The inaugural season of the new Greenskins Draft Rumble kicked off today at the impressive Sylvania Towers stadium to a sell-out crowd. The two teams took to the pitch and attempted to set the tone for the match, if not the season, with some bone-crunching hits!

Gloomfangz Blocker and #1 pick, Kroll Stonecrusha, KO'd Goatz rookie, Zaka Ojoz in the first play and the visitors were down by two players when Ougdula the Mauler fouled one of the Deathbringer brothers but was immediately sent-off!

Gloomfangz Bomma, Blast McWarg showed his importance in knocking down five players in the first half before he too was caught out by the referee.

There were no scores in the first half, but the Goatz found themselves down by four players to one at one point as star man Stonk Gobbler got stuck into the fray. It got worse as the Gloomfangz team removed six Goatz players - Stonecrusha injured Razgor Gravetakka, who will face a short spell on the sidelines, and Skogg Leggnasha was slammed into by the blitzing, lumbering troll, Brak Goremunch. The Goatz took some revenge as their own marquee player, Baram Bloodtusk hammered poor Grat Burr, who suffered a serious head injury, although, as an orc, you might not be able to tell. As the half drew to a close, the ball was prised loose but did not fall kindly to either side.

The Gloomfangz couldn't make the break-through, suffering a couple of sacks, despite the numerical advantage. McWarg joined Ougdula in the sin bin but the Gloomfangz turned to rookie Lunetta Cutz to try to carve a hole in the Goatz offence.

It was the hosts turn to suffer now as ZumVa Kuloz KO'd one of the Deathbringer quadruplets. The Sylvanians smart defence was ruptured by a darting, sprinting, 2nd round pick, Zogt Spleenstompa who tried to take out troll Dromm Gutripper. However, the troll saw him coming and snapped the Blocker in half. An end to a promising career.

Bloodtusk was on hand again to provide vital work for the Gloomfangz medical team as he eliminated Cutz for the rest of the game. The Gloomfangz were now three players down and defending in a thoroughly orcish fashion.

And they might well have held on! Skorr Blackfang sacked Kuloz, Kharr Deathslash picked up the loose ball and his Goatz teammates formed a smart screen, but Blackfang managed to tag the ball carrier. Kuloz got his vengeance with a blitz on Blackfang, which will also see him miss the next Gloomfangz match. What a contest!

The inevitable score came, despite some hesitation, and Deathslash became the first ever scorer in the Greenskins Draft League.

Commiserations to Coach Demon and his 'Fangz for hosting such an eventful game which they couldn't manage to win but congratulations to the team from Estalia for taking the four points. ¡Felicidades!

Zaragoz Goats @ Sartosa Kraken
Sylvania Gloomfangz @ Iron Crag Clawz