Rugby Union Betting Guide for 2021
The game of rugby union both as regular 15-a-side events and rugby sevens format is on the rise. This is our guide to betting on the sport.
Rugby union betting in Canada reaches its height when the national team contests the World Cup. Here’s what you’ll find in our detailed guide:
- How we review and you sign up to the best rugby union betting sites
- What betting options and rugby union odds are available
- Background to and history of the sport
How we Review the best Rugby Union Betting Sites
How to Sign Up to a Rugby Union Betting Site
An Introduction to Rugby Union
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A regular game of rugby union involves 15 players on each team with a bench of eight replacements
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The starting 15 are made up of eight forwards – props, a hooker, locks, flankers and a number eight, who are key in scrums. There are also seven backs – a fly half, scrum half, inside and outside centre, left and right wings and a fullback
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Blood subs and replacements are permitted at any time and, once replaced, a player can still come back onto the field if needed
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A sin bin, where players who receive a yellow card go, can temporarily reduce a team to 14 or fewer players for a period of 10 minutes
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Red cards permanently reduce a rugby union team to 14 or fewer players for the rest of the game
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Top level rugby union matches have TMOs (television match officials) reviewing all the action in case the referee on the field misses something
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Points are awarded for tries (five), conversions (two), penalty kicks (three) and drop goals (three) in between the posts
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A penalty try can be awarded if the referee deems foul play to have prevented the scoring of a try
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Unlike soccer, the time a rugby ball is in play counts rather than the clock running regardless. There is thus no stoppage time
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Two halves of at least 40 minutes are played in a rugby union match. The team with the most points when the ball is put into touch at the end of the second period wins
How Rugby Union Odds Work
If you’ve never bet on rugby union before, then you can’t be expected to know how gambling works. To help newbies, we’re going to work through an example of some rugby union odds:
New Zealand, who are widely regarded as one of the best rugby union playing nations on earth, face Canada. The All Blacks are very short price favourites in the betting.
In order to win just $1 betting on New Zealand at these odds, you would need to stake $10 on them. The total return of such a wager is $11.
Canada, meanwhile, are obviously underdogs. If you were brave enough to bet $10 on them, and they defied all expectations and won, you stand to gain $200.
You always get your stake back when betting, so the total return on Canada would be $210. Ties can happen in rugby union but, because multiple points are awarded for scores, they are very rare.
Should the game between New Zealand and Canada finish level, then a $10 stake would return $340. That is $330 of profit.
Decimal odds are a common way of expressing rugby union betting in Canada, but you may also encounter the American moneyline system or fractional prices. Our odds calculator below has more on how these types compare.
Rugby Union Betting Options
What kinds of markets are rugby union odds available for? Here, we take a look at some of the most popular:
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To win
Just like any other sport, placing a bet in its most basic form on rugby union is finding the winner of a match.
Eg:Eg: New Zealand
1.10VSEg: Canada
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Spread betting and Handicaps
In such a scenario as above where there are hot betting favourites, spread betting can offer you better value. Sportsbook traders price up brackets within which a fancied team can still win with an imagined deficit.
This is also called handicap betting. Besides the favourites having to overturn the deficit and cover the spread, the underdogs can also be given a pretend lead.
A favourite being handicapped is expressed as a negative number.
This can also be alternatively gambled on as brackets for the margin of victory.Eg:New Zealand
-21 points
2.2021-25 points
2.2521 points
2.10Canada
+21 points
4.00 -
Tryscorer betting
Odds are also available on individual players to cross the try line and score. This can be first, last, anytime or even for a hat-trick (three tries).
Eg:DTH van der Merwe
5.50 -
First scoring play
What will the first scoring play in a rugby union match be? You’re betting around a penalty kick, try or drop goal here. A conversion can’t be the first scoring play as a try must be awarded first.
Some betting sites offer this in combination with the team who scores it.Eg:New Zealand
2.38 -
Halftime/Fulltime
As with soccer, betting is available on what the result is halfway through a rugby union match and then at the final whistle. There are nine possible permutations to consider.
Eg: Tie / Australia
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Outright tournament winner
With many high-profile tournaments like the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup, futures betting on the outright winners exists.
Eg:Ireland
3.25 -
Top tryscorer
Another futures market that is popular is picking out who will finish a tournament as the leading scorer of tries.
Eg:Bryan Habana
12.00 -
Pool winner
When rugby union tournaments are split into groups, there is often betting on who will win each pool.
Eg:France
4.50
Bonuses
Mobile Rugby Union Betting
With smartphone and tablet use now commonplace, mobile rugby union betting has developed as part of the digital revolution. Why should you get involved in gambling through this channel?
- Sportsbooks have designed betting apps compatible with Android and Apple devices which you can download for free
- These offer a simplified betting experience to you
- As we take our phones and tablets everywhere, mobile rugby union betting is literally in your back pocket
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ATP Finals Tennis
The ATP Finals are the last chance each year to bet on Major men’s tennis via
these top sites in Canada.
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Australia Horse Racing
Horse racing in Australia attracts attention. Where is best when betting on
the action Down Under?
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Australian Open Tennis
Make Melbourne memorable by betting on Australian Open tennis through these
top online sportsbooks.
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Breeders' Cup Horse Racing
The Breeders’ Cup brings the best thoroughbred racehorses to North America.
Find top sites to bet on.
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Cricket
Canadian cricket betting couldn’t be easier. These are the best places to
gamble on batting and bowling.
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Darts
Let’s play darts. Step up to the oche and visit one of our recommended
sportsbooks for darts in Canada.
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Davis Cup Tennis
Davis Cup tennis is all about teamwork. Get expert advice on which online
betting sites to use and how.
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Flat Horse Racing
Flat horse racing holds appeal across the planet, so which are the best online
sites in Canada?
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Formula 1
Fancy some Formula 1 wagering? Then you should visit one of the F1 sportsbooks
recommended by experts.
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French Open Tennis
Get ready for Roland Garros by gambling on these top French Open tennis
websites recommended by us.
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Greyhounds
Greyhound racing can be such a thrill for Canadian bettors, especially if
you’re gambling on the dogs.
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Kentucky Derby Horse Racing
The Kentucky Derby is huge across North America, so discover where is best to
bet on this famous race!
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National Hunt Horse Racing
Where’s National Hunt horse racing betting best for Canadian bettors? We’ve
got recommendations for you!
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Rugby League
With rugby league betting on the rise, find out which websites are recommended
by us to gamble on.
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Rugby Union
The world in union. Take the scrum and use these online sportsbooks for rugby
union betting in Canada.
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Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympics comes around every four years, so you need betting sites
that make a big deal of it.
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UK Horse Racing
British horse racing is so varied that Canadian bettors need a gambling
experience to match.
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US Open Tennis
Flushing Meadows means more when you bet on US Open tennis in Canada. Which
sites do we recommend?
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USA Horse Racing
Horse racing in the USA is important in Canada. These online sportsbooks give
you plenty on this sport.
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Wimbledon Tennis
Strawberries and cream at the grass Grand Slam, but what is the best sportsbook
for Wimbledon betting?
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Winter Olympics
Which websites provide Canadian bettors with Winter Olympics betting
opportunities? Find out here.
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WTA Finals Tennis
Women’s tour tennis culminates in the WTA Finals every year. These sportsbooks
come highly recommended.
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WWE
Want a sportsbook that lays the SmackDown on WWE betting? We’ve got pro
wrestling covered right here!
What is Rugby Union Live Betting?
- Live betting is where odds are available on sporting events in play as they happen
- Rugby union is one of many sports to feature live betting as part of the gambling experience
- Popular markets include next scoring play and next tryscorer
A Brief History of Rugby Union
Rugby union has a rich history in English-speaking countries. Here are some of the key dates from the sport’s past:
Rugby union is said to have its origins in William Webb Ellis picking up a soccer ball and running with it during a match at Rugby School
1823The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is founded and the first rugby union international takes place with Scotland beating England 1-0
1871The Home Nations, later Five Nations and Six Nations, is first held between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The first Rugby Sevens tournament is also played
1883A schism within English rugby leads to the breakaway sport of rugby league
1895New Zealand perform a haka before each match of their Northern Hemisphere Tour. In response, Wales players sing their national anthem. Both are now traditions before rugby union matches
1905Canada plays its first rugby union international, losing 9-8 away to Japan in Osaka
1932The first international Rugby Sevens tournament takes place at Murrayfield in Scotland
1973The first Rugby World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand
1987Rugby union is no longer considered an amateur sport and fully professional divisions are formed
1995Argentina are added to the Tri-Nations tournament of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, which is now known as the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship
2012Conclusion
So, there you have it. Our detailed guide with rugby union betting advice on a great sport.
If you have questions, then our FAQs section should answer them as common queries are answered.
FAQs
How does rugby union betting work? Rugby union betting is similar to many other team sports. Select the outcome you want to bet on and add it to your betslip. Enter your stake – the amount of money you wish to gamble – and place the bet. What could be simpler?
What are the best sites to bet on rugby union? Only the best rugby union betting sites feature on this page, so you’ve come to the right place to find them.
Can I bet on rugby union on mobile? Sure, mobile rugby union betting is available.
What are the most popular rugby union bets? Some of the most rugby union odds and bet types are:
- To win
- Spread betting and Handicaps
- Tryscorer betting
- First scoring play
- Halftime/Fulltime
- Outright tournament winner
- Top tryscorer
- Pool winner
Is rugby union betting legal in Canada? Yes, rugby union betting in Canada is completely legal.
What is rugby union live betting? Live betting is where you place bets during a sporting event. In the case of rugby union, odds are updated throughout games in reaction to what happens.
What is rugby union spread betting? Spread betting is where a threshold or bracket is set by sportsbook traders within, which they believe a fancied team will win. Also known as handicap betting, it can take many forms in rugby union.
Favourites can be handicapped by having an imagined deficit to overturn, or underdogs get a pretend advantage to hold onto. Margins of victory can be set in five and 10-point brackets or have no upper limit.
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