– Popular ESPN Scrum Fantasy Rugby game returns for 2014
– Website offers the most comprehensive rugby union statistics in the UK
– Coverage includes RBS Six Nations highlights, twice weekly tournament preview and review video programmes

ESPN has launched its International Fantasy Rugby game for 2014 ahead of the start of the RBS 6 Nations on February 1st. Also offering extensive digital coverage of this year’s tournament online, on mobile and through the ESPNUK app, ESPN.co.uk/scrum will continue to provide the most comprehensive rugby union news, analysis, live scores and text commentary of all the important matches.

Completely free to enter,over 100,000 people played ESPN Scrum’s Fantasy Rugby game last year. Rugby fans can create teams, join leagues with friends and compete for a range of prizes; with this year’s overall leader after five game weeks winning a ten-person box at Twickenham for the Marriott London Sevens competition on May 10th/11th.

So far, Welsh players are the most popular choice this year, accounting for some 25% of players selected by ESPN Scrum Fantasy Rugby players, while Leigh Halfpenny is the most popular player – selected by 76% of players currently registered for ESPN Scrum’s Fantasy Rugby 2014.

Rugby coverage on ESPN.co.uk/scrum provides fans with unique insights, opinions, analysis and the most extensive statistics in the UK, and fans can utilize the statistics and analysis on the website to garner insight about picking their fantasy team.

ESPN’s in-depth coverage of the tournament will deliver post-game match reports, reaction and analysis, as well as official RBS 6 Nations highlights, and original pre and post-game discussion programmes twice weekly.

Additionally, ESPN will leverage their unmatched database of statistics to offer unique and distinctive insights through predictive and reflective statistical analysis and visuals surrounding the key matches throughout the tournament. Every Friday, ESPN’s experts will offer their predictions for the weekend’s matches, with detailed, visual analysis following every Monday. Using stats from player and team records available on ESPN Scrum’s Statsguru, infographics will display the data in an easily-digestible and visual way.

The tournament starts at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on February 1st with defending champions Wales playing Italy. The Welsh team, who are favorites for the tournament, are aiming to take the unprecedented step of becoming the first team in the modern era to secure three outright tournament wins in a row. Having come second on points in last year’s competition, England will be hopeful of winning their first championship since 2011 as they kick off their campaign at the Stade de France. However, recent history favors the French, as the tournament directly following the last four British & Irish Lions tours has seen France claim the RBS 6 Nations title.

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