WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY: Publisher: Acclaim, Formats: PS2, Xbox, PC, Price: £34.99. Out this week. VIDEO games imitate life to a frightening degree sometimes. So it was pretty much inevitable when Jonny Wilkinson delivered that last minute drop kick to win England the World Cup that we could expect a rush of video games celebrating the moment.

This month sees two rugby simulations hit the shops, both very different in style and execution.

World Championship Rugby has a strong heritage behind it and a simple play style that's similar to the incredibly popular FIFAS football series. Continuing the football comparisons, Pro Rugby Manager has more in common with Championship Manager than FIFA 2004.

Both publishers are expecting big things of these games.

Despite the team's poor showing in the Six Nations, rugby has never been more popular in this country than it is today, with match crowds at record levels and club enrolments at an all-time high.

World Championship Rugby has the big money licence that allows you to play as the England team (or any of the other home nations) in a speedy arcade-style recreation of the sport.

Don't be thinking Acclaim has rushed this game out to cash in on the sport's hard won popularity, though. The team behind WCR have a great pedigree. Many of them worked on the seminal Jonah Lomu Rugby game - still the one fans look back on with the greatest affection. If you've played that game, there is lots you'll recognise about WCR. It looks and feels like a smoother, more impressive version of its illustrious predecessor.

Boot up your PS2 (or Xbox) and there are the usual options to fiddle with, such as team selection, match length and match stadium. Swordfsh, the programmers, have paid careful attention to localised sound effects. If you elect to play at Twickenham, for example, the crowd will sing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" to lift your team. It's little things like this that make - or break - a game.

The controls are easy to understand but there are a lot of them. To start with I found keeping track of the action while remembering which button did what to be frustratingly hard, with the result that my team gave away possession too easily.

At least tackling is straightforward so re-gaining the initiative isn't the chore it could be. Still, I would have liked to have seen an easier method of stringing complex passes together.

The graphics are spot-on. Fans of the game will be able to pick out individual players; even a casual supporter like myself was able to spot Wilko and his team-mates.

WCR is harder to pick up and play than its football equivalent but then, as Sir Clive Woodward says, practice makes perfect.

PRO RUGBY MANAGER, Publisher: Digital Jesters, Price: £34.99, Format: PC CD ROM.

IF the fast-paced fun of WRC is too much for your enjoyment then Pro Rugby Manager offers the opportunity to fill Sir Clive's shoes rather than Jonny's boots.

Don't be thinking this title is a cash-in on England's success. Digital Jesters were hard at work on a rugby management sim before the World Cup even kicked off.

Created with the full support of the Zurich Premiership, Pro Rugby Manager has all the teams, logos, crests, and official sponsors from the real thing. That's a lot of teams and players (over 100 club sides and 50 national squads rather puts WRC in the shade.). Heck, I didn't even know Brazil had a national rugby squad!

Rugby is a complex sport to casual fans and this game treads a fine line between true management simulation and widespread playability.

To this end, Pro Rugby Manager throws in a full-blown 3D match engine, so budding Clive's can watch their team's performance and tinker accordingly. It's a bit like Command and Conquer played with an oval ball.

Depending on whether your team has the ball or not different tactics are available. When in possession, you can choose whether to play it out to your wingers, kick it into touch or to go for a drop goal. The game helps out with handy arrows pointing out possible plays but it's all rather complex. Players can watch the action from a variety of camera positions just like WRC.

In career mode you choose your club to manage, then take over the reins of everything from player selection to budgetary considerations. The interface is straightforward and you'll soon get the hang of day-to-day management.

I discovered a few glitches: sometimes the text would switch language to French and the occasional contract negotiation stalled when a mouse click took me to the wrong player but quibbles aside, this has all the makings of another Champ Manager-style franchise.

Published: 16/04/2004