Betting Basics - Rugby Union

Rugby Union is one of the most popular sports in the world. Originating from the UK, rugby union is now played across the globe. It is however a sport which is new to many people when it comes to betting. In this article we will take a look and some of the most popular betting markets and some advice on how you can enjoy betting on them responsibly.

Betting Markets

Match betting – As with the majority of team sports, match betting is one of the most popular markets for bettors. As rugby union is such a high scoring game most operators will only offer either a home or away win. You then pick which team you think will win and place your bet.

Handicap/spread betting – Due to the high scoring nature of rugby union, handicap/spread betting is very popular. In this market one of the teams is given a theoretical advantage/disadvantage with points either given or taken away from them to start the match.

For example, England are playing Japan in the World Cup. With England being heavy favourites to win the match they are assigned -13.5 points with Japan being offered at +13.5 points. If you were to place a bet on England to win in this scenario, they would have to win the game but by a margin larger than 13.5 points. This means you can bet on Japan and as long as they don’t lose by more than 13.5 points you bet will be a winner. This is extremely popular in games where there are heavy favourites to win.

Total points betting – Total points betting is very simple. You are selecting whether a single game will finish over or under a set number of points. The market may be set at Over/Under 35.5 points. If you think the game will be low scoring you would back Under 35.5 points and vice versa if you believe there will be a lot of points scored you would back over 35.5 points to be scored.

BettorMind Advice

Research – One of the most important parts of betting on rugby union is the research you do into the teams you are betting on. Unlike some sports, when there are international rugby union fixtures, the domestic league does not stop. This is something which you should be taking into consideration as it can mean some teams will be much weaker during this time as they will have players away on international duty. Therefore, when looking at teams results you should look at the squads they had available for the game.

Staking plan – With a large number of fixtures taking place it is a good idea to have a staking plan set up to make sure you budget is being used effectively. This strategy will allow you to enjoy betting on the games you have chosen whilst ensuring you are betting within the limits you have identified.

Rugby union is a sport ever growing in popularity. With domestic and international fixtures taking place simultaneously there are plenty of opportunities for people to have a bet. If you are going to do so please take a look at the advice in this article as well as our other content at BettorMind.