Following the 2003 closure of Rage Software, several members of the game's development team went on to work on World Championship Rugby.

The Friendly mode is a single exhibition game in which the player can play against computer-controlled or human opponents.

Rage Software's Trevor Williams recounted: "We wanted a game that stayed true to the rules, but was easy to pick up and play without a complete understanding of all the ins and outs".

[6] The game was ready by the June date, but Codemasters held it back to coincide with the release of the PC version and the start of the new rugby season.

He also praised the four-player support, audio commentary, and dramatic weather conditions, and gave the game a score of 91%.

[12] A copy of the PlayStation version of the game is included in the Pacific Cultures collection of Te Papa (the national museum of New Zealand).