09-20-2007, 02:23 AM
Rugby League is one of the toughest sports: 26 men doing battle for the honour of finding out who is the greatest. It is also one of the biggest growing spectator sports in the UK, and it’s therefore not surprising that Rugby League competitions are springing up on the Internet.
The European Interactive Rugby League (EIRL) is just a small part of a bigger network that comprises the world’s largest PBEM Rugby League Competition - the International Interactive Rugby League. EIRL uses five main criteria for assessing a player’s possible impact on any game: attacking and defensive ability, strategic and goal kicking and a temperament rating between 1 and 10, with salaries built around these key skills.
Coaches submit orders with a variety of attacking and defensive strategies and styles and the sim does the rest. What can hold a charge up the table though are the in-built Form and Health fields. A player picking up a serious injury could be out of the game for up to six or seven weeks, depending on whether physiotherapy is used, and of course that uses money. Being able to win games and to balance the books tests a good coach, but being able to spot up and coming new talent is just as important.
EIRL started its existence with just ten teams, but it was soon apparent that EIRL President Kevin Brock had tapped into a niche market. Within two weeks the league was up to twenty teams, split over two divisions, and the only competition within the IIRL Community to adopt a promotion and relegation policy between divisions.
In that historic first season, one team, Welsh Dragons, swept all before them and then went on to annihilate what was, on paper, a much stronger Sydney City Tigers in the first ever IWC Challenge, by 42 points to 6. EIRL 2002 has never lost its hardcore support from that memorable first season. Some people even say that it’s the only thing that matters at the weekend. Indeed receiving a detailed match report and scrolling slowly through it can be almost as exciting as being at the match itself.
You wonder, are you playing the right strategies? What would defeat mean? For some it’s their life - for others it’s far more serious! The game is run on PbeM only and is free - check out the web site - l - and contact Kevin on manckevin@btopenworld.com (My thanks to Kevin for the above - I played in EIRL with no knowledge of the game and found many players keen to give me advice on various aspects of it).
The European Interactive Rugby League (EIRL) is just a small part of a bigger network that comprises the world’s largest PBEM Rugby League Competition - the International Interactive Rugby League. EIRL uses five main criteria for assessing a player’s possible impact on any game: attacking and defensive ability, strategic and goal kicking and a temperament rating between 1 and 10, with salaries built around these key skills.
Coaches submit orders with a variety of attacking and defensive strategies and styles and the sim does the rest. What can hold a charge up the table though are the in-built Form and Health fields. A player picking up a serious injury could be out of the game for up to six or seven weeks, depending on whether physiotherapy is used, and of course that uses money. Being able to win games and to balance the books tests a good coach, but being able to spot up and coming new talent is just as important.
EIRL started its existence with just ten teams, but it was soon apparent that EIRL President Kevin Brock had tapped into a niche market. Within two weeks the league was up to twenty teams, split over two divisions, and the only competition within the IIRL Community to adopt a promotion and relegation policy between divisions.
In that historic first season, one team, Welsh Dragons, swept all before them and then went on to annihilate what was, on paper, a much stronger Sydney City Tigers in the first ever IWC Challenge, by 42 points to 6. EIRL 2002 has never lost its hardcore support from that memorable first season. Some people even say that it’s the only thing that matters at the weekend. Indeed receiving a detailed match report and scrolling slowly through it can be almost as exciting as being at the match itself.
You wonder, are you playing the right strategies? What would defeat mean? For some it’s their life - for others it’s far more serious! The game is run on PbeM only and is free - check out the web site - l - and contact Kevin on manckevin@btopenworld.com (My thanks to Kevin for the above - I played in EIRL with no knowledge of the game and found many players keen to give me advice on various aspects of it).
David Blair
2004-10-07
2004-10-07