Between now and that opening kick in Le Mans on the 23rd March, it is time to tinker, strategise and start building a fantasy team that will guarantee victory against your friends, family, teammates, work colleagues, and the many other experts taking part from all over the globe.
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In this guide, we'll provide all the details to help you navigate the 2024 game, whether you're a Fantasy Rugby newbie or a seasoned veteran. Even if you're familiar with the rules, be sure to read on, as there are some important changes to note!
A quick overview of the core rules of the game (which will be very familiar if you played the Men’s fantasy game): You have a budget of 240 stars to build a squad of 15 starters and 1 player on your bench. You can select any player named in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations squads - however, each player has a different price (based on the player's reputation and likely performance in the game), so you need to manage your budget wisely and work to identify value players. Your team must consist of 3 back-three players, 2 centres, 1 fly-half, 1 scrum-half, 3 back rows, 2 second rows, 2 props, and 1 hooker; while your bench player can be from any position. It is important to note that you can only select a maximum of 4 players from the same country. The auto-pick function is available if you want a quick team before tinkering.
For each round, you'll have two bonus chips: Captain and Supersub. The Captain's points are doubled, while the Supersub's points are TREBLED, but you must select a player starting on the bench. If you choose a starter as Supersub, you'll only get half their points. There are strategies around the Supersub selection, which we'll explore later…
Points are awarded for a variety of Attacking actions and Defensive actions. From an attacking perspective, points are awarded for Tries (10 pts), Try assists (4 pts), Try conversion (2 pts), Penalty kick (3 pts), Drop goal (5 pts), Defenders beaten (2 pts), Carried metres (1 pt per 10m made), and 50-22 kicks (7 pts). While on the defensive side, points are awarded for Tackles (1 pt), Breakdown steals (5 pts), and Lineout steals (7 pts). You will also need to be careful if you have players prone to disciplinary issues, as there are points deductions in place for conceded penalties (-1 pt), yellow cards (-3 pts), and red cards (-6 pts). Finally, there is a massive 15 points on offer for the Official Player of the Match, so choose carefully.
Two important changes to note from the 2023 game (that again, you will be familiar with if you played the men’s version of the game) are that firstly, you will now only have one substitute on your bench, as opposed to the three substitutes previously available for selection. Secondly, when it comes to scoring, there have been some slight alterations, the biggest being the removal of what was known in previous years as ‘team’ points for the team's victories and draws. These no longer apply so outstanding performers on losing teams will now score on an even level compared to their victorious counterparts.
The social aspect is one of the best parts of Fantasy Rugby, and you can play with friends by setting up or joining a league (go to the 'Leagues' tab). Your team in the general league and private leagues will be the same, but you can also create "For Fun" private leagues with personalised budgets and player limits (though these are ineligible for prizes).
Some great prizes are on offer for the best players in each round and in the overall ranking by the end of the tournament, so it's crucial that you make a good start. So, with this in mind, here are five initial tips to help build your team to give you the best shot from the start.
Firstly, above all it's key that you hold off finalising your team until all the starting line-ups are announced. It's definitely a good thing to build some drafts before the tournament to familiarise yourself with the player pool and the prices, but don't finalise your team until you know everyone playing. You will know if a player is selected to start or be on the bench for each round, as an icon next to the player will indicate if the player is a starter, a substitute, or not called up in the matches. In addition, occasionally a player will suffer an injury between the announcement and kick-off, so keep a close eye on the team news and be ready for any switches if needed.
Next up, don't feel bound to make a limited number of transfers. Six Nations Fantasy Rugby 2024 allows you to completely tear up your team for no points penalty in between rounds. This means you can load a fully-optimised team for each round. If you need to make 15+ changes, then don’t hold back. Just do it!
Six Nations Fantasy Rugby 2024 is a salary cap game, so how you allocate your budget is key. One key point to note is that players' values go up and down throughout the tournament based on their popularity, so you can build your team's maximum value throughout the the Championship. This can be of enormous value come the closing couple of rounds, so make your transfers wisely, and if you have any players in your side who may lose value (they could be injured or out of favour with the coaches), then ship them out ASAP! Play the market: each player's value will evolve, increasing or decreasing, according to their real performance. This means you'll make a profit - or a loss - after each round if you decide to sell a player.
Another top tip is around kickers. Very often in fantasy rugby games, you are obliged to select one kicker to gain points from conversions, penalties, drop goals, etc. Not here, so if you can find kickers who play outside of the fly-half position (for example, Michela Sillari, Keira Bevan and Emma Sing), then they are well worth picking up, as they are guaranteed kicking points.
Finally, have a strategy for your Supersub, which when played well can be an absolute game-changer. There is often luck involved - for example, if one of the starting XV needs to go off in the early stages of the game; but likewise, you could be at the mercy of a coach who decides to leave their backs on the bench for the entire 80 minutes, so you have to play the percentages and consider the risks.
For me, there are three key areas to consider in a Supersub. Firstly, will they come on, and will they play a significant period of time? For this, we see Props, Hookers, and Scrum-Hal
ves tend to come on typically between the 45- to 60-minute point, so they usually get some good game time (and often Hookers find themselves on the end of a driving maul and so bring an added try threat). With Locks and Loose Forwards, it is not rare to see a starting Lock or Loose Forward play the full 80. That said, Locks and Back Rowers are not typically left on the bench either. Fly-Halves are a bit more unpredictable: they could come on early if the game plan is not working, but likewise, sometimes a change is too disruptive and can be left late, and in some cases not at all. Centres and Back Three are also a bit of a lottery.
Next up, take a look at previous games to see if there are any trends in how the team operates their replacements. In some cases, past matches can provide a pretty educated insight into how a team will play their bench.
Finally, is your prospective Supersub the only option on the bench in their position? If a team is playing a 6-2 split on the bench, then that is probably a good time to select a utility back as they are far more likely to come on in time to make a decent impact. Good luck: with triple points on offer, a successful Supersub pick can propel you to the very top!
Taking an initial look at the squads in the game, there is plenty of fantasy rugby talent to be found in all of them. Starting with the reigning champions England. The first name on many teamsheets will be the 2023 Championship top try-scorer, Marlie Packer (20 stars). Packer was a top performer in many areas, not just with 7 tries to her name but 367m carried, 10 defenders beaten, 73 tackles made and 7 breakdown steals. If she continues this form in 2024, she will be unstoppable and will more than justify the high price tag. Also on 20 stars, but just as much of a points threat, is Abby Dow. Dow returned to the 2023 Women’s Six Nations less than 12 months after a serious leg injury and put up some incredible stats, including a huge 722m carried (over 100m more than her nearest rival). She also chalked up 6 tries and 30 defenders beaten. A lethal attacking threat. For what it is worth, England are a team stacked with world-class talent throughout, and with a team limit of 4 players, you will need to think carefully about which 4 you will go with.
Last year’s runners-up France are another side full of talent. Like England, their players will likely form the backbone of many a team. While they may now be without their legends Jessy Trémoulière and Laure Sansus, they still have plenty of big names. One name that will be in many teams is their star Centre, Gabrielle Vernier (20 stars). Last year, Vernier recorded 5 tries, 2 assists, 332m carried, 20 defenders beaten and 4 breakdown steals. An outstanding performance. They also have huge talent in their back row; none more so than in Gaëlle Hermet (17 stars) who last year registered 2 tries, an assist, 244m carried, 51 tackles made, 5 breakdown steals and 2 lineout steals.
Wales had a strong Championship performance in 2023 and will be looking to break the France-England stronghold of the Top 2 in 2024. One top performer from last year who will be looking to build on her breakthrough tournament is Sisilia Tuipolotu (16 stars). The Prop was in outstanding form in 2023 with 4 tries and 223m carried, and is a true fantasy outlier in the Prop position (especially with Sarah Bern injured this year). Wales are another team blessed with Back Row talent, and one player to highlight is Bethan Lewis (15 stars). Lewis recorded the equal highest number of breakdown steals in 2023 (7 – equal with Marlie Packer) and also added a try, 2 assists, 51 tackles and 2 lineout steals.
Scotland will be out to build on their 4th place finish in 2023, and one player who will no doubt be at the forefront of their attack is their untouchable fullback, Chloe Rollie (18 stars). Rollie is a lethal runner and a consistent high performer at international level and in 2023 carried for a huge 609 metres (second only to Abby Dow) and beat more defenders than any other player in the Championship with 41. Rollie also contributed 3 tries to the cause and is a very safe selection in the Back Three. Elsewhere they have a try machine up front in Lana Skeldon (16 stars). Skeldon dotted down on 4 occasions in 2023 and also contributed 73 tackles and 3 breakdown steals. Skeldon is an excellent option in the Hooker position.
Italy would have been disappointed with their 5th place finish in 2023, which belies the talent they have at their disposal. Italy’s top try-scorer in 2023, Alyssa D’Inca (15 stars), will be looking to build on her 2023 performance. A great attacking all-rounder, D’Inca scored 3 tries, carried for 310m and beat 14 defenders in 2023. In addition, we can’t talk about Italy without mentioning their magician in Midfield, Beatrice Rigoni (16 stars). Time and again, Rigoni has lit up the Women’s Six Nations with her creative talent, and we expect more of the same in 2024.
Finally, Ireland, who ended 2023 in last position for the first time since 2004 and will be looking for better form in 2024. Despite the team’s showings, Neve Jones (16 stars) always delivered and recorded the highest number of tackles of any player in the 2023 Championship (90 tackles) and will once again be instrumental to Ireland’s performance. Aoife Dalton (10 stars) was another shining light in Ireland’s difficult campaign last year, beating more defenders (14) than any other Irish player, and also carrying for 175 metres and winning 2 breakdown steals. In the lead-up and throughout the tournament, the Fantasy Rugby Geek will be providing tips and insights to help you grow your fantasy scores throughout the tournament, so keep an eye on the Guinness Women’s Six Nations website throughout for more news!
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