Shamrock Cup 2021

21 years ago, Comrade James and I started an Olympic Bloodbowl tradition (see here).  With 2021 being an COVID induced Olympic year, the Shamrock Cup was again up for contention. The recent lockdowns had delayed our chance to play so instead of the traditional best of 3 series, we rolled it up into our Round 5 grudgematch in our local Odin's Cup Season. My Capital Crusaders (Vampires) v James’s Vax Valley Horrors (Necromantic) winner take all!

The Teams shake out for the start of the match!

Tragically, the traditional 'chilli ball' has gone missing since the cup was last contested (I suspect dodgy Refs or a Skaven conspiracy) so the game was played with a disturbingly mundane and functional ball.

The First half saw me win the toss, receive, get a touchback and punch though with a bubble defence around the Vampire ball carrier. Despite James taking a Thrall off the pitch seriously injured in Turn 1, I had enough momentum to drive downfield, blitz off the marking players and score on Turn 3. Receiving for his drive, James had some unlucky dice and I was able to turn him over to score again at the end of the second half. Trouble for the Necro Team but with a whole half to go, anything could happen.

A quick TD saw the Vamps 1 nil up 

and then 2 nil up going into the second half

The Necro juggernought was out for blood as the second half started and thralls started leaving the pitch (2 in one turn) but the S4 Ag2+ Vamps and their hypnotic gaze are brutal players, and were lucky not to get more than stun when their fragile armour broke. After carting a Ghoul and the Werewolf off to the casualty box, the Vamps started to get the upper hand and the Thralls were being uncharacteristically resilient. After a series of ball bounces and deckings of carriers, James was unlucky to have his Ghoul trip over while sprinting down the sideline with the ball. I promptly surfed him into the crowd (Reilly will be proud) and ducked away to complete a Vamp passing action and go up 3 nil with just a few turns to go.

The Vamp ball carrier ran downfield, sprinted twice and completed a short pass in Sunny Weather

With the Ghouls and Werewolf off pitch, this was a tough spot for the Necro team

And Vamp 3 scored his first TD for the Season

And so the Vampires won the Shamrock Cup! As ever, James was a wonderful opponent and it was a very enjoyable game. I was really glad we could get our match in before I move interstate (again) in two weeks

And thus the Shamrock Cup Board of Honour records the following winners

                2000: Paul (Skaven)

                2004: James (Human)

                2008: cancelled due to excessive Warpstone consumption

                2012: Paul (Skaven)

                2016: James (Dark Elf)

                2020: delayed due to Nurgle's COVID-19 Rot

                2021: Paul (Vampire)

What a great ongoing bit of gaming fun - 2024 will see the next edition of this Grudgebowl classic!