Rugby is a hugely popular sport in several countries and every bookmaker provides odds when it comes to betting on rugby union and rugby league.

It’s important to distinguish between the two codes of practice despite their similarities. Rugby league matches have thirteen players and operate the fifth tackle rule while union matches have fifteen players and involve more rucking and scrummaging.

Both rugby codes are great for pre-match and in-play betting. Their high-scoring matches mean there are several betting options to be enjoyed, which certainly enhances the experience of watching a live game.

Rugby Union Betting

Many bettors enjoy betting on rugby union international test matches, and these could be the Rugby Union World Cup odds or the Six Nations odds. The Rugby World Cup takes place every four years and pits the likes of New Zealand, Australia, England, France and South Africa to see who the best team on the planet is.

The Six Nations is an annual tournament and bookmakers report a brisk rugby union betting trade when the matches take place, with the games separated so fans can enjoy betting in-play on whichever game they choose without a clash.

For example, when France plays England, there is the chance to place a variety of bets on the match such as winner, handicap, margin of victory and first tryscorer. When the match kicks off, the same sort of markets will be available and the odds will change based on what’s happening on the pitch.

What are the Popular Rugby Union Bets?

If the match is likely to be close, then customers will bet on the winner of a rugby union match although it’s generally the case that one side are heavy favorites and therefore many fans prefer to bet on the handicap market.

Say France is playing England and France is 1.33 to win the match, with England priced at 3.50. Rather than simply bet on a team to win, you can visit the handicap market where you might find France -8 at odds of 1.95 and England +8 at odds of 1.95.

The handicap market effectively levels the playing field so that you can either back a team with a minus handicap or a positive advantage. Sometimes you might get a team like Tonga who has a +50 points handicap over New Zealand and you have to work out whether they can avoid losing by more than 50 points.

How to Bet on Rugby League

Rugby League is regarded as a faster-paced form of rugby, with fewer players on each team and it’s all about gaining territory for the team with the ball before the fifth tackle where they have to either pass or kick the ball.

There are similar pre-match markets when it comes to rugby league, such as match winner, handicap and margin of victory. The most popular competition is the Super League which is played in the UK and ends with a Grand Final which is generally played at Old Trafford in Manchester.

You can often choose between two-way betting or three-way betting depending on whether you want the draw included as part of your bets, while many customers also like betting on the points total so that you can predict whether the total points scored will be over or under a certain amount.

Bet on Rugby Special Betting Markets

A bookmaker such as bet365 will create a number of additional markets for big games, allowing customers to find a bet that suits them if they don’t want to bet on the line or the handicap.

You can find markets such as Team to Score First, Team to Score First Try and Team to Win Both Halves. The latter market is definitely worth a look if you think one side will be dominant before and after half-time, although bear in mind that sometimes teams are happy to keep a certain margin of victory without too much risk.

Why Bet on Rugby?

Rugby betting is hugely rewarding and we recommend checking out the latest odds for rugby union and rugby league. This is especially because of the high-scoring nature which means that shock results are generally less likely than football which is a low-scoring game that can be decided by one goal being scored.

There are often live streaming options when it comes to betting on rugby as well as the chance to cash out winnings should you get yourself into a good position for a certain betting market.