Sport in Kanjor

Rugby
Rugby is the most popular sport in Kanjor but dominates mostly on the Isle of la Tondelle and is considered by many to be the the most culturally significant sport to come out of the nation.

History
Rugby is considered a direct decendant of the medieval Kanjorien game of môle, most directly translating to "bulwark" and referring to the act of defending the ball. Môle resembled a no-holds-barred game of keep-away completely lacking any form of rules or teams. Often played in medieval city centers the games grew very violent and frequently destroyed property causing city authorities to outlaw the game to the outskirts of cities.



In 1847, several university students, Pierre Villiers-Gaston and François Phillippe de Germain, studying to be priests at the small seminary college (which would later become the École Nationale Supérieure de la Dame de l'Afar) in Afar noticed the lack of all but the most rudimentary rules as they watched the weekly games of môle played by various groups of workers. Shocked by the violence they began to write a set of standardized rules to minimize the violence and injuries resulting from the game.

The two laymen apparently missed the proper phrase môle and instead named the game after the field for which they observed it played: Rugbé. They published their text under the title Règlement type de détournement sur le terrain de jeu sur les domaines de Rugbé ("Standard Regulations for the Diversion on the Field of Play upon the Fields of Rugby") and its rules soon spread throughout the seminaries and universities of the Isle.

Amateur leagues formed at numerous universities in the the late 1850s and soon spread to the cities. In 1867, the Fédération tondelois de rugby amateur (Amateur Rugby Federation of La Tondelle) was founded on the Isle and standardized matches with official referees began. By the end of the century, so-called "Federation Rules" of the Isle had firmly embedded itself on the mainland which facilitated the creation of the Fédération nationale de rugby ("National Federation of Rugby"), first professional league in 1913. However, due to the political climate, this first league failed within two years and it was not until the establishment of the République Kanjorien in the late 21st century that the second and current Ligue Nationale de Rugby was formed.

Governing Body
Fédération Kanjorien de Rugby is the governing body that oversees all organized non-collegiate rugby activities in the nation. The Federation has over 23 million registered users from professional leagues to youth leagues. The Federation is currently headed by Ernest Benoît-Lecouls.

Professional Teams
There are currently twenty-two professional rugby teams in Kanjor, one for each of its major cities. However, both Atyr and Pesançon each have two teams due to their large size.


 * Afar - Afar Voyageurs (Voyageurs)
 * Atyr - Rugby Club Atyr (RC Atyr) & Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux Atyr (Club Athlétique)
 * Bayonville - Club de Sport (Sport)
 * Belfort - Stade Belfort Rugby (Stade Belfort)
 * Calais - Association Rugby Calais (Calais)
 * Cimoges - Olympique de Cimoges (Olympique)
 * Deims - Union Sportive Deims (US Deims)
 * Famiens - Association Sportive Famiens (AS Famiens)
 * Foulouse - Rugby Foulouse (Foulouse)
 * La Gochelle - Rugby Club la Gochelle (Goch)
 * Kanjo - Royale Kanjo (Royale)
 * Lambéry - Lambéry Lions (Lions)
 * Loitiers - Stade Loitevin Rugby (SLR)
 * Narseille - Association Sportive Narseille (AS Narseille)
 * Nasbourg - Union Sportive de Paroisse Côtes-d'Armor (Côtes-d'Armor)
 * Pesançon - Club Athlétique de Pesançon (Pesançon) & Rugby Club International Pesançonnois (International)
 * Saint-Claire - Rugby Saint-Claire (Saint-Claire)
 * Soulon - Rugby Club Soulon (RC Soulon)
 * Trest - Union Sportive de Région Centre-Tondola (Centre-La Tondelle)
 * Voubaix - Club Voubaix (Voubaix)

Football


- second most popular sport in Kanjor;

- modern incarnation brought from northern Seleyan sailors in port to Kanjor in late 1800s

Governing Body
- headed by Association Kanjorien de Football; headed by Commissioner Maurice de Bois

- Ligue nationale is professional league; 12 teams - spread between cities and regions; only Pesançon has more than one team



Professional Teams

 * Olympique Gymnaste Club Afar (OGC Afar)


 * Union Sportive Martois (US Martois)


 * Union Club Nasbourg (UC Nasbourg)


 * Racing Club de Voubaix (RC Voubaix)


 * Football Club de Pesançon (FC Pesançon)


 * Association de la Jeunesse 


 * Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux Atyr (Club Athlétique-Généraux )


 * Association Sportive Narseille (AS Narseille)


 * Royale Kanjo (Royale (F))


 * Olympique de Cimoges (Olympique (F))


 * Union Sportive de Région Centre-La Tondelle (La Tondelle)


 * Club Athlétique de Pesançon (Club Athlétique)

Cycling


- cycling most popular on Mainland; although still very popular on Isle

- Every year there is the Tour de Kanjor; biggest and most popular race in nation; starts on Isle of la Tondelle and then moves to the mainland, ending in Nasbourg, Martois on coast; if Kanjorien is winner, he does not pay taxes for an entire year -- if wins ten or more Tours then lives tax fee for rest of life

- 19 day long race, three weeks long counting days off; estimated 300 riders

- began in 1902 as competitive bet between two wealthy nobles; bet they could ride across Kanjor in two weeks on bikes ... took 19 days, which is why Tour is that long

- races postponed during 100 year Interregnum

Regional Titles
- regional clubs and teams compete for regional titles; major winners of titles

- Tondelois classique is most prestigious of regional races

- Numineux 1000 Kilometre ride through Numineux; most popular

Sailing
- yacht racing and sailing is most popular on the Isle of la Tondelle

- inshore and offshore yacht racing; biggest is the Coupe de la chenal (Channel Race) which spans the entire Silliers Channel in stages and lasts for five days; happens every three years

- over 73 competitions carried out over centuries; Rildanor holds 55, Istalia 10, Kanjor only 8

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Yacht Clubs
- Société Nautique d'Afar (Afar) is most successful and well known of Kanjorien yacht clubs

- Club Nautique de Numineux (Pesançon)

- Yacht Club de Kanjor (Atyr)