World Class Rugby

It was a time when rugby on computers mainly meant progressively destroying your joystick on the wrong software. World Class Rugby from 1992 arrived at a moment when rugby was enjoying increased interest thanks to world championships — and someone at Dentons figured that the British Commonwealth deserved at least one decent game with an oval ball.

It's a rugby sports simulation for MS-DOS, top-down or slightly isometric view, focused on the match itself. The game could be played solo against the computer, or two players on one keyboard or with a joystick. The main menu offered difficulty settings and match length — basics that weren't always taken for granted back then.

The controls are simple, perhaps even too simple. Passes, tackles, kicks — the mechanics fit on a few buttons and your brain learns them quickly. The problem lies elsewhere: rugby is a chaotic, physical, tactical sport, and translating that into two dimensions and a handful of commands was a challenge that 1992 couldn't fully master. Scrums and line-outs are handled more as a necessary evil than as part of the game. But play it with another person — competing against someone live saves a lot.

What I remember most about the game is the sound. The commentary or rather the sound effects through Sound Blaster seemed impressive back then, today they bring more of a nostalgic smile. The graphics are functional, nothing flashy — they worked in 1992 and today they're a historical artifact, not an aesthetic experience. The game aged exactly as expected: strictly mediocre. It wasn't exceptional then, and it's not among those retro titles that would surprise you with their timelessness today.

Who will enjoy it today? Mainly those who follow rugby and want to try what its video game version looked like thirty years ago. Or people looking for a quick two-player sports match with simple rules and zero barrier to entry. Fire it up in your browser via DOSBox with no installation and no headaches — the ideal format for a game that doesn't deserve more than an hour's afternoon.