Best Rugby World Cup Betting Sites: Top Rugby Betting Guide

The Rugby World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport! It happens every 4 years and features the world’s top rugby countries, including England, New Zealand, France, Australia, and Ireland. The first tournament took place in 1987, and only 4 teams have won the event (New Zealand, South Africa, England, and Australia).

The USA Rugby World will take place in 2031, and the host cities are yet to be determined. World Cup matches are always sellouts the last time, with 70,000 + fans piling into the stadium to watch the final and millions tuning in from around the world to watch. During the 2019 tournament in Japan, 857 million fans watched globally!

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is taking place in England from 22 August to 27 September. England are the favorites, but other top contenders include Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand. In this article, we will explain how Rugby World Cup betting works, the different bet types available, and provide some expert tips to help you win your first wager!

Understanding Rugby World Cup Betting

World Cup Rugby betting is all about predicting the winner of matches and or different match statistics. For example, you might bet on France to beat New Zealand or bet on Beauden Barrett to score the first try. How it works is you risk your money by making a prediction, and if your prediction is correct, the sportsbook pays you. Your payout is based on the amount of money you risked, AKA your stake, and the odds the sportsbook offered, which are based on the likelihood of the event happening.

Rugby World Cup betting is a great way to add some extra excitement to games. Trust us, you won’t want to switch the game off, no matter how boring it is, if you have money on the match. World Cup Rugby betting also offers some amazing opportunities to win, the odds tend to be softer than other markets, and due to the range of bet types, there are always wagers worth taking!

Rugby World Cup Bet Types

There are tons of exciting Rugby World Cup bet types that offer great value. Here are some of the most popular rugby bet types:

• Moneyline – All you need to do is predict which team is going to win. For example, bet on England to beat Ireland. This is a great option if you are new to Rugby World Cup betting.
• Handicap – The sportsbook places a points +/- handicap on a certain team, and you need to predict which team is going to win, factoring in the handicap. For example, if you bet on Ireland to beat Wales with a +7.5 points handicap, then they need to win by 8 points or more for your bet to pay out.
• Over/Under – With an over/under bet, the sportsbook takes a rugby stat and sets the line. Then you need to predict if the stat will be higher or lower. For example, the sportsbook might set the total points for a game between Australia and New Zealand at 30. If you take the over and 31 points or more are scored, you win.
• Prop Bets – Props bets are bets that aren’t related to the final outcome of a rugby game. For example, you can bet on a certain player to score a try, the coin toss, whether there will be a drop goal, and basically everything you can think of.
• Futures – With this wager, you need to predict which team is going to win the entire tournament and lift the Webb Ellis Cup. For example, bet on France to win the Rugby World Cup.

How Do Rugby Betting Odds Work?

Rugby World Cup betting odds reveal your potential payout. To determine your payout, you first need to convert the American odds to decimal odds. If the American odds are positive, use this formula: 1 + (American odds / 100), if they are negative, use this formula: 1 – (100 /American Odds). Then all you need to do is multiply your stake by the decimal odds. Here is an example:

1. You bet $100 on France to beat England at -250 odds
2. 1 – (100 /-250) = 1.4
3. 1.4 X $100 = $140

As you can see, if you bet $100 on France to beat England at -250 odds, you would receive $140 total and $40 profit.

Read our full guide on how sports betting odds work if you find it confusing.

Odds don’t just show you your potential payout, they also reveal your implied probability. This is, in the opinion of the sportsbook, how likely you are to win.

To calculate an implied probability, you again convert American odds to decimal and then follow this formula: 1/decimal odds. Using the above example, the sportsbook predicts that France will win 71.43% of the time (1/1.4). If you believe they will win more than 71.43% of the time, you should take that bet.

Preparing for Rugby World Cup Betting

The Rugby World Cup is right around the corner! To get ready to win your first bet, remember to:

• Researching Teams and Their Form – The top teams are France, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand, but keep an eye on sleepers like Argentina, Scotland, and Wales they can cause big upsets.
• Analyze Stats – Important stats to view include head-to-head record, average points scored and conceded, possession, territory, and average penalties won and conceded.
• Understand Key Factors That Influence Match Outcomes – Weather has a big impact on rugby games, so do home-field advantage, injuries, and penalties.
• Evaluating Team Strategies – You need to identify both teams’ strategies and then analyze how they will interact with each other. For example, Northern Hemisphere teams sometimes struggle against Pacific Islander teams.
• Follow The Latest News – Is there tension at training? Is a star player out injured? Keep up to date by reading the news!

Expert Tips for Successful Rugby World Cup Betting

World Cup Rugby betting doesn’t have to be rocket science. Use these expert tips below to start picking winners now!

• Study Research-Backed Strategies – If you are new to Rugby World Cup betting, one of the best things you can do is simply mimic other successful bettors. Some rugby betting strategies worth exploring include wagering on Pacific Islander teams like Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga to win the first half or score the first try, betting the under for total points when two Northern Hemisphere teams play, especially England, and Bet on Wales to overperform and Ireland to underperform.
• Analyze Historical Data and Identify Trends – History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme! An effective way to predict the outcome of Rugby World Cup matches is to look at historical performances. Big teams like South Africa, France, and New Zealand always perform well. Australia and England are also strong contenders and always get out of the group stage. Remember to take a look at head-to-head records before you bet on any team.
• Find a Legit Sportsbook – The sportsbook you wager with can have a significant impact on your win rate. To ensure you actually see your deposit again, stick to licensed and legal betting sites. To boost your odds of winning, find bookmakers which offer a range of promos, including bonuses, cashback, and bonus bets. And make sure you analyze their rugby betting markets to ensure they offer your favorite bet types and generous odds.
• Bankroll Management – Rome wasn’t built in a day! Unless you hit a massive parlay, you aren’t going to strike gold from a single rugby bet, but you can definitely put a serious dent in your bankroll if you bet too big. To ride the ups and downs of rugby betting, we recommend risking a maximum of 2% of your bankroll on a single wager.
• Look For Value – Becoming a long-time winner is directly related to your ability to handicap rugby matches more effectively than the sportsbook. For example, if you calculate that New Zealand has a 90% chance of beating Georgia, but the sportsbook is giving you -400 odds, then you take that bet all day because the sportsbook is predicting that New Zealand only has an 80% chance of winning. To find the implied probability of an event, simply pull up a free implied probability calculator and enter the odds the sportsbook is offering.

Betting Opportunities in Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup 2025 features the 20 best rugby teams from around the world. Every continent is represented except North America, shockingly, the USA missed out on qualification, and Chile snuck in. Despite 20 teams participating, only 6 have an actual chance of winning they include:

• France – France is currently the number 1 team in the world and the favorite to win the Rugby World Cup. The French are known for their flair and unorthodox play. They love kicking the ball and have a tremendous defense. Also, when they get the ball inside the opposition’s 22, they hold onto the ball and nearly always come away with points.
• New Zealand – When people think of rugby, they think of the All Blacks. Other teams have caught up to New Zealand in recent years, but they still have the best passing and support play of any team.
• Ireland – Ireland has been on fire recently, and this could finally be their year to win the tournament. The Irish are known for their incredible conditioning, dominating the ruck, and are very efficient in attack, you don’t want the Irish having the ball in your half.
• South Africa – South Africa is the defending Rugby World Cup champion and has a long history of rugby success. They are famous for their brutal and physical play. They always produce incredible forwards, and most teams can’t handle the tackling and ball-running intensity that the Springboks bring.
• England – England are masters at game management, they know how to control the game, keep position, and dominate territory. They always have a very strong tight 5 and dominate set pieces.
• Australia – Australia is known for its fast and explosive backs, which can create linebreaks from nothing. They are also very strong at the breakdown, constantly causing turnovers.

The next tier of teams include Wales, Scotland, and Argentina. It would be a minor miracle if one of these teams won the Rugby World Cup because they would have to cause multiple upsets throughout the tournament. However, don’t be surprised if at least one of them makes it to the semi-final.

Rugby World Tournament Format and Schedule

The 20 teams are divided into 4 pools, each with 5 teams. The teams in each pool will all play each other once. Then the top 2 teams from each pool will progress to the playoffs. The playoffs are single elimination and begin with a quarter-final. The top team from Pool A will play the 2nd placed team from Pool B, and so on. Also, the semi-final losers will play each other to determine who is the 3rd best team in world rugby. Here are the different pools:

Pool A

• 🇳🇿 New Zealand
• 🇫🇷 France
• 🇮🇹 Italy
• 🇺🇾 Uruguay
• 🇳🇦 Namibia

Pool B

• 🇿🇦 South Africa
• 🇮🇪 Ireland
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland
• 🇹🇴 Tonga
• 🇷🇴 Romania

Pool C

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales
• 🇦🇺 Australia
• 🇫🇯 Fiji
• 🇬🇪 Georgia
• 🇵🇹 Portugal

Pool D

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England
• 🇯🇵 Japan
• 🇦🇷 Argentina
• 🇼🇸 Samoa
• 🇨🇱 Chile

Look For Potential Underdogs

Many sports bettors make their living by picking upsets. Now the chances of a big underdog winning the Rugby World Cup is very low as historically, the tournament has only been won by 4 rugby heavyweight nations, New Zealand (3), South Africa (3), Australia (2), and England (1). However, a solid sleeper is Wales which is paying 33 to 1.

During the group stage is where you are going to find quite a few upsets. Pool C is the group to watch, don’t be surprised if Fiji or Georgia score a win over favorites Australia or Wales. Another game to keep an eye on is Argentina vs England, the Argies keep getting better everywhere, while England has looked a little wobbly recently.

Key Matchups and Rivalries

Pool A and Pool B are going to be electric and will have massive implications for the rest of the tournament. In Pool A, it is going to be New Zealand or France in top spot, and then in Pool B, it is going to be South Africa or Ireland. If France comes second in their pool and Ireland wins their pool or vice versa, the two tournament favorites will clash in the quarter-final. However, if they both win their pools, then they won’t see each other until the grand final.

In Pool C, it will be either Australia or Wales in top spot, and then in Pool D, England should comfortably clinch the number 1 spot. If the Aussies come second, then that will set up an epic match against the English, there is a lot of bad blood between these two teams, and it should be a very close affair. However, don’t be surprised if we see Wales and England square off in the quarter-finals in a battle for the UK, England has the clear upper hand in that battle.

The Rugby World Cup only comes around once every 4 years, so all of the teams will be fired up and raring to go. France is the best team in the world, so they are strong favorites. However, predicting the winner is difficult as there are always upsets. Many are predicting that this is going to be Ireland’s year to win their maiden Rugby World Cup!

Top Rugby World Cup Betting Strategies

If you want to win when betting on Rugby World Cup 2025, don’t just blindly bet on your favorite team. Instead, you need to do your research and come up with an effective strategy. Here are some tips to help you!

Test Out Advanced Betting Strategies Like Handicap Betting

You can find tremendous value in the handicap betting markets. If a heavy favorite isn’t paying out much in the moneyline markets, then we recommend popping over to the handicap markets and trying your luck. Other advanced rugby union betting strategies worth checking out are parlays. This is where you combine multiple bets into one betting slip and enjoy combined odds. To improve your odds of winning, keep your selections to 4 and under.

Study Specific Betting Markets and Their Potential Returns

Not all rugby betting markets offer the same potential returns. Typically you should avoid exotic prop bets as they often have high vig. At the same time, don’t chase massive multi-leg parlays or huge underdogs, as these are essentially lottery tickets. The best returns are usually in the moneyline and handicap markets. Over/under points total bets are also good value, just remember to pull up the average points each team scores per match before you place your wager.

Tips For Live Betting

In live rugby union betting, you need to predict what is going to happen just before the sportsbook can update its odds. For example, if you are watching a close game but you see one side starting to tire, and their defensive line is breaking, then quickly place a bet on the other team to win before they score. You should also keep an eye on penalties, if one team starts giving away penalties, then bet on the other team because there is a strong chance they are going to continue breaking the rules and end up getting a yellow or even red card.

If you’re new to betting live or in-play then read our guide so you can get the scoop.

Pay Special Attention To The Weather

In rugby union, players hold and run with the ball, just like in American Football. When the ball gets wet, it becomes very difficult to control the ball and retain possession. During wet games, teams have to adapt their strategies by kicking the ball more, standing closer to the scrum half, and reducing the number of passes they make. Some teams thrive in these conditions while others struggle.

Teams that play well during rain and wet conditions include France and England. These two teams are used to the mud and rain and know how to play a positional game filled with lots of kicking. They do an amazing job of pinning their opponents in their own half and making them run with the ball. If the surface and the ball is slippery, bet on France and England!

Always Analyze Team Dynamics

A rugby team can be filled with superstars, but if they are working together, they will lose to a less talented but more cohesive team. When analyzing team dynamics, look at players’ body language, and study how they communicate with each other. In rugby union, the top teams are constantly talking to each other to not only keep up morale but to adjust their defensive line and offensive structure. If a rugby team goes quiet, it is a bad sign.

Some important stats that reveal if a rugby team is clicking include average time in possession, average knock-ons, number of turnovers, and number of penalties conceded. Strong teams hold onto the ball and don’t give away many penalties.

Popular Rugby World Cup Betting Sites – Comparison

Above are all the Best Rugby World Cup Betting sites that you can use to place wagers with during the tournament. All of those rugby sportsbooks, if available in your state, will be offering odds in the run up to and during the Rugby world cup tournament.