Rugby Union Betting Sites

Toplist of the Best Rugby Union Sportsbooks Online in December 2023

Rugby is a sport loved by millions around the world. It was the template for American football. However, it also spawned two branches following the schism in the 19th century, which created rugby union and rugby league.  

In the struggle for the hearts of fans, it seems that globally, rugby union is the more dominant version. And that is refracted in the numerous competitions that are available for bettors.

If new on the rugby union wagering scene, selecting a rugby union betting site may seem a daunting task. Our team accepted the challenge and considered every criterion when filtering the best sportsbooks.

The guide includes platforms with competitive odds, divers’ promotions, and a user-friendly interface, elements of paramount importance for punters.

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Take Advantage of Promotions

Every sportsbook has a separate promotions program. It’s wise to register on platforms that offer regular bonuses. That way, you can always have something extra on the account for the upcoming rugby union weekend.

Mobile Compatibility

Sports gambling fans are increasingly relying on smartphones to place bets. The popularity of mobile gambling gets supported by sportsbooks that want to stay relevant. Most platforms have a mobile version – either a responsive design of the website or a dedicated app. With a mobile betting platform, punters can constantly stay updated. Plus, wagering on rugby union games is possible from any place and time. Before making a deposit, check if the platform is mobile-friendly. With reputable betting sites, this is not a problem.

In-play Bet

Sportsbooks that provide live streaming on rugby union games are a great platform for live betting. This betting type makes it possible to wager while a game is active. The odds are constantly changing in response to on field performance. In-play bets are exciting but are only possible with live streaming or TV coverage. 

Bet on Teams You Know

Wagering requires luck and skill, and punters can invest in the latter. Make bets on leagues and clubs you are familiar with. Going in blindly is a recipe for failure. Tipsters advice to follow the clubs in the selected market. Learn the current roster, its strengths, and weaknesses. Educated bets offer more chances for success. 

Look for a Cash-Out Option

This option is not widely available on sportsbooks. Yet bettors benefit from a betting site with a cash-out option. The concept is for a sportsbook to provide punters the opportunity to end a bet early. Instead of waiting for the wager to run its normal course. This option makes it possible to receive a certain percentage of the potential winnings.

Identify Competitive Odds

When making a rugby union bet, punters want decent odds, which offer lucrative returns. The best option to accomplish this is to have an account with a betting site with competitive odds. Tipsters recommend considering signing up on several platforms to multiply options. That way, punters can identify the best odds for the rugby union market they like to wager on.

The Story of Rugby Union

With two million officially registered players, rugby union is a respectable sport. The game evolved in England, and the original genesis gets clouded in legends. However, by the 19th century, it was codified. It was so popular that in 1895 there were disagreements within the leagues if players should get paid.

The compromise solution was a split into rugby union and rugby league. On the surface, rugby union is similar to American football. Both are full-contact sports, with tackling as the allowed method for stopping a ball-carrying player. The difference is in the team squads. Rugby union has 15 players per team, with games lasting for two 40 minutes halves.

Points get scored with a try, grounding the ball behind the opposite team’s goal line. This is worth five points.  Following a successful try, the team gets the opportunity to bag two extra points with a conversion kick. Any player can attempt a field goal, kicking the ball between the goalposts. If successful, it counts as three points. 

Rugby Union Markets and Events

Nowadays, there are heaps of rugby union tournaments worldwide. The problem is not every competition is covered by a sportsbook. Betting sites prefer to stick to prestigious sporting events, in effect narrowing choices for punters. Let’s discover the frequently offered rugby union betting markets.

• Six Nations Championship:  As clockwork every February, the national teams of Italy, England, Scotland, France, Wales, and Ireland take part in the Six Nations Championship. It’s one of the oldest international tournaments, founded in 1883. The format is straightforward, as every team plays the other teams only once. Home field advantage alternates every year. The championship ends in March, with the trophy being delivered to the nation with the most points on the board.
• Top 14: France’s professional rugby league is among the oldest competitions in the world. With the maiden season kicking off back in 1892. Currently, 14 teams participate in a regular-season that starts in August and goes through to June. If you are confused, you should know there are breaks in the season. Every team plays 26 season games, with the best six clubs moving to the playoffs. The three rounds of knock-out stages determine the champion.
• Premiership Rugby: This is the top division of the English rugby union system. The competition gets featured on the most reputable sportsbook. And punters get a chance to wager on the 14 clubs. September initiates the season that concludes in June. Each team plays 26 rounds with both home and away matches. The playoffs are reserved for the top four clubs. Home advantage goes to the top two teams, and the finals crown the champion.
• United Rugby Championship: The annual competition involves teams from South Africa, Ireland, Wales, Italy, and Scotland. The season lasts from September until May. With 16 competing clubs divided into four regional pools. There is the: Italian and Scottish Shield pool, the Irish Shield pool, the South African Shield pool, and the Welsh Shield pool. Within a given pool, clubs play each other twice and once against clubs from other regional pools. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs for elimination rounds.

Popular Betting Types for Rugby Union

Rugby is a sport that lends itself well to betting. Reputable sportsbooks take advantage of that fact with a dozen different wagering options. As a new member of the sports betting community, you need to learn the most common betting types.

• Moneyline bet: Choosing which team you expect to win is the basic wager type. There are two alternatives, but some betting sites also include a bet on a possible draw.  With a standard Moneyline bet a favorite team will receive odds with a minus in front. This is what it typically looks like: for example, France -140, meaning a $140 will bring in $100. The underdog gets rewarded with a plus before the odds. In the case of Italy +140, a $100 wager can result in a betting slip worth $140.
• Handicap bet: This is a point spread rebranded with a different name, but the same concept applies. The goal is to balance the odds by allowing the long shot in the match a virtual head start. For instance, the underdog will get a +8.5 handicap. Meaning the club has to win or lose with less than 8 points. The favorite gets the opposite treatment with a -8.5 handicap. In this case, only victory over 9 points qualifies for a winning slip.
• Over/under bet: You may encounter it labeled as a total bet. However, the aim is the same, guess the combined score of both clubs. The betting site will suggest a number, for example, 34.5 points. Punters wager if the total match points will go above or below the point line. Don’t get confused by the decimal, there is no half-point in rugby union. If the final score is 34 points, and you’ve bet on over, you still lose the bet.
• Futures bet: There are frequent short monthly tournaments in rugby union tournaments. The Six Nations Championship or the Rugby World Cup are excellent options for future bets. Although, every professional league is eligible for this type of bet. The point is to predict which club or nation will win the tournament. Wagering has to be done well in advance of the start of the competition. The punter can also bet on top try scorer, or pool winner.

Rugby Union Bonuses

The sports betting market is competitive, and sportsbooks use promotions to lure new punters. Bonuses are a great addition for bettors. However, they need to learn the strings attached to these gifts. These are some of the most common ruby union betting bonuses:

• Welcome Bonus: It’s heavily advertised and nearly guaranteed for new bettors on a platform. The Welcome Bonus is also called a sign-up bonus, which is exactly that, a reward for registering.  Sportsbooks will offer the promo as a percentage of the first deposit, typically 50% or 100%. Meaning a sports bonus of 50% on a $100 deposit will start your bankroll at $150. The trick is in the wagering requirements accompanying every bonus.
• Free Bets: The conditions for Free Bets are different for every betting site. Standard practice is to wager a certain number of Free Bets for a predetermined number of times and in a given period. The best part is that punters have nothing to lose. If the betting slips made with a Free Bet don’t pan out, no funds are lost from the punter’s account.  But winnings get credited to the account minus the funds from the Free Bets.
• Money Back: Understandably, this is a popular bonus, but a rare one. It’s usually part of loyalty programs. The idea is for the sportsbooks to return a certain amount lost during previous or upcoming bets. The promotion that some betting sites name a cashback bonus, gets offered for big sporting events. Qualifying for a cashback bonus varies between platforms. Frequently the returned stake has appropriate conditions.
• Crypto Bonus: Sportsbooks are increasingly adopting cryptocurrencies due to low fees and fast deposits and withdrawals. To encourage betting with digital currency, betting sites offer crypto bonuses. The mechanics are the same as a sign-up bonus or any other form of a deposit bonus. The only difference being the deposits has to be Bitcoin. Of course, there are certain wagering requirements attached to the promotion.

Conclusion

Identifying a reputable rugby union sportsbook is a prerequisite for an enhanced online betting experience. Every recommended betting site on our list checks every box in our quality control list. With numerous bonuses, generous odds, and wide market coverage, rugby union punters receive the full treatments.  

It may have originated on the British Isles, but the game has a global following. And with sports bettings rising appetite for new markets, rugby union fans are growing by the day.