WSWS players join Fantasy League

When World Rugby launched theirRugby7sStars Fantasy Leaguegame last season in a blaze of publicity we largely ignored it for one simple reason.

It contained no players from the Women’s Sevens World Series.

The invisibility of women in sports media has been reflected by the absence from computer sports games. So much so that when EA Sports included women in its FIFA 16 it made headlines around the world. It was therefore both disappointing and a shade predictable that when anyone attending a round of the World Series last year logged onto the promoted Rugby7sStars and tried to select any of their heroes they found they were not there.

So it was great to see that for 2016/17 this has all changed. Complete women’s squads are included for all of the 12 teams playing in Dubai – and will do so for all future rounds. And in a very significant boost for both equality and the visibility of the women’s game, anyone taking playing Rugby7sStarshasto pick both a men’s and women’s team – there is no option to select just one or the other.

Developed by digital fan interaction technology company, Monterosa, for World Rugby, the goal is to provide interaction with fans around the world via a dedicated website - rugby7stars.com.  It’s a game designed to appeal to younger fans, and the new design means that boys and girls around the world can now battle to win key cards like Charlotte Caslick and Ghislaine Landry, and use them to take on and beat the leading players from the men’s series.

The game itself is a free "trading game", and is pretty straightforward. Anyone taking part in the game wins points for their players during each sevens tournament, and can win extra players at any time in a one-on-one game with another player that somewhat like Top Trumps.

World Rugby head of broadcast, commercial & marketing, Murray Barnett: “As a governing body we are very aware of the need to reach new fans and entertain existing ones. We are delighted to be pioneering this by working with Monterosa to engage with rugby sevens fans across the globe. Introducing the excitement of the women’s game to Rugby7Stars can only help the sport go from strength to strength.”

HSBC global head of sponsorship and events, Giles Morgan: “We have seen the impact of the Rio 2016 Games on the sport of sevens, and initiatives such as Rugby7Stars enable new fans who are just starting to get excited by the sport to learn more and continue their journey. The combining of the women’s series is a big step forward as we look to promote the game of sevens to all sexes, and generations.”Monterosa director of sport, Ben Barker: “Rugby7Stars is a great game to play. We have created a fan interaction solution for World Rugby that we want to exceed fans’ expectations and provide a really enjoyable experience.  Adding the women’s game along with new languages brings a totally fresh and contemporary feel and we are looking forward to seeing huge numbers playing.”

It’s too late to win points from Dubai, but you can still draw your team and fight battles with fellow players from around the world while we wait for Sydney to come around.Take a look– it's fun!