As England and Fiji prepare to kick off this year’s Rugby World Cup, tens of thousands of fans will be watching in the stadium, and millions more on television.

In 2015, though, your smartphone and tablet provide plenty of ways to keep up with the action, and indulge in your rugby union habit around the matches in other ways. Here’s a selection of 10 of the mobile apps worth trying.

Official Rugby World Cup 2015 App (Free)
iOS / Android
Start with the official app for the World Cup, with news, a full schedule, push notifications and a Dream Team game to keep you occupied. The ability to personalise it to the country you’re following is a sensible touch too.

Rugby Nations 16 (£3.99)
iOS / Android
Historically, rugby has been a difficult sport to turn into a great video game. Rugby Nations 16 is an excellent effort on mobile, though: its developers have put a lot of work into making smooth touchscreen controls, and the presentation is top-notch.

Ultimate Rugby (Free)
iOS / Android
The official World Cup app is all well and good, but many fans will prefer independent slants. Ultimate Rugby is brilliant on this front: deep news and data, with the promise of comprehensive coverage throughout the tournament.

ITV Rugby World Cup 2015 (Free)
iOS / Android
If you’re based in the UK, ITV’s official app is definitely worth downloading for its video highlights of every World Cup game – useful for keeping up with the action while at work. The broadcaster will also use the app to poll fans on key moments.

Rugby World Magazine (Free + IAP)
iOS
This is less about day-to-day news during the World Cup, and more about a considered take on the sport of rugby, with plenty of back issues to explore from its archives during down moments between matches.

Flick Nations Rugby (£0.79)
iOS / Android
One way to remove the complexity of rugby games is to focus on the kicking. This is part of the wider category of flick-sports games (eg football and American football) where you swipe to boot then steer the ball. It’s extremely addictive.

All Blacks: Rugby Union App (Free)
iOS / Android
Obviously you won’t want this app unless you’re supporting New Zealand, but it’s the best of the single-nation apps released ahead of the World Cup. News, videos, live match-stats, plenty of history and (on iOS) even an Apple Watch companion.

Rugby World Cup 2015 Programmes (Free + IAP)
iOS
You can’t be at the stadia for every World Cup match, but you can get your hands on the official programmes in digital form, courtesy of this app. Charged via subscription, there’ll be 48 programmes over the next month.

Rugby Manager (Free + IAP)
iOS / Android
There aren’t as many rugby management games as football ones, but this is the pick of the bunch. It’s an absorbing simulation of club rugby as you hire players, train them up then pitch them into action with (hopefully) unbeatable tactics.

World Rugby Laws of Rugby (Free)
iOS
Finally, an essential download for those in-match arguments with friends about whether a particular moment flouted the rules of the game. It’ll also show you the key referee signals and play videos to explain more complex laws.

What have we missed? If you have good rugby app recommendations, the comments section is open for your thoughts.