Rugby is a very popular sport that continues to grow as more and more new fans become enamoured with the sport. Rugby betting refers to the act of attempting to predict the outcome of rugby matches and placing wagers on said prediction.
Rugby betting is a popular pastime for many rugby fans. However, we believe that you should have a good understanding of rugby betting before you commit to any wager. In this article, we are going to provide a comprehensive guide on rugby betting so that you can be fully informed going forward.
The Basics of Rugby
Rugby is a contact sport played between 2 teams of either 13 or 15, depending on the competition. Players must physically tackle each other to get the ball, and you cannot pass forward.
To get points, teams can score tries, conversions and drop goals. Tries are the most valuable method of scoring, awarding 5 points. In order to score a try, a player must force the ball over the opponent's try line and make a connection with the ground. If someone is able to do this, they can then try to convert the trie by kicking the ball between two posts at the far end of the pitch. This will award 2 more points.
Players can also kick the ball forward through the posts to earn 3 points. This can happen in open play and during penalties. Penalties are awarded to teams when the opposition breaks a rule. Penalties allow teams to have a free shot at getting the ball through the posts.
Rugby Competitions
There are multiple rugby competitions you can bet on, such as rugby union and rugby league. Rugby league and union are two national league formats, with the key differences being scoring and the number of players on each team. In rugby union, you have 15 players on a team, while in rugby league, there are 13. This often leads to rugby league being a lot more fast-paced, while rugby union is often a lot more physical. Also, in rugby union, a try is worth 5 points, while in league, it is worth 4.
There are also some very exciting international competitions you can place bets on, such as the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations Championship. The Rugby World Cup is a competition which happens every 4 years and sees the very best players and national teams play each other. The Six Nations is an annual competition played between 6 countries in the Northern Hemisphere. These nations are England, Ireland, France, Scotland, Wales and Italy.
Then there is also the Rugby Championship, which is very similar to the Six Nations but instead features nations like New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina.
Rugby Betting Markets
In this section, we will cover some of the most popular rugby betting markets available to rugby betting fans.
Outright Bets
This is one of the simplest ways to bet on rugby, as you only have to predict who you think will win the fixture. As a result of this, the odds are typically quite low for this betting market.
Accumulator Bets
As with many sports, you can put multiple bets on the same bet sheet to build an accumulator. Accumulator bets typically feature much-improved odds; however, the difficulty is also increased. Within accumulators, every single prediction must come true for your bet to be successful.
Handicap Bets
If you think you are a bit more knowledgeable in the sport and are confident in what you think the end result of a fixture will be, then the handicap market could be for you. Handicap bets introduce a point advantage or disadvantage to a specific team. It's your job to predict the winner of a team by a specific margin, which is more difficult than predicting outright but also has better odds than outright bets.
Over/Under Bets
There is a selection of Over/Under betting markets available for rugby, which provide the opportunity to predict how many of a part of play will occur. In the Over/Under betting market, you can predict the ways of scoring, such as the number of tries, conversions, penalties, drops, goals, and much more. Over/under will present you with a selection of predetermined numbers, and you must predict whether you think there will be more or less than that amount.
Other Bet Types
There are many other bet types that you can place wagers on, such as the first/last team to score, the half with the most points, and much, much more. Almost any aspect of the game can be bet on, so it's important to learn the betting markets so you don't place any irresponsible bets.
Individual Player Betting
More and more fans are also turning to individual player betting during rugby games. You can place bets on disciplinary markets, players to score first, and much more. Individual player betting markets are becoming more popular as they provide more opportunities for rugby fans to apply their rugby knowledge.
Rugby Betting Tools
We recommend using betting tools when placing bets on rugby, as they can help you in multiple aspects. Betting tools can be used to check odds quickly across multiplier bookmakers to help you find the best odds, and betting calculators can help you determine your predicted losses and profits for your bet. Betting calculators, in particular, can be especially beneficial as they can allow bettors to engage in matched betting, a very popular betting strategy.
Summary
We hope this article has been useful in helping you understand the rules, competitions and betting markets in rugby. It's always important to be fully informed when placing bets, as well as always remembering to gamble responsibly.