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How to Bet on Rugby in South Africa | All Your Questions Answered
Rugby might not have the universal appeal of soccer but it's still an incredibly popular sport in South Africa and other countries like New Zealand, Australia and England. When it comes to making rugby predictions online, all the best online bookmakers in South Africa offer odds and markets to bet on.
Domestic leagues like Currie Cup and Super Rugby happen every season and there are also international tests and tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup and HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. So there's no shortage of action in terms of rugby betting in South Africa for punters and plenty of ways you can put yourself in line to win a big payout!
This guide explains how to bet on rugby in South Africa, from the basics of the game to recommended rugby betting sites, tournaments, odds, markets and even strategies to help you win your bets!
Rugby Betting in South Africa
Rugby offers plenty of betting opportunities year-round and South Africa has some of the best bookmakers for betting on rugby online. The selection of rugby betting odds and markets at sites like Betway South Africa range from predicting the Match Winner to Handicaps, Halves, Winning Margins and much more!
Not only is there plenty of choices available when it comes to Pre-Match rugby betting but you can also easily place your bets Live or In-Play once the action is already underway! What's more, the best rugby betting sites in South Africa also offer great promotions and we'll show you where to find them online after we've covered the basics.
| Bookie | Offer | Summary | Key Features | |
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R1000 SPORTS BONUS OR R2000 CASINO BONUS |
SA's favourite bookie offers sports betting, casino & slot games, regular promotions, voucher deposits, ATM withdrawals and data-free betting.
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Rugby Formats (Rugby Union vs Rugby League)
There are two main formats of rugby, namely Rugby Union and Rugby League, which have a few distinct differences between them. Most of the world's biggest rugby leagues and tournaments are Rugby Union.
Rugby Union teams have 15 players with a limited number of substitutions, while Rugby League teams have 13 players with unlimited substitutions. The field used in Rugby Union is also larger than in Rugby League and fewer points are awarded for every score. The differences between these two rugby formats are key when considering your bets, especially when it comes to betting on markets such as Total Points.
Sevens Rugby
Sevens is another rugby format which has become increasingly popular worldwide and involves just seven players on either team. The duration of each match is only 7 minutes per half instead of 80 minutes like in Rugby Union and Rugby League. There are also some significant rule differences in Sevens Rugby which are equally important when considering your bets but we won't go into any detail about these here.
Major Events for Rugby Betting in South Africa
Super Rugby Aerotoa: Super Rugby Aerotoa is a men's Rugby Union club competition with teams from Australia and New Zealand. It previously included teams from South Africa, Argentina, and Japan.
Rugby World Cup: The Rugby World Cup is an international men’s Rugby Union tournament involving 20 qualifying teams that takes place every 4 years and in a nominated host country.
Six Nations: The Six Nations is an annual Rugby Union tournament held in various cities across Europe. The competing teams include England, Ireland, France, Italy, Wales and Scotland.
Champions Cup: The Champions Cup is an annual Rugby Union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby featuring international clubs whose national teams compete in the Six Nations.
Challenge Cup: The Challenge Cup is an annual Rugby Union tournament also organised by European Professional Club Rugby, which is a second-tier competition behind the Champions Cup.
Rugby League World Cup: The Rugby League World Cup is an international Rugby League tournament contested by the top 16 men's teams.
Rugby League Four Nations: Biennial Rugby League tournament contested between 3 nations (Australia, England, New Zealand) plus a fourth nation that qualifies by winning their respective regional competition between Europe and the South Pacific.
Rugby League European Championship: Annual Rugby League tournament for European national teams, including England, Wales, France, Ireland and Scotland.
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series: Annual series of international Sevens Rugby weekend tournaments run by World Rugby featuring 16 national teams.
Rugby World Cup Sevens: Sevens Rugby tournament held every 4 years and contested between the top 24 men's teams and 16 women's teams in the world.
Rugby Bets Explained
Now that you know which rugby leagues and tournaments you can bet on in South Africa, let's take you through the various types of rugby bets and what they mean.
You can find odds for these rugby betting markets at all the best rugby betting sites in South Africa:
Match Winner - Your options are to bet on a home win, an away win or a draw. Your team must win the match for your bet to payout.
Example: Match Winner – Stormers
Handicap - A margin of victory (points spread) is assigned to the match by the bookmaker. Your team must either win the match by at least the assigned number of points or lose the match by fewer than the assigned number of points. If you bet on Team A (- 13.5 points), then for your bet to win, Team A must win by at least 14 points for your bet to win.
Example: New Zealand (- 6 points)
Total Points - Predict whether the match will have Over or Under the assigned number of points when you add both teams' points together at the end. If you bet on Over 58.5 Total Points, then for your bet to win, 59 points or more must be scored between both teams.
Example: Total Points - Over 58.5
Double Result (Half-Time/Full-Time) - The team you bet on must be leading at half-time and at full-time (after the final whistle) for this bet to win.
Example: Double Result - Lions/Lions
Winning Margin - Bet on a team to win by a certain margin, such as 1-5 points or 14+ points. If your team loses the match or fails to win by the predicted margin, your bet loses.
Example: Stormers (1-5 points)
Try Scorer - There are several try scorer bets you can take which all depend on when your player scores.
Anytime Try Scorer: To win this bet, the player you select must score a try at any time during the match.
First Try Scorer: To win this bet, the player you select must score the first try of the match.
Last Try Scorer: To win this bet, the player you select must score the last try of the match.
Example: Anytime Try Scorer - Damien Willemse
First Scoring Play - This bet is on how the first points of the match will be scored and by which team, such as a try, penalty goal or drop goal.
Example: First Scoring Play - Lions Penalty Goal
Outright Rugby Betting in South Africa
Most sports betting sites offering rugby odds and markets for specific matches also have the option to bet on the outright winner of major rugby events across the world. These events include tournaments and leagues like the Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, World Rugby Sevens and Super Rugby.
Example: South Africa to win the Rugby Union World Cup
Live Rugby Betting in South Africa
There is a good selection of Live Rugby Betting opportunities where you can make your predictions while the match is underway, and the markets are similar. Make predictions in-play about the Match Winner, the number of Total Points and which team or player will score the next try. Another popular Live Rugby Betting market in South Africa is "Next points to be scored" where you must predict whether a try or penalty will be how the next points are scored in the match.
Best Rugby Betting Sites in South Africa
With the sport of rugby being such an integral part of the tradition and culture of South Africa, there isn't an online bookmaker we know of that doesn't offer rugby betting. While that's good news, it doesn't make things easier when it comes to choosing a rugby betting site in South Africa, so we're here to help!
Aside from a generous welcome bonus for new customers, these online bookmakers have some fantastic rugby betting Promotions to take advantage of in South Africa!
➡️ BET.co.za
➡️ Sunbet
➡️ Gbets
➡️ Sportingbet
Rugby Betting Promotions
Getting more value for your money is a big part of betting online and there are many promotions available for online rugby betting in South Africa that can help you do just that! While most sports betting sites focus on soccer, bookmakers like Betway, BET.co.za and Sunbet are a treasure chest of rugby betting promotions you can claim in South Africa!
BETWAY SOUTH AFRICA
Multi Bet Boost: Increase your Multi Bet winnings by up to 150%. For each leg with odds of 1.2 or more you add to your betslip, your winnings are increased. The more legs you add, the bigger your boost!
Read our guide which explains how to bet on rugby with Betway South Africa.
BET.CO.ZA
Points Fest Promo: Take a pre-match rugby handicap bet and if your team scores over 35 points and your bet loses, we'll give you your stake back as a free bet on other rugby. Read the terms and conditions.
Bad Beat Bonus: Take a pre-match, full-time Handicap or full-time Total Points bet and if it loses by 0.5 points, your full stake is refunded up to R500. Read the terms and conditions.
SUNBET
Rugby Union Multiple Special: Take a rugby union multiple of 5 teams or more and if one leg lets you down then half your stake is refunded. Read the terms and conditions.
Match Handicap Special: Take the match handicap and if your selection loses by half a point (0.5) then half your stake is refunded. Read the terms and conditions.
First Half Handicap Special: Take the 1st half handicap and if your selection loses by half a point (0.5) then half your stake is refunded. Read the terms and conditions.
Second Half Handicap Special: Take the 2nd half handicap and if your selection loses by half a point (0.5) then half your stake is refunded. Read the terms and conditions.
Beaten by the Buzzer: Get your money back if your selection only loses after the buzzer sounds. Read the terms and conditions.
Drop Goal Special: If your selection is leading the match but a drop goal is scored which results in your team losing, then half your stake is refunded. Read the terms and conditions.
GBETS
First Try Scorer Double Trouble: Bet on First Try Scorer and get double your winnings up to R1000 if your player scores first and last!
Hat-trick Hero: Bet on First Try Scorer and get double your winnings up to R2000 if your player scores first and with a hat-trick. Read the terms and conditions.
Rugby Betting Tips and Strategies
The problem with rugby betting tips is they change from day to day depending on which teams are playing. So instead of helping you predict specific upcoming matches, here are some factors worth considering that will always affect the outcome of a match when betting on rugby in South Africa:
Refereeing
This is a major factor in any rugby game with plenty of room for interpretation, especially when it comes to the breakdown and scrums. Some referees like to let the game flow and others prefer to stop play and penalise players more frequently. Harsh refereeing can inhibit scoring and lead to lower Total Points, while go-with-the-flow type referees can lead to more points on the board.
Weather
Weather conditions such as rain and wind can have a major impact on the number of Total Points scored in a rugby match. When conditions are wet, the ground is heavy going for players and the ball is harder to handle which often results in fewer tries being scored. In heavy wind, players can also struggle to convert penalty goals and try conversions which also leads to fewer points being scored.
| Bookie | Offer | Summary | Key Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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R25 FREE BET OR 100% FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO R1000 |
A platform for punters of every kind, new customers at Gbets can choose between a R1000 Casino Bonus or a R25 Free Bet to use on sports. |
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Goalkicking
The quality of a goal kicker is often the biggest difference between two rugby teams in terms of scoring points. Especially in evenly contested matches where the teams are very close in terms of ability, betting on the team with a more reliable kicker can often pay dividends.
Substitutions
Having depth on the bench is crucial for any rugby team. Being such a physical game, rugby players often get injured and teams with a squad of talented backup players tend to outperform those without them.
Have a bet on rugby in South Africa!
We trust you've enjoyed our comprehensive guide to betting on rugby in South Africa. With the information here, you should be able to sign up with a good online bookmaker and start betting on rugby. Hopefully, the betting advice we've provided will also help you turn a profit!
For more about online sports betting and casinos in South Africa, visit the Betting Guide homepage where you can find bookmaker reviews, promotions, betting tips and more.
