Rugby Union is also commonly referred to simply as rugby because it is the original form of the game (rugby league is an alteration).  Rugby Union was an amateur sport until 1995 when the International Rugby Board removed restrictions on payments to players which allowed rugby to become a professional sport.

Rugby union is a popular sport to bet on across the globe and the best place to do so is at one of our three recommended sportsbooks listed below.  Each of these bookies offers a wide range of rugby union betting options and like all sportsbooks recommended here at Bet On It they are also have the highest of reputations in the industry.

Best Sportsbooks for Rugby Union Betting

Sportsbook
Features
Bonus
Rating
Bet Now
1
  • Built for American bettors
  • Wide variety of competitive betting lines
  • Easy to navigate betting platform
50% up to $250
2
  • Accepts players worldwide
  • Competitive betting lines
  • Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
50% up to $250 in Free Bets
3
  • Accepts players worldwide (including US)
  • Frequently offers value-added contests and promotions
  • Wide variety of betting lines and props
100% up to $1000

How To Bet On Rugby Union

  1. Join an online betting site – Getting started betting on rugby union is easy.  First select one of the recommended sportsbooks listed above and click on the link to visit the website.  Once there follow the sign up instructions to create an account (only takes a couple minutes).
  2. Deposit – After you have your account you will need to make a deposit in order to place wagers.  Credit card deposits are often the most common but there will be a wide variety of cryptocurrencies or e-wallets you can choose from to fund your account.  If you have any trouble contact customer service and they are sure to help.
  3. Place your bets – Then head over to the rugby union betting section of the website, pick some winners and enjoy your action on the game.

Rugby Union Betting Options

Spread betting and money line betting are both common types of rugby union wagers.  Spread betting involves giving a handicap to the underdog in order to even the playing field to the point where a bet on either side has an equal chance o winning.  Money line wagers on the other hand involve simply wagering on which team will win the game.  Here is an example:

Italy (+3.5) -110
Scotland (-3.5) -110

In this example Scotland is a 3.5 point favourite on Italy.  Scotland would have to win the game by 4 or more points for a Scotland handicap bet to payout, while Italy would have to either win outright or lose by 3 or fewer points.  The -110 indicates that you must wager $110 to win $100 on either outcome.

Italy +135
Scotland -165

Here are the money line odds for the same game.  Scotland is the favourite and to win $100 betting on Scotland you must risk $165.   While a $100 wager on Italy would win $135 if they pull off the minor upset.

You can also find many other prop bets for rugby union games online such as the method of the first scoring play, winning margin, team to score first, highest scoring half, over/under on total points and much more.

Other popular rugby union bets are wagering on which team will win various tournaments or championships.  For example you could bet on which country will win the World Cup for four years heading up to it.

For more information on rugby union I suggest you visit the dedicated Wikipedia page.