Rugby Union Betting

Criteria for Choosing the Best Rugby Union Betting Sites (2023)

The quality of Rugby Union betting varies from one platform to the other. Here are the important factors we considered when highlighting the above betting sites. 

Range of Rugby Union Events/Markets

Rugby Union is a dynamic and high-action sport; hence contains a variety of events and markets to bet on. A Rugby Union betting platform can only compete for a diverse customer base by ensuring they've covered all markets. Whether a punter is looking to bet on outright, handicap, specials or in-play bets, they should never be left out. 

Moreover, Rugby Union is a popular format across the globe. This means there are plenty of international matches taking place at any given time. A worthy Rugby Union betting site should always have these games featured among their offerings.

Live Betting/Streaming Options

Rugby is among the few sports where punters can take advantage of in-play betting. The relentless pace of this high-intensity contact sport means there are bound to be scrums, infringements, lineouts or other forms of action at regular intervals. All these are great opportunities to benefit from smart live betting.

This is only possible if your rugby betting platform allows you to watch the live action before recognising a value bet and acting on it. In case a favourite is already up and running in the game, you can take advantage of the handicap in-play bets, which tend to have decent odds and are low risk. 

All the featured Rugby Union betting platforms have a user-friendly in-play interface that allows you to punt easily. Even better, they have a wide variety of in-play betting markets. Most of them have HD quality live streaming services that allow you to follow the live rugby action on your desktop or on your mobile device through a dedicated app.

Mobile Options (Apps or Just a Mobile Site)

Mobile betting has become the norm. If you're looking for the best betting site, ensure it has dedicated native betting apps for iOS and Android users. 

For web-based operators, they should still ensure their sites are optimised for mobile users with the same interface, ease of use, range of sports, betting features, and promotions.

Rugby Betting Site with Cashout

Cash-out is an important feature on any betting site because it allows you to settle your bet early for a profit. All the betting sites listed above have this option. 

The value of the cash-out amount falls or rises depending on how well your bet is doing. When you see the amount exceed your wager, you can cash out. Some of these betting sites offer a partial and full cash out.

Betting sites with the cash-out option are more attractive than those with fewer opportunities for cashing out.

Rugby Union Promotions

The sports betting industry in the UK is already crowded, with hundreds of betting operators competing to make a name for themselves. This has made it very difficult for new entrants into the market, let alone be the best Rugby Union betting site. 

To win customers over, rugby betting sites run a series of promotions and offers aimed at rewarding new and existing customers. These promotions can help punters save on their betting expenses when smartly taken advantage of. 

Bookies such as Betfred pay double odds, Betway have an ACCA price boost, while Ladbrokes and William Hill have generous welcome offers.

Generally, promotions aim to retain existing customers, while bonuses are driven towards attracting new punters. The most popular promotions and bonuses include

• Matched deposit; In this promotion, the bookmaker matches your deposit up to a certain value. For instance, a match-up deposit of 100% up to £100 means you get an equal bonus from the betting site if you deposit any amount above the minimum deposit. 
• Free bets; Free bets are usually floated around for new and existing customers. 

That said, punters need to look out for the terms and conditions that apply to these bonuses and free bets. An offer might look similar across different platforms, but a keen look a the terms will reveal which offer has more value. Look at the wagering requirements, the minimum odds you can bet, and the minimum deposit. 

Legal and Licensed

Gambling is legal in the UK, but all betting operators must hold a license issued by the UK Gambling Commission to provide gambling services in the UK market.

Rugby Union bookies that the UKGC licenses are regulated to ensure they conform to fair gambling practices. They are also required to provide punters with responsible gambling. In this regard, all the Rugby Union betting platforms listed here have a Responsible Gambling section that helps bettors deal with gambling addiction and other harmful gambling behaviour.

High Rugby Union Odds 

Odds make all the difference when it comes to any type of betting, and rugby betting is no different. Before placing your bets, you must be extra vigilant when comparing odds between different platforms.

Each bookmaker listed above can boast of having the highest odds prices for any Rugby Union market. 

We compared the odds offered for Argentina to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup and found the following results. 

• Unibet 80/1
• Betfair 40/1
• Betway 40/1
• Paddy Power 40/1
• William Hill 33/1
• Ladbrokes 33/1

However, after running a thorough odds comparison in general, we found that Betway has the best payout for Rugby Union bets while Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, William Hill and 888Sport offer similar odds as outlined below. 

1. Betway 93.79%
2. Paddy Power 91.98%
3. 888sport 91.28%
4. William Hill 91.03%
5. Ladbrokes 90.03%

By comparing odds, punters can take advantage of the best odds offered. This is also an important criteria to consider because certain bookies offer an odds boost — you'll be able to tell if there's value in it or if better odds exist elsewhere. 

Customer Support

Customer support is a critical representation of the online betting site because it helps you know whether you can easily get help from their representatives when necessary. Whether it's a simple clarification or resolving complex issues related to your betting account, customer support needs to be prompt and available 24/7 in various formats. All the sites listed here avail their customer support through the following channels.

• Email
• Phone
• Live chat
• FAQ

Some of these platforms even for a step further to provide a dedicated social media page for customer support. In addition, you should be able to contact Gambleaware for help with gambling responsibly. 

Payment Options

Last but not least, it is important to consider the different banking options a betting site supports. This is especially crucial since the ban on using credit cards on gambling sites. This change became effective as of April 14th 2020. However, betting sites are allowed to use all other payment methods, with the more established ones even going as far as accepting cryptocurrencies. 

Betting operators may also allow debit cards. However, this payment method takes up to 5 working days to process transactions, so you should consider a site with faster payment methods.

Moreover, E-wallets are also rapidly taking over as the preferred payment since they process transactions faster. In our ranking, we considered betting platforms that support e-wallets to allow punters to make instant deposits and withdrawals. These payment options include PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, MuchBetter, and Paysafecard, among others. 

Rugby Union Events/Tournaments/Leagues to Bet On

The Rugby Union calendar year has plenty of major events punters can wager on. Better yet, most betting sites often tend to provide event-specific offers and odd boosts.

Some of the Rugby Union tournaments and leagues worldwide include the following. 

The Rugby World Cup 

The Rugby Union normally hosts an international world cup event every four years comprising national teams across the world. This six-week event consists of a pool round and a knockout stage leading to a final where teams gun for the Webb Ellis Cup. 

The Rugby World Cup was first held in 1987 and continues to be the greatest rugby event. In general, it's only third behind Football World Cup and Olympic Games in TV viewership.  

Six Nations

Six Nations is a Rugby Union tournament that takes place between the first week of February and March. Six countries participate in this event: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. 

The teams play each other once. The team with the most points after the final round of play is declared the tournament's winner.

European Rugby Champions Cup

Besides the Rugby Union events featuring national teams, you can also punt on rugby clubs. The best chance you have is the European Rugby Champions Cup which features clubs from different European nations.

Super Rugby 

Super Rugby is an annual rugby union club competition that features clubs in the southern hemisphere. The tournament involves clubs from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa. 

British and Irish Lions Tour

Since 1888, the Lions have been touring teams in the southern hemisphere, notably New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. 

The travelling team normally consists of the best players in Rugby Union.  

Premiership Rugby 

This is the top-tier club rugby union in England that normally runs from September to June, with all clubs paying each other home and away. 

At the end of the regular season, the top four clubs get into a playoff round to find the winner — the final takes place at Twickenham Stadium. All the top six clubs qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup. 

Pro 14

This Rugby Union tournament was established in 2001 with clubs from Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Wales and Scotland. It is a point-based competition, with the end-of-season winner determined through a playoff. 

This event takes place between September and May every year, and the top teams earn a place to play in the European Rugby Champions Cup. 

Popular Rugby Union Betting Markets

Rugby Union betting provides punters will some of the most exciting betting markets. Here are just a few of the popular betting markets you can punt on in Rugby Union matches across the various tournaments highlighted above.

• Outright: Outright is one of the most common and simplest markets you can bet on. In this type of bet, you choose a team to emerge as the tournament winner or match. You can bet on outright on all the major leagues, including all the aforementioned.
• Triple Crown & Grand Slam Betting: This is a special market because it only applies to Rugby Union. In the Grand Slam market, you will be backing a team to end the Six Nations tournament unbeaten and winning every game. If your choice losses out to either Italy or France, you can still win on the Triple Crown market. 
• Handicap: Rugby Union matches can often pit strong teams against weaker ones, but punters can still make good money by increasing the odds through a handicap market. In this market, if team A is a clear favourite, you can bet on Team A by giving team B several points headstart — if you have a strong feeling team A will cover this handicap. 
• Prop Bets: You can bet on this market through its various formats, such as the team to score the first try, the team to make the first substitution, who wins the coin toss or the first team to exit the tournament. 
• Win margin: In this market, you simply have to predict the point difference between the winning and losing team.
• Half Time/Full Time: Due to the physical nature of the sport, there are usually huge shifts in momentum between the first and second half. You can benefit from this by betting on the team to win either half.
• Total Points: If a match seems to be a close call, you can avoid the risk of betting on either team by simply betting on how many points you think the match will yield. 

Besides the above markets, Rugby Union betting also offers flash markets. These are markets that pop up during live betting. An example of this type of market is betting on whether a penalty kick will be successful. 

Rugby Union Betting Tips

Rugby Union betting is not very different from football betting or horse racing betting. Any strategies you might have mastered while betting on other sports might just work out for you. However, if you're new to Rugby Union betting or have been unlucky so far, you might want to try out the following tips. 

Understand The Rules of The Game

The most important and foremost tip is to understand the rules of Rugby bets on the various platforms. There are more complex rules and varying set-piece components as compared to football. 

The International Rugby Board is fond of introducing new sanctions and rulings during the Rugby Union season, such as having harsher penalties for high tackles. Keeping yourself updated with these rules will help you better deploy your Rugby Union betting strategy. 

Analyse Team Form and Style of Play

Before picking on an odd, ensure you have a good understanding of each team in the encounter.

For instance, some teams, such as the All Blacks, always tend to play a high-tempo game, but they won't always maintain this form in all games. Some teams play a defensive game, often relying on kicks to gain ground and set pieces for scores. 

Your ability to read each team's style of play and form getting into an encounter will enable you to profit more from rugby betting. This is especially true if you also take time to find out whether key players are suspended or injured because this is likely to affect the outcome of the game. 

Check the Weather Forecast

Rugby Union matches will be played whether it's raining or shining but checking the weather forecast before kick-off can give you some betting options. For instance, players easily catch and pass the ball when it's dry compared to when it's raining. 

Rain leads to lots of scrum and low-scoring matches, making it profitable to capitalise on such markets. Several rugby betting sites give you statistics and information about the playing conditions. 

Find the Best Rugby Odds

Before rushing to place a bet, take your time to compare odds from different betting sites. The same market you're just about to wager on with odds of 1.67 might be given odds of 1.70 by another platform.

Take Advantage of Major Events

The best rugby betting sites invest heavily in advertising campaigns ahead of major events like the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations. They offer new customers generous signup bonuses and free bets.

By creating an account with such new bookies, you can take advantage of this generosity by claiming these limited-time offers.