Rugby Event – How to Bet on the Rugby Championship
Rugby is a sport characterized by its tough players, aggressive moves, and pure sporting joy. With a track record of broken noses and impossible tries, it is fast-paced and exciting to watch, whether at an amateur level or right up with the top athletes of our time. All fans will have their favourite player and a loyal team and watching them do well and achieve that longed-for victory is a real joy for all spectators.
As well as cheering, there is another way in which you can participate in the sport: by placing bets on your favourite rugby team. With a wide range of sites available, you are sure to find something you believe in, and this is a great opportunity to enjoy your favourite sport and participate – all while increasing your chances of a seriously big win! Whether you are brand new to the sport, or a loyal veteran, why not take your participation a step further in the Championship; you may even earn yourself some extra cash!
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 as we know it can be directly traced back to 1749 England, but it is a game which 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 as is common in the game we are all familiar with.
From the days of the Roman Empire and into the medieval period, the sport persisted. The Middle Ages saw young men leaving work early to play in 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 modern sport first saw the light in the 18th century, 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.
How To Play
Rugby is played on a field which is cut exactly in half with a 10-metre zone at each end, known as the ‘try-zone.’ If you get the ball into the opponents try zone, you will score 5 points and the chance to attempt a conversion kick. Players must remember to touch the ball down to score, and points can also be scored through kicking 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.
It is important to remember that the ball can be thrown backwards or sideways. When attempting to score, the offence team band together to form a horizontal line, and will pass the ball between them until they expose a hole in the defence, which allows them to push forward. Passing the ball forward is forbidden, and doing so grants an automatic penalty to the other team, and dropping or bobbling the ball both count as forward passes. While you cannot throw forward, players are permitted to kick the ball forward to their teammates, and this can be a great way to take a defence by surprise. If a player is behind you after you kick, they can touch the ball. If this is not the case, it is offside. In addition, you may not kick a ball to any teammate who is already further down the field than you, unless you run past them at some point.
Tackling is also a popular method 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. Any tackles must be targeted below shoulder height, and players must make sure they wrap their hands around the player being tackled. You must also return to your feet after a tackle before trying to win the ball back.
As with many team games, a game of rugby is won by the team who scores the most points. 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.
Additional points can also be scored with a drop-goal attempt, which occurs when the ball is played back to a back-row player. This player will then attempt to place the ball between the uprights during ongoing play – this is worth 3 points.
The Ones To Watch
Every sport has their fair share of key players, and there are always top athletes who are worth watching if you are planning to place some serious bets and have a chance of earning some money. This can change from year to year, and even match to match, but the current big names to keep a close eye on include:
Joe Cokanasiga
This representative for England has proven he is one to watch with a series of wins over some big rivals.
Adam Hastings
Hastings has a big name and big shoes to fill, but he has already proven he is more than worthy of the title with a series of successes under his belt.
Tomos Williams
After a debut against South Africa, this Welshman has played consistently, and proven that he is on top form time and again.
Tadhg Beirne
With the strength of the Irish team, standing out takes some special talent, and Beirne has done well to hold this honour. He proves he has the skills time and again, and looks set to continue a path to glory.
Demba Bamba
After bursting onto the French scene, Bamba shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Luca Sperandio
After a 2017 debut, Sperandio is one of Italy’s big names, and his talent clearly shows why this is the case.
Betting Platforms for Rugby
Betting on rugby is always a great idea, and there is a range of platforms to give you the chance to cast your bets on. Spreading your bets across platforms helps increase your chances of success, and widen your net to cover more players. The Rugby Championship, in particular, is a very popular choice.
Betting Exchanges
A betting exchange differs from a traditional sportsbook and is a very popular choice in the world of online betting. Betting exchanges allow punters to place and lay bets against other punters, rather than a sportsbook or traditional bookmaker, resulting in higher prices and higher odds.
Rugby Sportsbooks
The traditional betting format, a sportsbook is a company which accepts bets on anything from football matches to horse racing and is a popular choice for rugby. They are different from bookmakers; this is a single person who accepts bets.
Rugby Spread Betting
Rugby Spread betting works by allowing punters to make multiple predictions on a tournament and allowing you to place bets on the final position of your preferred team or player.
Rugby Sports Trading
Sports trading works by allowing punters to place two bets against each other in order to guarantee a profit before the sporting event ends. Punters lay at short odds, and back at higher odds, allowing them to make money before kick-off has even started!
Rugby Matched Betting
Matched betting allows you to pretty much guarantee a win, 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.
Rugby Betting Markets
Some of the most popular rugby bets include:
Head to Head: the simplest type of bet, this simply requires you to bet on who will win the match.
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.
Conclusion
Not only is rugby fun and fast-paced sport to watch and play, but it can also be extremely lucrative if you do your research on the best possible bets. For maximum impact, focus on the players and teams to watch; these could be your golden ticket!
