Rugby union’s global growth has seen its fan base expand, both in the men’s and women’s game, with new competitions such as the Nations Cup providing plenty of action to follow. In fact, between the domestic leagues, southern hemisphere competitions, and International fixtures, there’s no month that something isn’t happening in the rugby world.
Rugby union explained
Rugby union is widely believed to have originated at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, in 1823 when William Webb Ellis decided to pick up a football and run with it. Other nations had their own variations of a similar sport but the first rules were written down by a collection of boarding schools and clubs in 1863 and the Rugby Football Union was formed in 1871.
The first international between England and Scotland was played the same year and soon became a global game, featuring at the Summer Olympics between 1900 and 1924. Traditionally an amateur game, its evolution has been far from smooth, with the Rugby Football Union splitting in 1895 over a feud regarding professionalism, with the breakaway group establishing the 13-a-side sport of rugby league.
The first World Cup was played in 1987 – with the trophy named after Webb Ellis – and that accelerated the drive towards professionalism, beginning in 1995. There are professional leagues across the globe, the most notable being the Southern Hemisphere’s Super Rugby Pasifika and the Northern Hemisphere trio of English Premiership, French Top 14 and United Rugby Championship which features teams from the Celtic nations, Italy and South Africa.
To win a match, a team has to collectively accumulate more points than their opposition through a combination of tries (five points, previously four), a resulting conversion (two points), kickable penalties and drop goals (both three points). The seven-a-side format, known as Sevens, follows a similar scoring system and is now part of the Summer Olympics after being introduced in 2016.
Types of rugby union bets
Match winner and handicap – who will win the fixture – is the best place to start, but as prices between two teams are rarely close, many prefer the handicap odds.
This involves both teams hypothetically starting with plus (+) or minus (-), with the favourite giving their opponent a handicap start and it should be the same number of points.
For example, in a hypothetical match between team A and team B. team A sit 45 points clear of team B in the table and will be significant odds-on. Therefore, to make it an even betting heat, Team A will be given a handicap of, for example, -21.
This means they will need to win by 22 points or more to make this a winning bet, while Team B will be +21 and a defeat by fewer than 20 points will be sufficient for a winner. So, if backing Team B +21 and they lose 20-0, this would still be a winning bet.
Other rugby union bets to consider
Match events
You can also often look at the first event in the match. For example, who will score the first points and how, or if a red or yellow card will be awarded to either side.
Outright
Aside from match bets, punters can also back teams to win specific competitions or reach a certain round of a tournament.
What should I be looking for?
Like all sports, form is key to betting on rugby union, so look for teams that have had a good run of results or perform well at a particular venue. Rugby union sides are often strong at home but can struggle away and might be vulnerable.
Head-to-head records and historic rivalries are also worth considering, as some clubs struggle against others regardless of form.
The timing of the fixture in the calendar is also worth considering. Some teams may be weakened by injuries or have players away on international duty, so they are worth backing against. Conversely, they might be worth supporting at the end of the season when their stars return or the conditions, such as firmer pitches, suit their players.
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