How to Bet on the Bledisloe Cup

One of the wonderful things about sports is the way in which they can truly bring fans and communities closer together, and rugby is no exception. Rugby as we now know it can be traced back to England in 1892, when a schoolboy subverted the rules of football, and in doing so, created a brand new game to be cherished by fans ever since. The ideas of the sport, however, have been since as far back as the Roman period, and when it comes to fan love and loyalty, this is a passion that shows zero chance of slowing down any time soon.

For many of us, the idea of watching rugby can trump the idea of actually playing – it is an intense sport with a fair few broken noses! For another way to participate, however, there is always the chance to bet on those you trust to bring about the best possible outcome.

Rugby – What you need to know

Before you get started placing your rugby bets, it is a good idea to get clued up with a thorough understanding of some of the key elements of the sport, to allow you to fully enjoy the action! Here is a brief rundown of everything you need to know to get started.

History of Rugby

Rugby is a game that can trace its history back over 2000 years when the Romans enjoyed a game known as harpastum. This term originated from the Greek word ‘seize’, and implied that the players would ‘seize’ or carry the ball.

The development continued into the medieval period when young men were recorded as leaving work early to play games of football, representing their town or village. In the Tudor period, a law was passed which banned the “devilish pastime” of football – there were simply too many injuries and fatalities occurring, and these were depleting the workforce. In particular, many conflicts arose on Shrove Tuesday, and this would result in physical altercations between players which occasionally ended in death.

The game as we know it can be directly traced back to 1749 England when a school relocated to the town of Rugby in Warwickshire. During a game of football, a gentleman named Willian Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it: this became the start of a brand new game, known by one and all as rugby. The popularity of the sport never diminished, and it is still played and loved by fans all over the world even today.

For an oversight on all the top Rugby Union tournaments click here.

How To Play

To put it simply, a game of rugby is won by scoring more points than your opponent. Tries are scored by carrying the ball into the opponent’s end zone and are worth 5 points. Any infringements or broken rules from the opposing team can also result in a penalty try, and these will also be awarded if the play is stopped by more than one member of the team – each penalty kick is worth 3 points. Every time a try is scored, the team who scored will have the chance to make a conversion kick – this is worth an extra 2 points. Points can also be scored with a drop-goal attempt, which occurs when the ball is played back to a back-row player. They then attempt to place the ball between the uprights during ongoing play – this is worth 3 points.

The playing field is cut in half, and each end has a 10-meter zone which is known as the ‘try-zone.’ Once the ball is in the opponent’s try zone, you will get 5 points and the chance to attempt a conversion kick. You must touch the ball down to score, and can also kick the ball through the uprights with a dropkick at any time during free play, or after being awarded a penalty kick by the referee. Play runs for 80 minutes, and the winning team is that which has the most points.

With regard to moves, the ball can be thrown backward or sideways. In order to score a try, the offense team will form a horizontal line, passing the ball between them until they expose a hole in the defence, and this allows them to push forward. Passing the ball forward grants an automatic penalty to the other team, and dropping or bobbling the ball both count as forward passes. Players are, however, permitted to kick the ball forward to their teammates, and this can be a great way to take a defence by surprise. You may not kick a ball to a teammate who is already further down the field than you unless you run past them at some point. If a player is behind you after you kick, they can touch the ball. If not, it is offside.

Tackling is also popular to help stop the attack of an opponent and is the main source of defence. The goal when tackling is to bring the player to the ground as quickly as possible, and it must be dome below shoulder height. You must also make sure you wrap your hands around the player and must return to your feet after a tackle before trying to win the ball back.

The Ones To Watch

Part of maximising your chances of a big win in rugby comes down to spotting the top players early on and using these as starting points for the rest of your bets. Currently, some of the big names you should familiarise yourself with include:

• Joe Cokanasiga
• Adam Hastings
• Tomos Williams
• Tadhg Beirne
• Demba Bamba
• Luca Sperandio

Betting Platforms for Rugby

Getting involved with betting is a great chance for you to participate in the excitement of a rugby match, without running the risk of a broken nose or worse! Fans and new betters can do well when choosing rugby to bet on – the range of competitions and tournaments, as well as a wealth of high-quality players, means that you have every chance of enjoying success. Using a range of betting methods increases your chance of a win, and can help you grab a great payout!

Betting Exchanges

A betting exchange is often the method of choice when it comes to online betting, as it is super convenient, fast to do, and offers higher prices and odds for everyone. It differs from a traditional sportsbook by allowing punters to place and lay bets against other punters, rather than a sportsbook or traditional bookmaker. This results in higher prices and better odds.

Click here to review the best Betting Exchanges.

Rugby Sportsbooks

This is the traditional and most commonly recognised betting format, which is now a second place for exchanges. Sportsbooks accept bets on a huge range of sporting events and activities – everything from football matches to horse racing is fair game, and the system and is a popular choice for rugby although, as we have mentioned, betting exchanges are swiftly taking over as the preferred choice for many.

Click here to review the best Sportsbooks.

Rugby Spread Betting

Another hugely popular choice across all sports but especially rugby, spread betting allows punters to make multiple predictions on a single competition or tournament and allowing you to place bets on the final position of your preferred team or player.

Click here to learn more about Spread Betting.

Rugby Sports Trading

Another hugely popular choice across all sports but especially rugby, spread betting allows punters to make multiple predictions on a single competition or tournament and allowing you to place bets on the final position of your preferred team or player.

Click here to learn more about Sports Trading.

Rugby Matched Betting

Matched betting is a hugely popular choice because it almost guarantees a win for the person placing the bet, no matter the outcome of the match or race. Punters bet on one outcome and lay a bet on the opposing side for a guaranteed profit

Click here to learn more about Matched Betting.

Rugby Betting Markets

One of the main draws of rugby is the vast array of betting options that are available. These include:

Double Result

When the match outcome is split into two halves. There are nine potential outcomes: Win/Win, Win/Draw, Win/Loss, Draw/Win, Draw/Draw, Draw/Loss, Loss/Win, Loss/Draw, Loss/Loss. Both halves must be guessed correctly to win.

Head to Head

The simplest type of bet, simply requires you to bet on who will win the match.

Winning Margin

One of the hardest things to judge in rugby is the winning margin. To win here, you need to guess the number of points which will separate the two teams at the final whistle. These tend to start from 1-5 points and go up to 46-50.

Line Betting

This is a popular tool used by bookmakers when one side looks set to win by a huge margin. The predicted stronger side is handicapped by the bookie by a certain number of points. You then wager on the side you expect to win, by how many points they will achieve within that margin.

Conclusion

Betting on rugby is a great opportunity for newbies to start dipping their toes into the world of online betting and, if done correctly, offers a fantastic chance to win some serious prizes once you are more experienced. Betopin is committed to helping you achieve this aim!