Gulder Ultimate Search: Episode 16 (Warriors Go Hungry After Playing “Mudgby”)

The game of rugby is glaringly energy draining as it involves running around the field, tossing and struggling for the ball and so on. It becomes even more difficult when this game has to be played in mud which is knee-deep and contestants have to throw around and attempt to catch a ball which is almost the size of a standard pillow. Gulder Ultimate Search 9 has proudly introduced the game of mudgby. 

The warriors were required to play mudgby and they formed two teams with four warriors on each side. The team which could get the ball past the opponent’s team the most number of times, won. Paschal Eronmose as reigning Head Warrior had the right of picking players first. He initially assembled an all-male team comprising Adah James, Nuhu Zigwayi and Ifet Iniobong.

Priscillia Ezeh, nominated as head of the second team, was left with Onyinye Udodi, Uzor Osimpka and Michael Ogbuefi as the only male in the team. Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor man, sensing gender imbalance asked the team captains to switch sides, to the consternation of Paschal.

Few minutes after the kick-off whistle, the warriors were drenched in mud. Male and female warriors alike dove for the ball, causing splatters until they were all soaked in mud from head to toe. Their faces and clothes of all colour-shades which they wore soon turned brown – save for their eyes, when they blinked, and their teeth, when they opened their mouths to scream, laugh or complain.

Two goals were scored in the first half by James for Team A and Michael for Team B. After a dirt-filled second half, Michael was pushed through his goal post – with ball in hand; and the referee, Chidi, counted it as a goal for Team A. The final score when the game ended was 2 -1 in favour of Team A.

For their reward, Team A was rewarded with a carton of Gulder, the Ultimate Beer. An obviously over joyous team could not help but dance at their reward. Paschal, who captained the losing team had to open four bottles of Gulder for Priscillia, James, Ifet and Nuhu to relish. Even more humiliating was the fact that he not only had to carry the remainder of the bottles to their camp, members of his losing team had to serve the winning team when they called for it. The losing team also had to wash the muddy clothes of Team A.

The feeling of victory and defeat soon gave way to pangs of hunger by nightfall. They could not find the two match boxes which the Council of Elders had graciously given to them to cook. No fire meant to food. Nuhu screamed at James’s nonchalance in the search for the match boxes which he claimed was last in James’s possession. So hungry was Priscillia that she started eating raw potatoes which she had cut to cook.

The day’s tedious task had worn them out and their shouts of hunger soon became a chorus. Their next action was to leave their camp, obviously in search for fire.

For more exciting episodes of Gulder Ultimate Search 9, the Gatekeeper’s Fortune, stay tuned to the following stations: AIT, AfricaMagic World (DStv), Real Star (StarTimes), Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) and ITV, Benin at 10pm.