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Parabolic Puzzles
Paul Holmes
The Rigellian Rugby Final
The day of the Big Match had finally arrived. The Rigellian planetary team had a huge advantage as the game was played to their rules. But the Earth team had some giants of the Union game, including Skinny Wooljinn, John Mualo, Eric Chicmaw and Haggis van Snit.
The whistle blew. There arose a tremendous hooting from the Rigellian contingent, while the Earthlings managed a spirited rendition of Globe of Hope and Glory. Rousing stuff!
Earth were the first to score a try, with a storming run up the left wing by Mualo, unceremoniously bashing Rigellians out of his way, but Rigel returned the favour in minutes. It was going to be close.
At half time the score was the product of two odd primes to Earth with Rigel just a whisker ahead on a fourth power.
The lead changed hands repeatedly throughout the tense match until the scores were level with one minute remaining. Encamped in the Rigellian half but repelled by a desperate and effective defence, there was only one option. The ball was thrown back to Wooljinn, but the Rigellians were hurtling towards him so quickly that he had no choice but to pass back to Haggis van Snit for a last-ditch drop-goal from the half way line.
The crowd hushed as the ball rose in a graceful arc, spinning and tumbling through the air. All the players fell silent, too, watching in awe as the oval ball made its way slowly towards the posts. Earthlings gasped as it seemed that the ball was going to fall short. After an eternity, the ball struck the bar and ricocheted into the air. This was too much to bear. The Rigellian crowd started blowing with all their might to try to affect its trajectory.
To no avail. It finally descended between the posts, and the stadium erupted. Earth had won the Invitation Cup for the first time in its history. The final score: Earth—a square and triangular number; Rigel—the sum of the first four factorials.
What were the scores at Half Time and Full Time? And who were the anagramised rugby players?
Send your answer to us via our website Contact Form. If you are correct, your name will be dropped into a hat. A copy of Paul Holmes’ book The Galactic Festival will be sent to the lucky name pulled out of said hat.
Paul’s latest collection of Puzzles, The Galactic Festival has just been published by Shoreline of Infinity Publications.
Available from www.shorelineofinfinity.com and from bookshops worldwide.
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