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Fantasy Super Rugby has finally arrived – but is the formula right?
Logan Swinkels • February 7th, 2025 1:22 pm
Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP
Engagement is key in the modern era of sports fandom – and fantasy sports, when done right, can be a great driver of discussion week in, week out.
The likes of the Premier League, the major American sports leagues, and the NRL have well-established fantasy products, and finally, Super Rugby Pacific has entered the fold.
As someone who has previously worked for SuperCoach on their NRL, AFL, and BBL games, I was eager to delve into what rugby is offering in the first year of Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific.
The great thing about fantasy is that it encourages fans to be more invested in matches across each round, not just the one involving their team, leading to them being more educated on the finer details of the rosters and who’s making the most impact.
If they persist, Super Rugby could be onto a winner here – but there are some tweaks to be considered.
The salary cap of $100 million feels far too generous. While filling out my roster of 15 players (there are no bench or injury spots), I found myself not needing to dig into the depth charts for a potential bargain player – a staple of Fantasy NRL and SuperCoach.
This approach is one that Genius Sports have implemented with Super Rugby to create a game that aims to attract both rugby and fantasy die-hards, while also being welcoming to the more casual fan.
Photo: Photosport
No surprises that Cam Roigard is the top-rated halfback in the game, currently selected in 59.9% of teams, with a value of $7.5m. While in the other crucial playmaker position, fly half, Damian McKenzie (58%) and Beauden Barrett (12.9%) share top billing at $10m.
There are numerous strategies to how you can fill those 15 spots. For the exercise of building my first team and getting familiar with what’s on offer in SRP Fantasy, I opted to spend big on Roigard and McKenzie and go from there.
In the forward pack, I would’ve selected Sam Darry as one of my two locks, his value of $4.5m is hard to pass up if the young All Black had not already been ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
Same goes for Wallace Sititi ($7.5m). The Chiefs young gun would likely be a first-choice loose forward for many, if not for the unfortunate news that the 22-year-old is sidelined until potentially the latter stages of the competition following knee surgery.
Injury updates play a key part in any fantasy sport. From my years of playing fantasy NFL and NHL, those updates are provided regularly via publicly available information – that information typically being what the coaches tell the media.
Coaches like to hold their cards close to their chest when it comes to injury statuses. Time will tell if that continues when all Super Rugby teams announce their playing squads on Wednesdays at 4pm (NZ time) ahead of each round.
For SRP Fantasy to work and cater for both the die-hards and the casual fantasy players, critical information would ideally be available on the player’s card. Currently the website offers no injury information on the likes of Darry and Sititi.
Caleb Clarke is one of four players who opted out of Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific | Photo: Photosport
In speaking with Super Rugby Pacific, I understand that all players were given the opportunity to opt out of the game for personal reasons, with only four choosing to do so come launch day – the Blues have confirmed via social media that Caleb Clarke withdrew. Moana Pasifika’s Tuna Tuitama and Jonathan Taumateine, plus Sefo Kautai (Highlanders), are the other three.
I can appreciate why the Players Union like having that opt out clause – but considering that Fantasy SRP is a potential revenue driver via advertising in years to come, it’s disappointing not all athletes are available for selection.
Could you imagine Luka Doncic opting out of Fantasy NBA or Lamar Jackson was unavailable to be drafted in Fantasy NFL? Of course not – fans want to be able to pick their favourite players.
My only other real concern with Fantasy SRP is that player prices do not fluctuate based on in-season performance as they do in the NRL products - the launch prices are locked in for the year.
Those weekly changes could also be a real driver of discussion, which is what Fantasy SRP is meant to be all about: fan engagement.
Aside from the above critiques, this is promising start for Super Rugby’s fantasy offering – with the unique booster options creating potential league-winning moments down the stretch.
The scoring system is thorough, which ideally leads to greater access to game and player stats once the season begins - previously I've found Super Rugby's stat options to be rather lacking compared to their NRL counterparts. Plus, the unlimited trades allow everyone to get used to the game while it's in it infancy.
I enjoyed building out my first team and look forward to the sporting ridicule that comes with the territory of fantasy sports. Hopefully once the training wheels come off after the inaugural season, fantasy rugby can reach its true potential.
Logan's First Fantasy XV
Front row: E. de Groot, R. Riccitelli, T. Tupou, Locks: S. Barrett, J. Lord, Loose forwards: D. Papali’I, B. Iose, S. Finau, Halves: C. Roigard, D. McKenzie, Midfield: B. Proctor, J. Suaalii, Outside backs: W. Jordan, R. Love, Z. Sullivan.
Join Sport Nation’s official Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific league today! Code: C2NX4T1Q
