Rugby Betting sites

The history of Rugby

Both disciplines of rugby have huge fanbases. It’s thought the sport was founded in the 19th Century, with reports of similar ball games from before then. The first set of rules and regulations were formed in 1845. 50 years later, the sport split into two - League and Union. While League has been a professional sport since that date, Union stayed an amateur sport until relatively recently, with World Rugby sanctioning player payments in 1995.

How we Evaluate and Rank Rugby Betting Sites

When we analyse and evaluate a rugby betting site, there’s a number of factors we look for in particular. A user-friendly site offering competitive odds on a range of rugby fixtures is, of course, imperative to an excellent online bookmaker. We also look at the quality of odds and range of markets, along with payment options, mobile betting and overall ease of use.

The main aspects we focus on when evaluating a betting site are as follows.

• Competitive odds
• Variety of betting markets
• Good choice of competitions and tournaments
• Live streaming facility
• In-play betting options
• Mobile betting
• Welcome bonus
• Existing customer promotions
• Payment methods
• Customer service

Our top Rugby betting sites

#1 22Bet

22Bet offer a good range of odds on both domestic and international rugby competitions. You’ll find upwards of 120 separate betting odds on the game’s biggest fixtures, like England’s Premiership and France’s Top 14. Outright betting, like odds on the winner of the Six Nations, are available well in advance of the tournament taking place. Providing a great betting experience, coupled with excellent payment options and customer service, means 22Bet are a good choice of rugby betting site.

#2 Megapari

Rugby is one of many sports Megapari offers a huge range of odds on. Covering a variety of tournaments, this operator also offers Enhanced Daily Specials on selected rugby competitions. There’s an exciting variety of existing customer promotions too, many of which can be used in conjunction with your rugby betting.

#3 20Bet

Another excellent option for a rugby betting site is 20Bet. Here, you’ll find betting options on a range of competitions taking place across the globe. There’s a good range of markets available too, particularly on the biggest events. The quality of existing user promotions is also excellent, with plenty of deposit bonus offers available throughout the season.

#4 1xbet

Another site that offers Enhanced Daily Specials on rugby is 1xbet. In addition to this, the betting site offers a varied choice of betting markets on major and minor events. The in-play betting options are comprehensive with a range of live betting markets at competitive odds. There’s also lots of bonus offers for existing customers, many of which can be used when you bet on rugby.

#5 Rabona

Rabona are another favourite of ours. There’s a fantastic range of rugby matches customers can bet on, including odds on competitions not readily available elsewhere. Most matches contain numerous betting markets, particularly those taking place in the sports’ biggest competitions. Note that this operator separates rugby union and rugby league into two separate tabs. To bet on Union matches, head to the Rugby tab.

Is Rugby betting legal?

Bettors who are at or above the legal age for gambling in their country of residence can place wagers on rugby. It’s also important that your betting site of choice is ruled and regulated by the relevant governing body for your region. This helps protect you and your finances and allows you to bet safely. For clarity, all betting sites we feature are regulated by the relevant gambling authorities and hold the correct licences to legally offer betting services.

Popular Rugby Betting Markets

As rugby is one of the most popular sports for viewers and spectators, so too is the number of bettors on the sport. To cater to these bettors, online bookmakers offer a huge range of markets on both Union and League action. The Match Winner market is the most common market to bet on, but there are others that could potentially offer greater value than a standard Winner bet. Let’s take a look at the most common rugby betting markets available.

• Match Winner. The Winner market, also called 1x2, is the easiest market to understand. Simply put, you bet on which team you think will win the game. The draw is also a betting option, the odds on the draw will be much higher than those for either side winning, due to the fact that the spoils are rarely shared in any rugby match.
• Double Chance. Most commonly associated with football, the Double Chance market is also an option for rugby bettors. With this market, you can bet on a side to win or draw, or bet on either side to win. The odds on this market are typically much shorter than the Match Winner market as you’re covering two potential outcomes.
• Handicap. This can be a useful market if one team is heavily favoured to win the match. For example, if you’re betting on a match where one team are huge favourites to win, the Handicap market can provide much better value than a standard 1x2 bet. How does this market work? To put it simply, this market gives a hypothetical disadvantage to the favourite to win the game. Let’s say Saracens are playing Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership. Match Winner odds on the Saracens win are 1.25. If you think Saracens will win the game easily, you could give them a Handicap, such as -4.5, to lengthen the odds.
• Half-Time/Full-Time. This is another market that can provide better odds than a Match Result bet. With this market, you can bet on which team is winning (if either) at half-time, and the final result.
• Team To Score First Try. As its name suggests, this market allows you to bet on which team you think will score a try first. You can also bet on no try to be scored. There are variations of this market, such as Team To Score Last Try. It’s also a popular in-play betting option, with Next Try odds available at most betting sites.
• Winning Margin. Betting on how many points a team will win by can also provide value. Typically, points are separated into sections, such as Win By 1-5 Points, or 6-10 Points.

What are the most popular types of Rugby bets

There are different bet types that betting sites offer. We’ll look at the most common, the Single and the Accumulator, shortly. Many offer System Bets too, such as Heinz, Patent, Trixie and Yankee bets, but these can appear a little complicated if you’re new to betting. Single and Accumulator betting are the most common bet types bettors employ, we’ll take a look at each one separately now.

• Single. The Single bet is the easier bet type to understand, and also the most common. With this bet type, you’re placing a wager on one particular outcome. This could be a team to win, a player to score a try or the Half-Time/Full-Time result, for example. Click on one set of odds, for one selection on your bet slip, for a Single bet.
• Accumulator. Also known as a Multibet, an Acca allows you to ‘accumulate’ odds on different outcomes for one bet. For instance, you might want to bet on New Zealand Warriors, Penrith Panthers, Brisbane Broncos and Wests Tigers to all win their NRL matches. This would be an accumulator bet, where you’re betting on all outcomes to be correct. Odds on Acca bets are usually greater than a Single bet, but the risk of losing is much higher too. If one team in your selection fails to win, you lose the entire bet.

Rugby Bonuses and Promotions

One advantage that most online betting sites have over their land-based counterparts is the opportunity to offer a variety of new and existing customer promotions. Most online bookmakers offer both a welcome bonus, along with numerous bonus offers for their existing user base.

What are the best Rugby Welcome Offers?

There are a variety of welcome bonuses and new customer offers available. Some operators specialise in deposit match bonuses, whereas others can focus on free bets and price boosts.

We’re going to show you the most common types of welcome bonuses shortly. Firstly, it’s important to point out that while welcome offers can sound similar, the terms and conditions can vary dramatically from bookmaker to bookmaker. Secondly, always make sure to read and understand the terms of a particular offer. While a bonus might sound attractive, think about what you’re required to do in order to activate it, i.e how much of a deposit you need to transfer and minimum stake requirements.

The most common new customer promotions you’ll come across include the following.

• Deposit Match. These are very common offers for new customers. Sign up and make a qualifying deposit. This deposit amount is then matched by the betting site and added to your bonus funds. Minimum deposit amounts will apply, along with eligible payment methods. There is usually a maximum bonus amount applicable to these offers.
• Refunds. You could come across a Money Back or Refund offer. With this type of promotion, you could be asked to place a bet on a particular event, such as the Rugby World Cup Final, and if this bet loses, you’ll receive your stake back. Or, you might see an offer that refunds your stake if a try is scored in the first ten minutes of a game.
• Enhanced Odds. These offers heavily inflate the odds of a particular event occurring. For instance, Ireland might be priced at 2.0 to win the Six Nations. An Enhanced Odds offer could increase the odds to, let’s say, 31.0. Usually, the enhanced part of the bet is paid in free bets.
• Free Bets. Talking of free bets, these are another common new customer promotion. You might come across an offer rewarding you with free bets if you deposit and/or stake a certain amount. Note that minimum odds requirements and time limits might apply to the free bet bonus.
• Price Boost. This type of offer is similar to Enhanced Odds that we looked at a moment ago, but much less drastic. A Price Boost will boost the odds of a particular event, which can help ensure you’re receiving the best possible odds on that game or market.

What are the best Rugby existing user bonuses?

Betting sites like to reward their existing customers with a host of promotions. The sites we’ve featured in this guide all feature an excellent Bonus scheme with promotions and offers available on a range of sports and markets.

Common existing user bonuses include the following.

• Free Bets. This type of offer is available at almost every betting site you’ll find. Free bets can be awarded under a range of circumstances, such as placing a select number of bets per week or as an additional bonus if you bet on a particular fixture.
• Acca Insurance. Again, another typical betting site offer. Acca Insurance can help protect your stake if one leg of your accumulator fails to win. Minimum legs, as well as minimum odds can apply to this offer. In addition, your stake is usually returned to you in the form of a free bet, rather than withdrawable cash.
• Acca Boost. Place an accumulator bet and if you win, some operators will give you an extra boost on top of your winnings. Generally speaking, the more selections your accumulator features, the bigger the boost.
• Daily Specials. Across a wide range of events, Daily Special offers can boost the odds of particular markets. While they can be offered on a Match Winner bet, Daily Specials tend to focus on different markets such as Player to Score the First Try.

Are there any Rugby betting Apps?

The majority of rugby betting sites we’ve examined offer dedicated sports betting apps. Apps are optimised for mobile use, meaning they generally provide a much greater user experience than the mobile version of desktop sites. The easiest way to download a betting app is to do so via the bookmaker site. On occasion, the apps can be downloaded using Google Play or the App Store.

When you download an app, you can sign up or sign in easily, just as you would using a desktop. You’ll have full access to your betting account, including placing bets, making deposits and withdrawals and access to live streaming.

What are the major Rugby events or tournaments for betting on?

Rugby World Cup - Rugby Union

Six Nations - Rugby Union

Super League - Rugby League

Womens Rugby betting

The surge in popularity of women’s rugby has been incredible to see. Unfortunately, very few betting sites have catered to fans of betting on the women’s game. You’re unlikely to find odds on any domestic league. However, for the sports’ biggest events, such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup, most operators do offer a variety of odds and markets.

Pros and Cons of betting on Rugby