Best rugby betting sites in 2024

Rugby is one of the most popular team sports in the world and there is an increasing number of betting sites and gamblers focusing on it.

There are a variety of bets to be made and all kinds of sport betting sites Ireland. In this article, we guide you through the crowded scrum of betting on rugby by focusing on the most interesting points.

Top rugby bookmakers

Found: 14 Bookmakers

Rank Bookmaker Bonus Claim
1 1xBet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to 1xBet website
2 22Bet

100% Welcome Bonus up to €122

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to 22Bet website
3 Melbet

Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Melbet website
4 Megapari

100% Welcome bonus up to $130

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Megapari website
5 20Bet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to 20Bet website
6 bet365

Welcome Bonus Up To €100 In Bet Credits

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to bet365 website
7 Ivibet

100% Welcome bonus up to €150

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Ivibet website
8 BetWinner

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to BetWinner website
9 Powbet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Powbet website
10 Paripesa

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Paripesa website
11 Sportaza

100% Welcome bonus up to €50

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Sportaza website
12 Freshbet

100% Welcome Bonus up to €500

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Freshbet website
13 1Bet

100% Welcome bonus up to €100

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to 1Bet website
14 Mostbet

150% Welcome bonus up to $400

18+ T&C apply, GambleAware.org

 BET HERE Go to Mostbet website

Top 5 rugby betting sites with generous bonuses

Bonuses are an important factor to consider when choosing a rugby betting site. Below, you’ll find the top 5 sites that we use ourselves to wager because we know that they come with the best bonuses around. These are all names with outstanding reputations so were pleased to be able to recommend them to you.

  • 1xBet
  • 22Bet
  • Melbet
  • Megapari
  • 20Bet

Best rugby sportsbooks for mobile betting

There are plenty of contenders when it comes to the best bookmaker for rugby. Most of the established names offer an impressive mobile browser. There are also apps, meaning you can gamble anywhere you go.

On some sites it can be a little difficult to actually find the rugby pages. The best rugby sportsbooks, though, make it clear where you need to go from the beginning.Beyond using your browser, many of the top sites also come with dedicated apps. The best rugby betting apps are easy to navigate, look good, and offer push notifications too.

  • Betway
  • William Hill
  • 10 Bet
  • Bet365
  • 888 Sport

How to choose the best rugby betting site

There are so many sites that offer extensive rugby odds, but it is always worth taking a deeper look to get the best bang for your buck.

Live Streaming

Like any sport, punters can benefit from watching the game live and reacting to events. Look for sites such as William Hill that show the games.

Background info

Some sites provide a good introductory guide to betting on rugby – like Bet10, for example! It’s always worth to check them out.

Rugby-specific bonuses

In normal situations, when there are plenty of tournaments and league games, a number of sites offer rugby specific bonuses.

Rugby betting tips & strategies

As befits a team game, rugby betting companies provide lots of options for gamblers from simple results (though a draw is unusual in rugby)to points related bets or something concerning individual players.

However, there’s no getting around the fact the best tip is to know the game.

Don’t forget Live In-Play

— Betting when the action is unfolding is a service that most bookies offer. It gives punters a flexibility not available in the past. You can react if something unexpected happens. It also means that you can get a general feel for how the team is performing and what kind of form the players are in.

Handicap provides more options

— When it comes to World Cups, you are going to see some one-sided matches in the early rounds. If there is one team overwhelmingly expected to win, it will be hard for the punter to gain any real value. Handicap means that the weaker team is given a ‘start’ of a certain number of points. Suddenly a bet on which team will win becomes not only a good deal, but also more interesting and potentially lucrative.

Rugby suits Over/Under

— Rugby lends itself well to this kind of bet as there are often a lot of points in the game. If you bet on the number of points then you can have a cut off point of, say, 35.5 points. If you bet over, you win if there are 36 points scored or more. If there are 35 points or less, you lose. It is good to know the teams, as well as the conditions in this situation.

Get to know the different positions and styles

— Just as in football, there are plenty of bets on the first player to score a try. This can be a little trickier than football, as different teams play different styles. Some like to go for kicking rather than tries. If you do go for tries, wingers are the best bet. Centres and fullbacks can rack up the points too, though.

Payment providers at rugby bookmakers

With rugby being such a popular sport, it means all the best betting sites for rugby offer plenty of bets. It also means that there are a wide variety of supported payment methods.

As well as the good old-fashioned credit and debit cards, that can usually be used, there is a growing acceptance of e-wallets. These services mean you can move money around with the touch of a button. Unfortunately, they are sometimes excluded from bonuses and promotions.

Crypto currencies are growing in popularity, but are not as universally taken as some of the other methods. As always, bank transfers are reliable but sometimes slow.

  • MasterCard

    Easy and quick to use and accepted everywhere

  • Skrill

    Widely accepted digital wallet. Trusted and easy to use to deposit and withdraw.

  • PayPal

    The most famous e-wallet service and known around the world though not always the fastest

  • Bank Transfer

    Simple, very secure and can deposit and withdraw large amounts but slow

Mastercard

Betting sites with Mastercard

PayPal

Betting sites with PayPal

Skrill

Betting sites with Skrill

Bank Transfer

Betting sites with Bank Transfer

History of rugby sports betting

There are two forms of rugby. Most of the time when people refer to rugby, they refer to the Union format which is popular in the UK, France, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Rugby League is slightly different variation of the sport especially popular at biggest bookmakers in Australia.

Rugby is approaching its 200th birthday. It was way back in 1823 when, on the school fields of the English town of Rugby, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it. This seemingly revolutionary act led to the invention of a whole new sport.

By the middle of the 19th century, the rules had been established.

In 1871, Scotland and England met in the first international match. By the end of the 19th century, rugby had established itself as a popular game and was being exported around the world, especially to the British Empire.

Yet there had been some major developments. In 1895, the game split into Union and League. Teams in the north of England were starting to pay players and, to cut a long story short, there was a schism.

For a long time, league was professional and union was not. There were differences in the game, including number of players and points.

  1. Rugby came into being almost by accident in 1823
  2. The sport split into two codes in 1895
  3. Union allowed professionalism in 1995
  4. Over 90 nations tried to qualify for the 2019 World Cup

In 1995, Union allowed professionalism and has become by far the more popular form of the game – league has fewer players, teams and markets – with the possible exception of the Australian domestic league.

In 1987, rugby finally followed football and held its first World Cup. This tournament has expanded over the years to become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

The most recent edition was held in Japan. It featured 20 teams from all over the planet, with an impressive 93 countries starting the qualification stage.

There are also two well-established annual tournaments. In the northern hemisphere there is the Six Nations, which sees England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy battle it out. There is also the Tri-Nations in the south hemisphere with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

There are often series between individual nations (such as England vs Australia or France vs South Africa) that are also big deals.

Throw in the respective domestic leagues and you have a lot of games to bet on.

History of rugby sports betting
🏛️ First introduced 1845
🏢 Overseeing Organizations The Football Association (FA) 
📶 Bookmaker Coverage High
⭐ Popular in Worlwide
🌎 World Championship Rugby World Cup
🏅 Olympic Discipline Yes

Rugby betting sites FAQs

? Where is rugby popular?

The main markets are UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa with some interest in Canada, Argentina, Italy.

? What are popular rugby bets?

You can find the best rugby betting sites by exploring our earlier list. For us, it’s William Hill that comes out on top but we also highly recommend Betway, 888Sport, 22bet, and Betfred.

? Where are the best rugby betting sites?

You can find the best rugby betting sites by exploring our earlier list. For us, it’s William Hill that comes out on top but we also highly recommend Betway, 888Sport, 22bet, and Betfred.

? Can I request my own rugby bets?

Some sites, especially those that have good rugby sportsbooks, will let you build your own bets.

? Do online sites provide rugby promotions and bonuses?

Some do, especially ahead of the big tournaments. But even for those that do not, there are usually general bonuses that apply.

? What is the difference between Rugby League and Rugby Union?

There are few differences between Rugby League and Union. The biggest is the number of players. Rugby League has 13 players while Union has 15. You’ll also find that League is played at a faster pace with Union having more stoppages for rucks and mauls.

? What is the best site for betting on Rugby Union?

William Hill comes up trumps when it comes to Rugby Union. It has great coverage of the World Cup and Six Nations, as well as having an in-depth news section to keep you in the know. This can help guide you towards your betting decisions.

Review Author

John Duerden

John Duerden

John Duerden has lived in four Asian countries over 20 years and covers the continent's football scene for World Soccer magazine, The Guardian, ESPN, Associated Press and other media.