Rugby now has a greater global appeal than it did barely 10 years ago, which also means it’s got real betting potential. Contrary to what beginners assume, this is a straightforward sport to understand. Once you know the game’s rules and basics of how to bet on rugby, every game night becomes double the fun.
I’ve been following top tournaments and backing my favorite teams for roughly 5 years, so I have a reasonable amount of experience to share. Here, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to help you understand the first game you’ll ever watch and confidently start betting.
How Rugby Works: The Basic Gameplay
Every rugby game has two teams battling to score the most goals. Each team has the “forwards,” which are much bigger players (numbers 1-8) who can secure the ball during a scrum or a lineout. Then, they have the “backs” (numbers 9-15) made up of much faster players who can make passes right on cue.
With rugby, there are no forward passes; you can only pass sideways or backwards. It’s a contact sport with lots of tackles, so it might look quite intense when you’re watching for the first time.
Scores here are point-based. When a team scores by grounding the ball in the opponent’s end zone, that’s 5 points. If they kick the ball through the goal post after scoring a try, that’s 2 points. As for penalties and drop goals, those count for 3 points.
Rugby Union vs Rugby League
Before you jump right into checking sportsbooks with rugby markets, there are two main variants of the game that you may have to choose from. I’ve found Rugby Union to be the most popular one globally, while Rugby League is famous in Northern England and parts of Australia such as Queensland and South Wales.
Both variants have slightly different rules, so let me summarize them:
| Rule | Rugby Union | Rugby League |
| Team size | 15 players | 13 players without flankers |
| To win | Outscore opponents | Outscore opponents |
| Point scores | Tries (5 points) penalty kicks and drop goals (3 points), conversions (2 points) | Tries (4points) penalty kicks and conversions (2 points), drop goals (1 point) |
| Number of tackles | Contest after every tackle (No limits on tackles) | 6 tackles followed by a handover |
Each rugby variant has its own tournaments that run with its own basic rules. The US Major League Rugby and Rugby Championship, for instance, follow the Rugby Union rules. Britain’s Super League and the Rugby League World Cup, on the other hand, follow the Rugby League rules.
Of course, I have found other rugby tournaments at the top sportsbooks that I use. There are domestic leagues for regions like Australia and the UK, the popular Rugby League World Cup, and the Six Nations. Safe to say you’ll rarely run out of options when you are ready to bet.
How to Bet on Rugby: Choosing the Best Rugby Sportsbooks
Finding a sportsbook with rugby betting markets is the easy part. I’ve found that the real work is in the quality of their odds, the range of their markets, site functionality, and, of course, safety. That’s why I check these things, as well as other real player reviews on forums, before I choose a site. Here’s how you can run these checks yourself:
Rugby betting odds
I do two things here: first, confirm the available formats. Then, I compare the value of the odds across multiple brands. There are three main rugby betting odd types at typical sportsbooks, so you should be able to toggle and choose the one you easily understand.
Decimals: Decimal odds tell you straight-up what you’ll get on a successful bet. So let’s say you make a $1 stake that wins; with odds of 2:10, you get $2.10. That is your $1 stake and a reward of $1.10.
Fractionals: These ones display the ratio of stake to potential win. So if you see something like a 5/1, it means a $1 stake should pay $5 if it’s successful. This will bring your total win to $6, stake included.
American: These are also known as moneylines, and they use the + or – sign. Say you want to make a bet with $100 and you see odds of +250. It means your $100 stake can pay out $350 in stake + profit. If the odds appear as -250, it means you need to stake $250 to get $100 in profit, which will be a payout of $350.
I select the odds format I want, choose a game, and select a betting market. Then, I note the odds for that market across multiple sportsbooks and choose the most favorable.
Range of Rugby Betting Markets
Rugby has different betting markets, from common ones, like match winners, to prop bets. If you are looking to stick to the basics, then most platforms will do as long as they are safe and have good odds. If you are a pro and want specials, then you’ll need to compare ranges across platforms.
Site functionality
On days when I am actively watching a game, I like to place bets in real-time. Platforms that lag or crash could cost me a chance at locking in the bet odds in the heat of the action. I check site speed prior by recording how long it takes pages to load and even trying to make in-game bets with small amounts.
Safety
This one is broad, as it includes whether or not they actually pay out wins, what license they have, and how they handle issues. Licenses are the first thing I check since I can find the details in the footer of most sites. It’s as simple as copying it and running it through the named regulator’s public database. This also ensures the brand is in compliance with global and local gaming laws.
For payouts, public opinion wins most times, so forums are my go-to. Plus, I can compare the complaints around payments to things like bonus terms, just in case the reviewer may have missed a few things. To finish off, a few emails and live chat messages help me gauge their customer support’s responsiveness and helpfulness.
What Rugby betting types should you know?
As with games like football, I always advise beginners to start off with rugby betting markets such as match results and totals. These are straightforward and require very little technical thinking. At the same time, it never hurts to know what other options you can try along the line, so here are the popular markets:
Match results
You’ll be betting on which team wins or if the game will end in a draw. Odds are always in favour of the favourites but games are never predictable. Which is why you need to do your own analysis before you bet instead of chasing the bigger number.
Over and under
This is where you bet on the total points that both teams could score during the game. The prediction is whether they go above or below a number of points. You can consider this bet type once you understand the game better and know how things like weather conditions can affect performance.
Full-time and half-time
Here, you will be betting on the outcome of the half-time and full-time run of the game. You’ll basically predict which team wins overall and which dominates a specific half.
Handicap
This is where the bookmaker gives a less favourite team a head start. It balances the potential for profit on each team when you bet on them and they win.
You’re All Set to Bet on Rugby
You’ve likely noticed that I haven’t recommended any brands here. That’s deliberate because this guide is designed to equip you to do your own research. Depending on where you are in the world, the best brands to choose will have to meet very unique criteria, including the kind of payment methods they support. I’d say, watch a few games, understand what’s going on on the pitch, and then come back to this guide for a step-by-step sportsbook vetting process. Then place your first bet and leave me feedback on how it went.