Rugby Challenge 2006 is a single player game that combines rugby simulation and managerial features. The game has multiple game modes: Friendly, where you can play as any club against another, Competition, which includes various tournaments and leagues, Cups, which mirror the leagues, and Challenge, with different game options such as Classic Matches, Try Survival, Hot Potato, Old Time Rugby, and Superstars. The competition feature allows you to participate in the World Championship, the RBS 6 Nations, Three Nations, European Cup, a Tour, Leagues, and Cups. You can select international teams and tour different regions with varying numbers of nations to play against. The leagues include the English Premiership, Top 14, Celtic League, Southern League, and an option to create a custom league.
The cups available are similar to the leagues, with options for the English Cup, French Cup, Celtic Cup, Southern Cup, Super Cup, and creating a custom cup. The Challenge mode offers five game options: Classic Matches, Try Survival, Hot Potato, Old Time Rugby, and Superstars.
The game also includes a training mode, bonus features such as additional stadiums, teams, balls, and game effects, which are unlocked by achieving specific goals. Additionally, matches can be played in various time slots, with weather effects and adjustable difficulty settings.