How the official Super Rugby Fantasy game works: squad rules, budget, captains, boosters and the full scoring table, plus selection tips based on them.
Super Rugby Fantasy: Rules, Scoring and Selection Tips
Super Rugby Fantasy rewards what a player actually does on the field rather than his reputation. A try is worth 15 points while a tackle is worth one, and that single ratio shapes almost every decision you make: a winger who plays the full 80 minutes and crosses twice banks 32 points before anything else is added, and 64 if you have named him captain.
This guide sets out how the official game — Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific — works, using the 2026 Game Guidelines (last updated on 3 March 2026), then turns those rules into practical selection habits. The 2027 game had not opened when we checked in September 2026, so confirm the rules again once it launches.
Key points
What this guide covers: how the official Super Rugby Fantasy game is played, how players earn points, and the selection habits that follow from the rules.
- Squads hold 15 players in set positions, must stay inside a 100m budget, and can include at most four players from any one club.
- A try is worth 15 points and a tackle one, so attacking involvement drives most scores.
- Your captain scores double, and you can change the pick until his match kicks off.
- Front-rowers earn 3 points for every scrum won outright, while each penalty conceded costs a point and a yellow card costs five.
- Fantasy is a free points game against other managers, not a bet.
How the official Super Rugby Fantasy game works
Quick facts
| Game | Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific (official) |
|---|---|
| Cost to play | Free |
| Squad size | 15 players in fixed positions |
| Starting budget | 100m |
| Club limit | Maximum four players per club |
| Transfers | Unlimited across the season |
| Captain | Scores double; can be changed until kick-off |
| Boosters | Triple Captain, Limitless, Co-Captains (one use each) |
| Try / tackle value | 15 points / 1 point |
| Rules source | 2026 Game Guidelines (updated 3 March 2026) |
Your squad is made up of 15 players in fixed positions: two props, one hooker, two locks, three loose forwards, one halfback, one first five-eighth (the fly-half, the team’s main playmaker), two midfielders and three back-three players. The three loose-forward slots take any mix of flankers and number eights, and the back three covers wingers and fullbacks in any combination.
You begin with a budget of 100 million, usually written as 100m. A player’s value shifts after each round based on how he performs, by up to 0.5m in either direction, so a player who starts the season strongly becomes more expensive to bring in later on.
A few more rules are worth knowing before round one:
- Club limit: no more than four players from any single Super Rugby Pacific club.
- Transfers: unlimited across the season. Once a round has begun you can only move players whose teams have not yet played.
- Rolling lockout: each player locks when his team kicks off, and the lockout lifts only once every match in the round has finished.
- Scoring review: scores can be corrected for a set period after the last game of the round, after which they are final.
The Super Rugby Fantasy scoring table
These are the point values in the 2026 Game Guidelines. Every action is counted each time it happens unless stated otherwise, and a player’s total can drop into the negatives when mistakes pile up.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Playing 1–60 minutes | 1 |
| Playing 61 minutes or more | 2 |
| Try | 15 |
| Try assist | 9 |
| Line break | 7 |
| Line break assist | 5 |
| Successful 50:22 kick | 10 |
| Interception | 5 |
| Turnover forced | 4 |
| Lineout steal on opposition throw | 5 |
| Scrum won outright (front row) | 3 |
| Penalty goal | 3 |
| Drop goal | 3 |
| Conversion | 2 |
| Defender beaten | 2 |
| Offload | 2 |
| Tackle made | 1 |
| Lineout won on own throw | 1 |
| Every 10 metres gained | 1 |
| Missed conversion, penalty or drop goal | -1 |
| Tackle missed | -1 |
| Penalty conceded | -1 |
| Error (knock-on or forward pass) | -1 |
| Lineout error | -2 |
| Yellow card | -5 |
| Red card | -10 |
Captains and boosters
Each round you must name a captain, who scores double points. You can change that choice as often as you like until his match kicks off; after kick-off the pick is locked for the round, so it pays to keep an eye on team news right up to the deadline.
You also hold three boosters, each usable once during the season and only one at a time:
- Triple Captain: your captain scores triple instead of double for that round.
- Limitless: your budget is unlimited for one round, letting you load up on premium players.
- Co-Captains: you name two captains, and both score double.
A worked example: two players, one round
The two stat lines below are invented, but the arithmetic uses the real scoring table. They show why a player’s fantasy value can look very different from his public profile.
| Scoring event | Hooker | Winger |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 70 (2) | 80 (2) |
| Tries | 1 (15) | 2 (30) |
| Line breaks | 0 | 2 (14) |
| Defenders beaten | 0 | 5 (10) |
| Metres gained | 30 (3) | 110 (11) |
| Tackles made / missed | 12 / 1 (11) | 3 / 2 (1) |
| Scrums won outright (front row) | 2 (6) | 0 |
| Penalties and errors | 2 penalties (-2) | 1 knock-on (-1) |
| Total | 35 | 67 |
The hooker’s total comes largely from work that rarely makes the highlights: tackles, scrums and a single try. The winger’s comes mostly from two tries and two line breaks, which are worth 44 of his 67 points. As captain that winger would score 134, or 201 with Triple Captain. A strong squad needs both kinds of scorer, because the second kind is harder to predict from one week to the next.
Super Rugby Fantasy tips that follow from the rules
- Chase involvement, not names. Tries, try assists and line breaks carry the biggest values, so outside backs and ball-carrying loose forwards in attacking teams tend to score most.
- Value the front row properly. Props and hookers earn 3 points for every scrum won outright, a source of points no other position can reach.
- Know your goal-kicker. Conversions are worth 2 and penalties 3, with a point lost for each miss, so an accurate kicker in a high-scoring side adds points almost every week.
- Watch discipline. Each penalty conceded costs a point and a yellow card costs five, which can wipe out an otherwise solid defensive game.
- Spread your risk. The four-per-club limit stops you loading up on one team, so decide in advance which clubs you want your four players from.
- Plan around byes. A player on a bye scores nothing. Teams had two byes each in 2026 but drop to one in 2027, and our Super Rugby fixtures page shows where they fall once the draw is out.
- Keep your captain flexible. Because the captain choice stays open until his match starts, picking someone from a later game keeps your options open for longer.
- Buy form early. Values move by up to 0.5m a round, so players who start strongly get dearer, and unlimited transfers mean there is no penalty for acting quickly.
- Check team lists before lockout. A player who is left out or rested scores nothing, however good his previous week was.
What the 2026 season showed fantasy managers
The 2026 Hurricanes were the clearest demonstration of how tries drive fantasy totals. Wingers Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby each finished the season with 17 tries — a Super Rugby single-season record they now share — which is 255 fantasy points from tries alone at 15 points each.
In the grand final the Hurricanes overwhelmed the Chiefs 60–5 in Wellington, the biggest winning margin in a Super Rugby decider. Player of the match Ruben Love scored 25 points on the day, a reminder that a playmaker who both scores and kicks can post a huge fantasy round. Our Super Rugby Pacific explainer covers how the Hurricanes topped the table, and our 2025 season review shows how quickly form can change from one year to the next.
High-scoring rivalry games are worth targeting too. Fixtures such as the Blues versus Crusaders head-to-head often produce the open, attacking rugby that racks up tries, line breaks and metres for fantasy purposes.
Fantasy form does not always carry over to test rugby, though. In July 2025, Stuff examined three All Blacks problem areas to fix before that year’s Rugby Championship, a useful reminder that Super Rugby numbers tell only part of a player’s story.
Planning ahead pays off across sport, not just in fantasy rugby. Readers curious about how other local sporting communities organise themselves can learn more about golf clubs in NZ, starting with the Omokoroa Golf Club in the Bay of Plenty.
Fantasy is not betting
Super Rugby Fantasy is a free points competition played against other managers, not a wager — you are not risking money on an outcome. If you also bet on Super Rugby, remember that TAB NZ has been the only operator legally allowed to offer online racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand since 28 June 2025, and you must be 18 or over to take part.
Our rugby betting guide explains the main markets, while our TAB NZ overview shows how to set deposit limits before the season begins.
Responsible gambling: This page is general sports information for readers aged 18 and over. It is not betting, financial or legal advice, and it does not encourage anyone to gamble. Since 28 June 2025, TAB NZ has been the only operator permitted to offer online racing and sports betting to people in New Zealand.
If gambling is causing harm for you or someone close to you, free and confidential help is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or by free texting 8006. The Problem Gambling Foundation also offers free counselling.
Reference sources
- Super Rugby Pacific Fantasy — Game Guidelines
- Fantasy Rugby Geek — The Official Super Rugby Pacific 2026 Fantasy Game overview
- Super Rugby Pacific — Hurricanes claim 2026 title with record victory over Chiefs
- Brumbies Rugby — Super Rugby Pacific unveils expanded 2027 season and revamped Finals Series
- Department of Internal Affairs — Law changes for online racing and sports betting
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How many players are in a Super Rugby Fantasy team?
Fifteen: two props, a hooker, two locks, three loose forwards, a halfback, a first five-eighth, two midfielders and three back-three players.
What is the Super Rugby Fantasy budget?
You start with 100m. Player values can rise or fall by up to 0.5m after each round, so squads get more expensive to change as the season goes on.
How many points is a try worth in Super Rugby Fantasy?
A try is worth 15 points, a try assist 9 and a line break 7, which is why attacking outside backs tend to score heavily.
Does the captain score double in Super Rugby Fantasy?
Yes. Your captain scores double every round, and the one-off Triple Captain booster lets him score triple for a single round instead.
How many transfers do you get in Super Rugby Fantasy?
Transfers are unlimited across the season, but once a round starts you can only change players whose teams have not yet played.
Will the Super Rugby Fantasy rules be the same in 2027?
Not necessarily. This guide uses the 2026 Game Guidelines, and each team drops from two byes to one in 2027, so check the official rules when the new game opens.
