Here at NetBet, we’ve got a whole load of great markets for sports betting, and we offer some of the best Rugby Union odds around. We don’t just take bets on individual matches, we offer online betting on plenty of deeper markets on our UK betting site. If you want to place any sport bet, in this case, Rugby Union betting, here’s a quick guide on how exactly you should go about it.
What is Rugby Union?
Rugby Union, also called rugby, is a full-contact team sport played between two teams of 15 players, with seven substitutes on the bench. The game is played on a rectangular field, with each side sporting an H-shaped goalpost. It is among the world’s most popular sports, with over six million registered players as of 2014.
Unlike most other ball sports, a rugby ball is oval-shaped and made from hand-stitched leather. Due to modern technology, there have been significant improvements towards creating synthetic, all-weather rugby balls, making handling much more manageable. A player’s kit includes socks, jerseys, boots and shorts, a mouth guard, and headgear (if required).
Each game begins with a drop kick from the halfway line in the middle. The ball must travel 10 metres from the kick-off. The game’s objective is to score more points than the opponent’s side. Points are scored via tries, penalty kicks, drop goals, and conversions.
Players are permitted to tackle the opponent with the ball to keep the offensive side from scoring. Players may only tackle by wrapping their arms around opponents to bring them to the ground. Players cannot tackle opponents above the shoulder or trip them with their legs. Dangerous play should result in a red card.
Referred to as “laws”, the International Rugby Board has established the rules of this game. The most fundamental law of the game is that no player is permitted to pass the ball forward to a teammate.
The players must pass the ball backwards or sideways to a teammate. The other way to progress forward with the ball towards the opposing team’s goal line is to score points by running with the ball or kicking it.
History of Rugby Union
The earliest forms of rugby are said to go back over two millennia. The Romans were known to play a ball game known as “harpastum”, a term derived from the Greek word “seize”.
Documents also recorded young men during the Middle Ages in England leaving work early to play for their town or village in football games. In Tudor times, the game was prohibited and considered a “devilish pastime” due to the injuries it caused.
The roots of rugby can be traced back to a school located in the Midlands of England, which outgrew its cramped surroundings in the town centre and moved to a new site towards the town of Rugby in Warwickshire.
The actual history of the Rugby Union game goes back to November 1823 at Rugby School, an independent English School. A 16-year-old boy named William Webb Ellis began running towards the opposing team’s goal with the ball in his arms, disregarding the fundamental “no-hands” football rules. Ellis was believed to have been the first individual to do something so absurd, but that led to the establishment of the Rugby Union.
1839 saw the establishment of the first team at Cambridge. That was when the “Cambridge Rules” were also established. The Rugby Football Union was set up in a London pub in 1871.
In 1882, England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland formed the first global championship. While the sport continued to evolve, it was not until 1987 that New Zealand and Australia hosted the first World Cup, resulting in the sport gaining millions of new fans.
How do I bet on Rugby Union?
Once you have understood how Rugby Union works, you can next explore the available betting options. Some of the bets offered at NetBet include:
1×2 Bet
This is one of the simplest bets and the most convenient for beginners. This betting system involves laying a home win, an away win, or a draw. One refers to the home win, X is the draw, and two is the away win. It is important to note that due to the nature of the scoring system in Rugby Union, draws do not occur that often.
Handicap
This bet makes it more interesting when an underdog is involved in the fixture. You may choose to bet on teams with a “handicap”. Hence, the bet will occur if the team begins the match behind on points.
The points are removed from the team to make the handicap bet work. In such a case, if you bet on a -12.5 handicap, the corresponding team will have 12.5 points removed when calculating the total score.
Over/Under Bet
Over/under markets require bettors to bet on variables instead of the result. For example, you may bet on the points scored by two competing Rugby Union Teams, e.g., Bulls and Leinster, to be Over or Under 56.5. Your bet will win if your speculated score is Over 56.5, and the total points accumulated by both teams total 57 and above.
Team Bet
Team bets are the opposite of player bets because they focus on the entire team. For instance, you may be betting on an event between the Harlequins and the Saracens. The most common examples of this bet include:
- Winning Margin
- The Winning Team
- The First Team to Score Try
- The Team that Will Score the Last Try
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.
