders historical, from Dr. Dre to Dr. Seuss in order categorical, and their mastery of iambic pentameter, rhythmic flow, and brows both high and low saw off all comers in an epic 9-week battle for the Civi Street title. Zbroing 747! were the latest crew to step up to the mic, and their quizzical skills took the contest all the way to the wire before succumbing 40-36. Kudos then to Mercia’s finest (Pam Douglas, Andrew Burford, Harry Heath, Ian Fennell, Neil Clarke and Rob Greenhill) for scooping the title in the inaugural Civilian League campaign. Pick and Mix secured the other promotion spot with a 42-21 win over Universally Challenged, so congratulations to them on a fine season and their elevation to the Elites. Scratch and Dude Abides both won (44-41 over Manos Castro and 46-29 over Bulgarian Rational Society respectively) to secure third and fourth places, and The Mancunians confirmed a top half finish with a 42-23 victory over The North Remembers.

As for unique 2-pointers, we had a quartet of distinction, with movie buff Steve Coates familiar with Jodie Foster’s Golden Globes-winning role in The Mauritanian; Liam McCarthy of North-South Divide was right on cue with Mosconi Cup veteran Ralf Souquet; Dag Fjeldstad of Denmark X was aware of Jimmy Corrigan’s creator Chris Ware, and Broken Warriors Olav Bjortomt knew his 19th century literature, landing Frank Norris.

So, the play-offs are for scheduled 11th April, with Ollie and Gracies Lonely Heartclub Band squaring up against The Motley Crew, and Paul Jam taking on Nerds of Steel. A couple of cracking encounters in store. 

And don’t forget, the Champions League begins on April 24th, and all the sets can be played as friendlies by non-qualifying teams the day after the CL matches. New players and teams are welcome to join up and play along too, all entirely f.o.c., before Quiz Nations Season 2 gets underway on 6th June. Thanks to everyone who played in Quiz Nations Europe Season 1, and see you all soon!