Rugby Union Betting

Date IconLast Updated: 

Rugby Union is a particularly popular betting market in the UK and Ireland and it maintains firm international interest too, with bookies offering a variety of betting choices suited to all types of punter.

Bell Icon
Affiliate Disclosure: At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. More

Rugby Union Betting Tips

The 19 Biggest Upsets in Sporting History
© PA
The 19 Biggest Upsets in Sporting History
Here are 19 of the greatest sporting upsets of all time, featuring improbable comebacks, unexpected...

Understanding Rugby Union

The basics of the game are simple: Two teams of 15 attempt to score points against each other through tries, conversions, and drop goals, which are worth 5, 2, and 3 points respectively. Games can be hard-fought contests for the middle of the field with each team struggling to reach more than 10 points, or more fast-paced spectacles in which the cumulative total of the teams' scores reaches the high 60s and 70s.

Aviva Premiership Betting

The Aviva Premiership, the popular English domestic league, sees 12 teams battling it out each season. Amongst the best are the Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, and Saracens. These are generally considered to be the "dominant" English teams, often making it to the end of season playoffs. Rugby bookmakers offer odds on many different bets for the Aviva Premiership. Despite the sport's English origins, the French Top 14 is widely considered to be the best league for domestic rugby, with Perpignan, Clermont and Toulouse usually performing well, somewhat limiting the availability of long odds.

Established 2017
Total Sports Tooltip The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out Tooltip Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
26
Yes
Bet Builder Tooltip Can you create your own personalised bets?
Free Bet Value
Yes
50
19+. T&C Apply. Play Responsibly
Established 2012
Total Sports Tooltip The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out Tooltip Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
34
Yes
Bet Builder Tooltip Can you create your own personalised bets?
Free Bet Value
Yes
300
19+. T&Cs Apply. Play Responsibly
Established 1997
Total Sports Tooltip The number of different sports you can bet on
Cash Out Tooltip Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?
34
Yes
Bet Builder Tooltip Can you create your own personalised bets?
Free Bet Value
Yes
30
19+ • $10 min deposit • The Bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater • Half of the bonus will be credited to you right away, while the other half will be credited after you verify your documents • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & T&Cs apply

Wagering International Rugby

International rugby is an entirely different beast. Split between the hemispheres, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy take part in the annual Six Nations tournament, whilst Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina compete for the recently renamed Rugby Championship. There's also the World Cup which is held every four years, as well as various multi-nation tours - the English and Irish Lions Tour is one of the most popular.

Tips For Betting Rugby Union

All of these diverse competitions create plenty of opportunities for Rugby Union betting - much like football, there's now a huge range of betting markets that you can sample in every game. Handicap betting has surged in popularity, especially in match ups between a world champion and an outsider. Games such as England v Tonga are a prime example, with value betters much better served by giving the weaker team a theoretical head start.

Established 1997
In-Play Sports Tooltip The number of sports with in-play betting available
Cash Out - In-Play
14
Yes
In-Play Parlays
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Yes
No
19+ • $10 min deposit • The Bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater • Half of the bonus will be credited to you right away, while the other half will be credited after you verify your documents • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & T&Cs apply
Established 2012
In-Play Sports Tooltip The number of sports with in-play betting available
Cash Out - In-Play
34
Yes
In-Play Parlays
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Yes
No
19+. T&Cs Apply. Play Responsibly
Established 2008
In-Play Sports Tooltip The number of sports with in-play betting available
Cash Out - In-Play
34
Yes
In-Play Parlays
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Yes
No
19+. T&C Apply. Play Responsibly

Winning Margin is another popular market, as this gives you the opportunity to back a likely winner without having to settle for short odds. This means that if you think a team will triumph and win by above a certain score you can place a bet on this instead of the correct score or outright winner. Rugby union is yet another part of world's proud sporting heritage, delivering more action and victories than a number of other sports combined!

Related Betting Guides