"Sports management sims like Football Manager are pretty popular for a certain breed of games players, but while there are games for football, cricket, rugby league, and I dare say all kinds of American sports, there is no current game simulating rugby union.

Well, not until today - because a sports enthusiast who has previously developed a rugby league game has now developed a rugby union sim. And what is more, its completely free.

                              

Rugby Union Manager allows you to "manage" and "coach" any major rugby club in the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. You choose the teams, arrange training, buy and sell players and coaches, try to avoid bankruptcy, and also play in all the national tournaments. You also get to coach national teams and try to win the World Cup.

The aim is to run your club for 15 seasons without getting sacked (normally for losing all your money, or not doing what your board expect you to do - ie. getting relegated!).

                                              

There are a few teething problems to begin with (one player in the Saracens squad is apparently 92 years old, for instance), and it can be very complex - also if you are expecting super graphics and such well... you're not going to get any (it is free remember).

However, sports sims have always really been about statistics and tactics and coaching and team selections and so on, and if you are into that sort of thing then its really very good indeed."


Reviewed by J. Birch