Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

Chapter 867: Rugby Competition in Rome

Only after Martius brought him a portion of food did Davos begin eating and chatting with the soldiers through an interpreter.

It was the first time for the Roman plebeians to dine with a king who not only held great power but was also rumoured to be a descendant of a Greek deity. They were both curious and nervous at first. However, upon seeing that the king was unpretentious and had a very gentle attitude as he chatted with them about their parents' lives, everyone gradually let go of their constraints and began to talk openly with Davos about the problems they were facing. Davos patiently responded to each issue one by one, resulting in a constant influx of soldiers. Although it made the guards even busier, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

At the end of the banquet, Davos asked, “What are your preparations for the upcoming rugby match?”

The soldiers tried to respond in various ways, all expressing the same thing: Although they wanted to compete, they knew absolutely nothing about the sport and were afraid of making a fool of themselves on the field.

Davos responded to them with a smile, “In the kingdom of Theonia, rugby is very popular among the citizens as it is both intense and exciting. Through the matches, it would showcase the player's strength, speed, intelligence, and overall tactical coordination, so I believe you will soon fall in love with it after getting in touch with it.”

He also surprised them by saying, “Hades had taught this sport in my dream, then I taught it to the Theonian soldiers. So you can rest assured that I will teach you how to play the game and personally join you on the field…”

Upon hearing this, the soldiers became excited and eagerly requested to participate, as laughter erupted occasionally in the Campus Martius.

Considering that ten teams would take part in the afternoon's rugby match – the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Legions, the First and Second Cavalry Legions, the Lucanian Reserve Legion, and the Roman Reserves – the matches were held in the colosseum and the Campus Martius, with the Theonians opening three more playing field in the Campus Martius.

Aside from the soldiers stationed on the city wall, who were ready to defend it against foreign enemies, and those dispatched to scout for enemies around Rome, as well as the patrols maintaining order in the neighbourhoods, a diverse crowd gathered at the Colosseum. This audience included not only the legionnaires but also Theonian merchants and their entourages, who were in the city for trade. Additionally, the rugby matches drew some of the people of Rome and nearby towns like Veii and Fidenae.

In addition to theatre and sports competitions, the Romans indulged in another form of entertainment: gladiator matches. This brutal spectacle, inherited from the Etruscans, provided the audience with a bloody thrill as they witnessed the slaughter of slaves in the arena. Over the past decade, the frequency of these matches had surged due to the growing number of wars and, consequently, more captives available for such brutal exhibitions.

Despite this was their first experience watching a Theonian rugby game, they were immediately captivated by the grand scale of the match and the intense physical clashes. Before long, they began to appreciate the coordination between the two teams in both offence and defence. They were also drawn into the strategic and courageous aspects of this fast-paced sport, which revealed its depth and excitement. Whenever the referee blew the whistle to enforce penalties, the coaches made quick changes in players and formations. Each time a player left the field, they would applaud, making them understand the hardship, formality, and elegance of this sport.

Instead of being overwhelmed by the complex rules, the Romans began to contemplate the intricacies of the game. As they were accustomed to creating and abiding by laws, they began joining the other spectators after a few matches, cheering every time a player scored and sighing every time they missed…

Davos had indeed fulfilled his promise and personally joined the Roman team in the game.

The audience immediately exclaimed and cheered, but their opponent, the soldiers of the Second Legion, became somewhat unhappy.

As their coach, Matonis, the legatus of the Second Legion, immediately came to protest.

But Davos responded, “These Roman soldiers have never encountered rugby before and are now facing you for the first time. If I don't participate, you'll likely win easily, and that wouldn't be fair to the other legions…”

Under Davos' insistence, the participating members of the Second Legion had no choice but to accept.

Davos naturally served as the quarterback so that he could lead the entire team. Although he was already forty years old, he persisted in exercising every day and was physically fit. Moreover, the members of the Second Legion became a bit timid when they faced the king they usually revered and didn't engage him in an intense collision, which allowed Davos to organise the attack easily.

The news of King Davos playing quickly spread to all the legions, which seldom happened! As a result, soldiers flocked to the field in droves, surrounding it with three layers of soldiers. Then, every time Davos caught or threw the ball, he would cause thunderous cheers from outside the field, which also caused a lot of psychological pressure on their opponents.

Under his command, the Roman players gradually began playing well and even achieved a touchdown. In addition, the Romans' innate resilience and tenacious defence kept the score close.

This made the members of the Second Legion a bit anxious, causing their movement to become more tense and the confrontation more fierce.

In such a situation, Davos began to receive heavy attention and even got knocked to the ground at one point by a charging opponent.

The audience outside the field exclaimed in surprise, while Matonis and the players became frightened and quickly came over to offer their apology.

Davos stood up, shook his head, and made an effort to offer a reassuring smile as he spoke in a soothing tone to comfort the bewildered perpetrator, saying, “I'm fine. This is how rugby should be played!”

This warm scene once again caused the audience to applaud enthusiastically.

After the game resumed, Matonis thought of something and shouted to a substitute, “Adoris! Adoris!”

Adoris, wearing a simple competition uniform, approached Matonis and excitedly said, “Coach, is it my turn to play?!”

“Yes,” Matonis said confidently, “Once the game resumes, focus on defending the centre and firmly guard against the opposing quarterback!”

“Eh? Guard…father?!” Adoris looked dumbfounded.

“We have no way around it as no one else dares to guard against His Majesty thoroughly. Only you can!” Matonis shrugged helplessly, then looked at him and continued, “Listen, boy, we must not lose to the beginner Romans here. Otherwise, the Second Legion will become the laughingstock of all the legions in Theonia. As a soldier of the Second Legion, do you want that to happen?!”

“No!” Adoris replied unhesitantly.

“Excellent! So play defensive well!” Matonis exclaimed, pushing onto the field.

It was still the Roman reserve to attack, and after both sides had gone to their position, Davos was surprised to see Adoris standing opposite them, “Adoris, you have come.”

“Father, I…I won't let you pass easily!” Adoris said nervously.

Davos raised his eyebrows and said, “Oh, then give it your all.”

Unlike his teammates, Adoris didn't have as much scruples. Although he was a bit reserved at first, he gradually loosened up. As a result, the sight of father and son chasing each other caused the soldiers outside the field to burst into laughter.

After the confused Romans inquired about why they were laughing, they also laughed along.

As a result, the game was intense on the field while the audience continued laughing.

Naturally, once the members of the Second Legion became serious and restricted Davos, the rookie Roman soldiers were not their opponents. However, when the game ended, many Roman players reluctantly walked off the field as this single match made them like the sport.

When Davos came off the field, the audience shouted their wish for him to continue playing. Davos only smiled and waved to the surrounding audience to express his gratitude.

Due to time constraints, after the first round of knockout matches, the second round immediately begins. Each team has thousands of soldiers, each of whom knows rugby and can rotate at any time. With a sufficient number of players, there is a need for them to rest. In the finals, the match was between the First Legion and the Second Legion.

The two top legions in the kingdom not only competed in the military but also frequently competed with each other in different aspects. Naturally, they gave it all in this game, making it quite intense. The audience also became quite nervous and couldn't help but cheer on both sides.

Then, an interesting scene reappeared in the game: Matonis once again used his trump card and sent Adoris to attack the quarterback of the First Legion, Patroclus, specifically.

The sight of a brother-in-law facing his brother-in-law playing had added a bit of fun to the tense competition and made Davos, who was off the field, laugh.

It was the crucial tackle by Adoris that led to Patroclus dropping the ball, allowing the Second Legion to clinch the title with a close one-point win.

It was almost dusk by the end of the competition, yet the lively atmosphere inside the city still hadn't dissipated.

While the legionaries were still discussing their mistakes and regrets in the matches, the Roman soldiers and the audience still felt the joy and excitement that the rugby match brought them. Naturally, they didn't leave King Davos out of their conversation as they had not expected the usually high and mighty king of Theonia to be so easygoing and able to mingle with the common people. He was closer to the people than the Roman senators who proclaimed themselves as the fathers of the people, which elevated their regard for the Kingdom of Theonia to a new level.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Father! I apologise for being late!” Crotokatax hurriedly walked into the dining room and said apologetically, his voice still hoarse from just waking up after drinking a lot.