Fantasy rugby launches: Build your world-beating dream team – if you dare

Sport – the activity where one person, animal, or even machine competes against another – has been around, I suspect, since the dawn of mankind.

And with sport came the watchers, the witnesses, the onlookers, or as we call ourselves these days, the fans, or supporters. These fans are a passionate bunch, clued up on the rules of the game, what the players are capable of, and what they should do in every situation; and week in and week out, the fans will bellow – in roaring voices – advice, instructions, and pleas to “their” players.

Many a Monday meeting would have been hampered by a hoarse voice rasping from that guy in the suit doing the presentation, after a weekend when he was decked out in his team colours, from the jersey to the face pant and down to the Speedo in the colours of the SA flag.

Ja nee … “Gees maak mens hees!”

But things could be worse. Imagine how bad things would be if fans could become team managers. I mean, imagine if, using a virtual budget, you could “buy” real players from teams playing in a tournament – for example, the Castle Lager Rugby Championship. 

Now imagine if these players could earn you points based on how well they perform in real matches. I mean, if they score a try, break a defensive line, make a big tackle, kick a conversion — your points on a ranking system go up.

Imagine the gees then! What would become of fan and family gatherings if fans became managers, got to pick their team each week, compete with friends or other fans online, and try to outscore them using smart selections and tactics?

Fantasy Rugby Championship launches

And here’s the big news: This is not a hypothetical scenario; far from it, because rugby fans across the globe can now build their dream Castle Lager Rugby Championship XV with the official launch of Fantasy Rugby Championship on Wednesday.

With a $100 million budget, fans can select the ultimate team from the Southern Hemisphere’s premier international rugby competition, with players from the Springboks, All Blacks, Wallabies, and Los Pumas.

Fantasy players will earn points based on their chosen team’s on-field actions, like tries, conversions, line breaks, tackles, offloads, and 50:22s – a tactical kick where the ball is kicked from behind the halfway line and bounces into touch inside the opposition’s 22-metre area, resulting in the kicking team winning the lineout.

And there’s much more to gain than a hoarse voice each week. However, while many will have their sights set on the $5,000 grand prize, fans can also create leagues to compete for ultimate bragging rights with friends, family, and other fans around the world.

Two of the highest-priced players in the game are both outside backs, Bok wing Cheslin Kolbe and All Blacks fullback Will Jordan, each valued at $10 million. Ardie Savea and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi are the most expensive forwards, both priced at $8 million. Fullback Tom Wright is Australia’s highest-priced player at $8.5 million, while flyhalf Tomás Albornoz leads the way for Argentina at $8 million.

The ultimate test of fans' rugby knowledge

Fantasy rugby is the ultimate test of rugby knowledge and tactical thinking. A competition using the same operating conditions was run during the Super Rugby Pacific season and was won by Callum Brown of Melbourne, Australia.

“It’s a short competition, you will need to take some risks, but don’t be too reckless, consistency will win out,” he advises.

“Pick consistent players as captain. Having a solid and safe captain score each round will be better than taking a huge risk each round! Enjoy watching the games outside of your favourite team!”

“Get familiar with the scoring system, being a player on the field doesn’t always translate to fantasy points!”

Now, part of the rules may seem restrictive, I mean, which die-hard Bok fan would want a Kiwi in their fantasy team? But the fact is that fans are restricted to a minimum of three players and a maximum of six players from any Castle Lager Rugby Championship nation in their fantasy team. 

Not cheating ... boosting

The good news is that fans will also have access to three boosters designed to supercharge their scoring. This means that choosing players you are confident will excel in key positions will boost your points and send you up the rankings.

For example, there are boosters like “Triple Captain”, which triples your selected captain’s points for one match. There’s also the “Co-Captains” option that doubles the points for two selected captains for one round. And then there’s the “Limitless” perk that grants unlimited budget for one round only.

If any of that is unclear, head over to the playfantasyrugby website by clicking here.

In the end, though, bear in mind that with the Castle Lager Rugby Championship taking place over seven weeks, boosters will be a key part of Fantasy players’ (that’s you) strategy as they make their weekly selections.

Ultimately, the Fantasy Rugby Championship is a fun mix of rugby knowledge, strategy, and competition – all from the comfort of your couch.

Though it’s more than likely that once you sign up and take charge of your Fantasy team, you won’t be doing much sitting during the competition.