Phew! After years of trying, our Belgian team finally succeeded in what we’ve been waiting for: bringing Eurobowl to our little country. First off all I would like to give a big thanks to Dries, Mats, Tim, Jurgen, Philip, Christof, Karel and captain Bram – or should I say captain Blowjob – for their great performance in Austria. Hearing some of their already legendary stories made me regret my past Blood Bowl sabbatical, seeing pictures of naked Danes on the NAF Twitter feed strangely not so much…
EuroBowl is not just a tournament: people don’t come from all over Europe just to play a couple of games and then go home again. The reason EuroBowl is a success is because of the total experience you get. The tournament is important, but everything else around it is as well.
Which brings us to Eurobowl 2014. Not just any edition, but its 10th anniversary. As this has been long awaited, it was no surprise to see a lot of people at our first meeting on 2nd November. We analyzed previous editions for strong points – and yes, some weaker points – and in conclusion made our own mission statement: these are the things we want to accomplish to make this edition the best possible and, perhaps, the gold standard for future editions to come.
A smoothly run tournament:
- The organization has to communicate clearly: both before and during the tournament people should get all the information they need. Any questions or remarks should be addressed as soon as possible.
- Registration has to run smoothly and efficiently.
- We want a great tournament hall, preferably holding both tournaments at the same time.
- We want the rules to be clear and announced well ahead of time. If all goes well, rules should be announced shortly.
- Live coverage: the event should not just be for those present. Those unfortunate enough to stay at home should be able to follow both tournaments thanks to a close follow up by our reporters. Twitter, Facebook, Live Streaming, a frequently updated website, you name it.
- No unnecessary delays.
- Eur’Open is a real tournament: we believe that the two tournaments are equally important so we’re not going to hide this one in the basement. Instead, we want this tournament to grow to the same size as the team tournament.
But not just the tournament should be great. Everything has to be!
- We want a great location: easy to reach (preferably in a big city) with good sleeping facilities
- Catering: Belgium is known for having great food and the best beer in the world: this is our chance to prove it to the rest of Europe!
- Our ceremonies are important: our opening ceremony should make every player feel welcome and at the same time provide everyone with the necessary information. The closing ceremony is equally important and should be remembered
- We want a place to relax between rounds: whether to eat away the frustration of your crucial double 1, to toast on your one-turn touchdown or to take a short nap to get rid of your hangover 😉
- A place to get together and drink in the evening. Not many Blood Bowlers are known to go to bed at 8 pm and this tournament is no exception: EuroBowl is as much about the tournament as it is about forming or renewing friendships with foreign players you hardly ever see
In short: we’re aiming high. We have a great number of volunteers already beginning the preparations so we can make all of this – and more – come true next year. We hope to see you then!
Wouter – AKA Zoror – Mannens
Coordinator for Eurobowl 2014