The Complete Guide to Betting on Rugby Union

There is nothing too confusing here, like most sports, the aim in rugby is to score more points than your opponent.

In order to achieve this, you can score points through tries, penalty tries, conversions, penalties, and drop goals. Don’t worry, there will be more on those a little later.

Rugby is a contact sport that involves tackling opponents and the passing and kicking of a ball.

The game is played on a rectangular field. A field measures approximately 144 meters (157 yards) in length and is 70 meters (77 yards) wide. There are a number of significant markings on the field indicating various areas which will become more important as you learn more about the game. These include the try-line, halfway line, and the twenty-two-meter line.

On each end of the field in the middle of the short side are goal posts with a crossbar. The posts form an H-shape. The distance between the two goalposts is 5.6 meters (6.1 yards). The top of the crossbar is 3.0 meters (3.3 yards) from the ground.

In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used. Balls must be between 28cm and 30cm in length (approximately 11-13 inches) and weigh between 383 and 440 grams (approximately 13.5-15.5 ounces).

Enough about explaining the game, let’s figure out how to make some money. The first thing you will want to understand before placing any wagers is what kinds of bets are offered.

Betting on rugby can be divided into two categories — match betting and tournament betting.

Much like is the case in other sports, this means that you will either be making short-term bets on events in an individual match or long-term bets that will play out over the season.

Knowing the types of bets that are available on the best sites is terrific. However, you can’t start turning a profit until you have some strategies in place. In order to be successful in betting on rugby, you will need to attack the matches with an organized plan.

There are a number of things that you can do to ensure you are in a good place to make smart rugby bets.

Different teams have different styles of play. Traditionally, New Zealand plays an explosive brand of running rugby that results in plenty of tries.

Conversely, South Africa relies on a forward-powered kicking game that generally sees more penalties scored than tries. With this in mind, it’s unwise to back South Africa to rack up high scores, while New Zealand can be relied upon to score their fair share of points even when they lose.

Bad weather can have a huge influence on a rugby match. If it rains, the ball can become as difficult to handle as a bar of soap, and the result is a low-scoring match, even when attacking teams are playing.

Players can control how they play and how they act, but they can’t control mother nature.

Playing without a key player can, as you would expect, be hugely detrimental to a team, particularly if it’s one of the playmakers (particularly the fly-half) who is missing.

Even if all the key players are available, if a team has been forced into a number of changes it will unsettle the team and have a considerable impact on their play.

Wingers score the first try of the match more often than not, with one study suggesting that this occurs seventy percent of the time. If a winger doesn’t score first, it’s frequently another member of the backs. As a result, those players always have the shortest odds.

In the six matches that New Zealand played in the 2016 Rugby Championship, it was a back who scored their first try in every match, and on four occasions it was one of the wingers.

In the same competition, even a conservative South African side who failed to score in two of their six matches saw their opening try scored by a winger fifty percent of the time when they did score, with a center scoring their opener in another match.

In a tournament such as the Premiership, teams are playing week in and week out. As a result, the form guide is crucial.

In international matches, form doesn’t always count for as much because there can be months in between series, and so form doesn’t necessarily carry as much from one series to the other.

There are two different general approaches to betting on rugby: bet small amounts on long odds, or big amounts on short odds. Backing New Zealand to win is a pretty strong strategy; they’ve only lost nine times since the start of the decade – that’s a massive ninety-four games, and none of those defeats were on home soil.

So, going all in on the All Blacks is smart; you’re likely to win often, but not win big. Conversely, if you backed Japan to beat South Africa at the 2016 World Cup with odds of 80/1, you would have pocketed a handsome payday even for a small stake.

However, those kinds of bets rarely come off, so you need to prepare yourself for dry stretches. The key is not to lose heart and switch back and forth as you’re then likely to leak money on the occasional long shot while not making a consistent profit on the favorites doing the job.

Rugby can be confusing to follow if you aren’t familiar with the rules and objects of the game. We broke down all the vital information such as the different positions and how points are scored. We didn’t want to leave anything out.

If anything, we wanted to overload you with rugby knowledge.

Here are the key facts for the upcoming edition of the Rugby World Cup.

You can add to the key facts above the bands that you can see below for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

Here’s what the draw decided for the 2023 RCW.

As you can see, the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Wales are in Band 1. That’s hardly a surprise and these are the teams that should be fighting for the title in the upcoming edition of the Rugby World Cup.

There are plenty of spots left in the latest bands, but you won’t find any notable betting favorites there when it’s all said and done.

Our in-house Rugby World Cup betting experts will be providing extensive coverage of the tournament, up to and throughout the entirety of France 2023.

You can get your hands on some of the latest 2023 Rugby World Cup news and other content from our writers, below.

The first one goes through the early Rugby World Cup odds and explores the favorites. New Zealand is the team to beat, but the likes of England, France, and South Africa won’t go down without a fight.

In the second post, you’ll see a dissection of the draw and the road to the final from each group. It’s important to know what each contender is likely to face before betting on the RWC 2023.

You can also find more content for the Rugby World Cup in 2023 via our rugby blog. Make sure to check in regularly for more popular content like the above.

In short, we cover everything you need if you want to know how to bet on the Rugby World Cup.

This is the first of two sections in this guide designed to provide you with betting tips for Rugby World Cup matches. 

This one is geared toward general tips, with the next focusing on expert, or more technical-based betting advice for the RWC that can take your game to another level. 

Both are just as important as the other however, so make sure not to skip this section if you want to bet on the Rugby World Cup.

Let’s start with a little Rugby World Cup history.

Only four teams have won the Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. Let’s take a look at them.

If you are placing a bet on the winner of the Rugby World Cup, the chances are that the odds will be shorter for the teams above. As this tournament has been dominated by these teams — England are also three-time finalists as well as winners in 2003 — the bookies will look to them to produce a winner.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that it has a nasty habit of repeating itself. For example, in 2019, South Africa was +1000 to win the tournament. Their form in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup wasn’t great, but they were two-time winners who almost always performed well on the highest stage.

Despite their high odds, they went all the way to the final where they beat England.

Keep history in mind when betting on the Rugby World Cup. We have a special section dedicated to records and stats later on and it can help you find the best real money wagers.

It’s difficult to really gauge what team will win the next Rugby World Cup.

There are numerous factors, including luck, that come into the equation. But that doesn’t mean that there are no ways to sensibly predict who will win the Webb Ellis Cup.

One of the things to look for when betting on the winner of the Rugby World Cup is form. There are two main international tournaments to look at, which are the Six Nations and The Rugby Championship.

Here are some examples in which the eventual RWC champion performed well in one of the prior tournaments also.

Study these tournaments intently, but not just to familiarize yourself with the winners of both tournaments. You can also get a read on the try scorers in form, as well as the out-halves that could turn their golden boots into crucial points for their teams. 

Conversely, you can also find the teams that are peaking too early and adjust your RWC betting strategy.

There is awesome value to be had in betting on Rugby World Cup prop bets and specials.

There are all kinds of real money markets out there for bettors to take advantage of. For the most part, this is where you will find awesome gambling value in odds for all kinds of different scenarios.

Here are some examples.

If you know that a lethal winger is playing for a mid-range nation, but running in tries for fun with his elite club, back him to score the most tries in his group. Especially if the oddsmakers have underestimated him due to the country he plays for.

You can almost always find the best wagers for the Rugby World Cup in the props and specials offered by bookies.

This is a tip that our writers always like to emphasize — avoid betting on RWC games where there is nothing to gain.

There have been countless examples of when teams have rested players and then lost, or nearly lost, to opponents they really should be beating easily.

Wales almost lost against Uruguay in 2019 after resting players.

Here’s an example. Tom is betting $200 on France to beat Tonga in the final game of the pool stages. But France has already qualified as the winner of their pool and has a quarter-final match with New Zealand coming up in a few days. 

Tom is betting on France to beat Tonga by 30 points, given that they have one of the best teams in the tournament. They have the top try scorer in their ranks, as well as the top points scorer playing at 10. 

The problem for Tom is that France is resting their first team for this match. The top try scorer, point scorer, captain, and their influential forwards and backs are not playing. As a result, Tonga pushes France close, losing by 20 points.

Poor Tom is down $200. Sucks to be Tom, huh?

We’re not saying that you should never bet on meaningless games, just because there is nothing at stake. 

But we would suggest avoiding them where possible and staying sensible when betting on the RWC under such circumstances. 

However, if you are keen to bet on France vs. Tonga, don’t make the same mistake as poor Tom did. Instead, wait for the team announcements to be made. That way, you will get a better picture of how the game might go. 

It’s something to keep in mind when wagering on the Rugby World Cup. 

But perhaps you already knew that. Well, for more advanced RWC betting tips, read on!

If you’re looking for expert Rugby World Cup betting tips, we have some for you.

Now, these helpful suggestions are designed to get you thinking like an RWC gambling pro on matches in the tournament. Rather than focusing on more obvious stuff like the weather and historical stats, these tips are for the more astute bettor.

Let’s start with a very underrated way of making money betting on the Rugby World Cup.

How well do you know your rugby? 

Whether your answer is “not very well,” “pretty well,” or “very well,” you should always remember that there is money to be made on early markets when you bet on the Rugby World Cup. 

Many of the best rugby betting sites have odds for the Rugby World Cup top try scorer, the top points scorer, and, of course, the winner. Now, depending on how far away from the tournament we are, you might be thinking that it’s far too early to gamble on these markets. 

It’s not. Providing you can justify your wager with sound and reasonable logic, it’s not. 

For example, if there is a team that has won the last two World Rugby U-20 Championships, and have a solid selection of youngsters already thriving in the senior squad, the chances are they will be there or thereabouts when the senior tournament rolls around two years later. 

The English side that reached the 2019 RWC Final had plenty of youngsters in its ranks.

Now, if the Rugby World Cup odds for that team are based on their so-so results over the previous few years, you might be on to a major profit should they lift the trophy. 

Bet on Physically Superior and Fitter Teams

Rugby Union is not the same game it was, even a decade ago.

Since rugby went pro in 1995, the sport has evolved to its present state of being influenced more by physicality and fitness.

Yes, skills are still an important part of the equation — and we will expand on this in the next section — but for the most part, it is more of a process-driven sport where the bigger and fitter teams thrive.

A well-rounded team with a big pack, a great set-piece, and a creative half-back combination will likely win the next Rugby World Cup. But a team that has all of the above, including superior cross-team physicality and fitness levels will almost definitely be crowned champions.

That’s certainly something to consider when you bet on the Rugby World Cup.

Breakdown dominance is perhaps the most important aspect of modern-day rugby.

However, it is also a very contentious subject for many.

As you may or may not know, the breakdown is the period of play before the ruck that comes in the immediate aftermath of the tackle. It is a fight for possession that can have an absolutely crucial impact on who wins a game.

The team that does better in breakdowns usually wins the game.

These days, breakdown skills are required for everyone from number 1 to number 15. However, the role of a “jackal” at the breakdown can be hugely important for turning over possession, and thus providing a team with more chances to score points.

It might sound simple, but the team that has the best skills at the breakdown almost always wins the match. So, ask yourself who stands the better chance of dominating this important part of the game when you bet on the RWC – Not just to gain possession, but to also win crucial penalties which leads us to the next of our Rugby World Cup gambling tips. 

Some players are absolute liabilities when it comes to giving away penalties. 

Then again, some teams just love the dark arts, and can’t help but play a little too close to the fringes of the laws. 

Other teams don’t adapt very well to rule changes, and this is something that can also lead to penalties. Now, you might be thinking that penalties are not that important, but you’re wrong. A team that gives away too many penalties runs the risk of paying for it. And so do you.

Wales was knocked out by South Africa in 2019 after way too many penalties.

Additionally, having the ability to identify teams that give away too many penalties can help you win money betting on Rugby World Cup props and specials.

Changes to rules come around quite a lot these days in sports, and rugby is no different.

Here are some examples of different aspects of the game that we changed because of new rules in the past three decades.

If you’re serious about betting on the Rugby World Cup, it could pay to have a knowledge of how important these things are in the game.

We touched on these briefly in the section above, but let’s be more specific.

Look out for rule changes that could favor any team. What we mean by this is, to consider how hypothetically changes to scrummage laws might help Argentina to beat the spread against Scotland. Or how law changes around the breakdown could see New Zealand win turnover after turnover against Japan. 

These are things most bettors don’t think about when betting on Rugby World Cup matches. But they could be vital to your chances of winning your bets!

In this rough and tumble game, there are many bold and memorable moments. Here are the ones that stand out the most.

New Zealand was playing Italy in this inaugural Rugby World Cup. All-Blacks superstar John Kirwan (now Sir John), defeated a labyrinth of players, running from deep in his own side to wind his way successfully across the field.

Kirwin spent more time and effort leaping from side to side than he did in pushing forward, as he went on to score one of the most valiant and memorable tries of any World Cup. New Zealand would go on to deliver a painful defeat to Italy, 70-6.

Prior to 1991, the Welsh may not have known about this tiny island nation that lies halfway between Hawaii and Australia. But the Western Samoa team introduced themselves in a manner that Wales will not soon forget.

The game between Cardiff and Western Samoa occurred in the pool (group of four teams) stage. The Polynesian team took a surprise victory, 16-13. Although Wales was one of the teams hosting the World Cup this year, they were knocked out early by this defeat.

There is a Bible story of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale. In the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal, 6’5” All Black Jonah Lomu turned that story on its head; he swallowed a whale and spit it out.

During a pile-up in the game, the ball was lost to sight, then popped out and passed over to Lomu, who literally ran over England’s defenders (think of winemakers stomping grapes) to execute a successful try. Now multiply that by four, and you can see how his four scoring tries took New Zealand to the final.

If you’ve seen the movie Invictus, then you know the story. South Africa was torn apart by Apartheid for decades. Then Apartheid is overturned, and Nelson Mandela became President. And he really, really wanted the rugby team to make its mark on the world stage.

Because Apartheid has been eradicated, South Africa was now welcome to compete in the Rugby World Cup. Not only were they competing in 1995, but they were hosting the Cup that year, as well.

The South African team made it to the final, where they faced the mighty New Zealand team (and the massive Jonah Lomu—see above). On June 24, South African player Joel Stransky made the winning drop goal in overtime to give his country a highly emotional victory.

The New Zealand All Blacks, with their famous Haka and their bold swagger, figured the semifinal match against France would be a breeze. I wonder if New Zealand had watched any film of French player Christophe Domenici? This player teased and swerved around the All Blacks’ defense like a cheeky child playing a game of tag.

When Domenici went down, there was another teammate to take his place for the score. Of course, New Zealand’s Jonah Lomu was there to keep the Kiwis’ hopes up, but it was ultimately for naught, as France shocked the world and sent New Zealand into mourning by taking the win, 43-31.

The wins that are made just as the clock ticks off the final seconds in a match are the most exciting for spectators, the most desperate for players, and the most nerve-wracking for sports bettors.

Such was the case when England faced Australia in the finals of the 2003 World Cup. Although England was an established side, they still felt a great deal of tension before the game. Nonetheless, the sides were evenly matched until the final seconds of the game, when Jonny Wilkinson used his weaker foot to kick the winning drop goal.

England took the Cup for the first time ever, defeating Australia 20-17.

Rugby fans all know of New Zealand’s fierce pre-game war dance, the Haka. But when New Zealand faced another island nation with its own “going to battle” ritual called the Sipu Tau, they knew they had met their match.

Tonga performed first, in their red uniforms, and were then subject to the All Blacks and their threatening and aggressive dance. The entire stadium was electric with wild energy.

Although New Zealand took the very first World Cup title, they then had a dry spell that lengthened into a heavy curse.

It was only in 2011, with the All Blacks defeating France, that New Zealand broke the spell and took the victory. It was a close and hard-won game, though, with a final score of 8-7.

South Africa had already won the Rugby World Cup twice—once in 1995 and again in 2007. As previous world champions, they felt they had nothing to fear when facing the as yet unproved Japanese Cherry Blossoms.

Don’t all great stories start this way? Japan met the South Africans bruise for bruise and block for block, finally taking what has been called a “miracle victory” with a 34-32 final score.

One announcer stated, “Forget rugby—this is one of the most significant victories in the history of sport!”

Although World Cup matches are won by teams, there are always those standout players that inspire their teammates and bring the spectators to fever pitch.

Here are names that have become so closely associated with the game itself that we can never forget them.

Lynagh played fly-half for multiple professional teams as well as the Australian national team. Considered an enormously impressive outside half, Lynagh appeared in three World Cups, claiming victory in 1991.

Lynagh’s scoring skills were world-class, and he made more than 1200 points playing for Benetton Treviso. He has been called “one of the top five rugby union players in modern times.”

Called the “Wallaby Legend,” Campese was both a champion rugby union player and an internationally notable rugby sevens player. His positions were wing and fullback, and he was famous for his “goose step,” an in-play hitch in the kick that would stymy opposing players.

Campese is one of the most memorable rugby players in RWC’s history.

Campese is considered by some to be the best Australian rugby player to ever grace the pitch.

Considered by many to be the most talented scrumhalf to ever play professional rugby, van der Westhuizen was on the historic South African team of 1995 World Cup fame.

Joost competed in three World Cups and won two Currie Cup trophies in his decade as a professional rugby player. He was known for making the score as defenders worked unsuccessfully to get their hands on him.

Mr. van der Westhuizen died from motor neuron disease complications in 2017, at age 45.

Martin Johnson is instantly recognizable on the pitch, towering above friend and foe alike, even making other locks look petite by comparison. He has worked as a player, captain, and team manager for England.

As a captain, Johnson guided England to victory in 2003, that famous year in which England “righted the globe” and set the northern hemisphere at the top of the rugby world.

Johnson was a rock for England for many years.

As a player, Johnson has won five Six Nations Championships, two Grand Slams, and six Triple Crowns (defeating all the other Home Nations teams), in addition to his World Cup victory.

As a team manager, Johnson took England to the Six Nations Championship title in 2011. He has worked as an American football analyst and Super Bowl commentator for ITV, and a Six Nations analyst for BBC Sport.

This flanker is one of the most famous rugby captains in the history of the sport. He was the first New Zealand player to win 100 test rugby matches and the first to hit the 100 caps mark.

McCaw, as captain, took the All Blacks to two World Cups, and won the World Rugby Player of the Year title three times. McCaw was also the most capped player in test rugby until late 2020.

In addition to the World Cup wins, McCaw has also taken the title in seven Tri-Nations championships and eight Bledisloe Cups, as well as claiming victory in three Grand Slams (beating all the other competing teams during the year).

Because of that successful last-second drop kick against Australia, discussed above, England won the World Cup in 2003. Jonny won huge fame for bringing the title to a northern hemisphere team for the first time in the history of the World Cup.

Wilkinson is considered one of the finest fly-half players in the history of the sport, and was both the International Rugby Board Player of the Year and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2003.

Renowned for his skills as outside half, he holds the record for most points scored in test rugby. During the 2011 World Cup, Carter became injured, yet still managed to kick four penalties, two conversions, and a drop goal.

Because of his tenacity, the All Blacks won the cup in 2015, giving them two back-to-back World Cups.

The most successful captain in Australia’s rugby history, he was part of multiple World Cup teams (’91 and ’99). Eales scored 173 points for the Australian team, one of only seven forwards to have more than 100 points to their name.

Eales was nicknamed “Nobody” by fans and fellow players. The source of this nickname is the phrase, “Nobody is perfect,” and, since Eales seemed perfect to them, there was no better name than “Nobody.”

As captain of the South Africa team when they took the victory in 1995, just as the country was shaking off its violent and traumatic past, Pienaar will always be remembered as the man who made the win happen.

South Africa was fractured and weary, and the Rugby World Cup win gave the nation a moment of unified ebullience that served to begin the long work of social healing.

You can tell by how many times Lomu is mentioned in the “Highlights” section above that he had a massive impact on the sport. The man was huge, yet agile—in fact, he was the first player of notable size to play wing.

A brutal and intelligent player, Lomu drew spectators to multiple World Cups based on his name alone. In fact, he was considered the first worldwide rugby superstar.

Jonah Lomu remains one of the most popular rugby players to ever step on the field.

Unfortunately, as with many of the world’s legends, Lomu died young. At age 40 the kidney disease and nerve damage he had struggled with for so long triggered a fatal heart attack.

Here are the names and numbers that have etched their way into the rugby history books.

Previous World Cup Winners

As you can see, New Zealand—the first-ever Rugby World Cup winner—continues to be a dominant force in the sport, although South Africa is pushing hard to take their fourth title and establish themselves as the team to beat.

Kickers tend to rack up more points than other positions, given their access to penalties and conversions.

There is a whole new generation of players making their mark, so look for new names to be added here in upcoming Cups.

These are the points that came with a mouthful of soil.

Some of these players racked up their try scores in several World Cups, while top scorer Jonah Lomu did it in just two appearances.

And here is where the rubber hits the road. These players are the ones that delivered the goods on a consistent basis.

It is going to be a long time before Jonny Wilkinson’s 277 points are approached by another player, but rugby fans are waiting to see which superstar can achieve this feat.

Finally, this all-inclusive rugby guide wouldn’t be complete without discussing the greatest stars to ever suit up on a paddock. We aim to cover the most dominant and talented players that have ever played.

Learning about the finest men who have ever played the sport will allow you to appreciate the teams and players today. You will find out about the records set by Richie McCaw and you’ll hear about the amazing accomplishments of Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll.

As rugby fans, we love learning about the brightest stars of the game and how they came to be so skilled.

Rugby is an international sport that takes a little bit of getting used to before you will fall into the category of a super fan.

We wanted to give you a brief introduction to the sport before breaking into all the juicy betting advice.

The first step was to introduce you to the world of rugby betting. If you weren’t familiar with the betting landscape of rugby, you now have a good foundation and knowledge base for what’s out there.

We then transitioned into talking about the most optimal betting strategies when it comes to approaching a rugby match. Knowing what to look for and what information to focus on is going to be what sets you apart from the bettors not doing their homework.

Understanding that not everyone knows all the rules and objectives of a match, we created an in-depth guide on what a rugby match looks and feels like. Scouring through our How is Rugby Played page will allow you to fully engross yourself with how the game is played.

We finished our page with a segment dedicated to the greatest rugby players who have ever lived. Acknowledging the legends and heroes of the sport is significant in order to fully appreciate the sport.

We assumed that many of you arrived at the top of this page starving for rugby information.

We hope that our menu of sections curbed your appetite and you are ready to go make some money betting on rugby!