Rugby Union Betting at Bally Bet Sports & Casino

With regular excitement in the form of domestic leagues, knockout competitions and international tournaments, there are a number of ways to get going with rugby union betting. While the Six Nations and Rugby World Cup are two of the most recognisable events in the calendar, there are plenty of other campaigns – like the new Nations Championship – that keep the calendar busy.

Having a handle on rugby union betting markets, recognising different match situations and adapting to team strengths and playing styles are all helpful when it comes to getting involved.

Here’s our guide to betting on rugby union effectively, which covers all the important aspects from popular markets to in-play betting.

How to Bet on Rugby Union: The Basics

As with most team sports, betting on rugby union matches revolves around game outcomes, team matchups and scoring markets.

Two teams battle it out, with points scored via tries, conversions, penalties and drop goals. Markets reflect these methods of scoring.

The most popular bet is match winner, and its odds change in light of recent form, head-to-head records, world rankings, injuries and more. The top-ranked team at home against a lower-ranked opposition will be favoured heavily, and you’ll see this in the shorter odds they come with.

Looking beyond match results, rugby union markets extend to handicap bets, total points, margin betting and match events.

You can bet on rugby online either through our desktop platform or by downloading our app. Markets are available a few days in advance of the match, and they’re there – updating regularly – until kickoff. Once it does, in-play markets become available, and they allow you to engage with the match as it develops, with odds shifting after every score and noteworthy event.

Popular Betting Markets for Rugby Union Matches

Match Winner

Simply back which team you think will win. Straightforward but no less fun, and a foundation for rugby union betting strategies.

Handicaps

Add or subtract a certain number of points from a team’s score, either to give them a head start or a deficit to overcome.

Backing a favourite (team deemed most likely to win) at –7.5 means they have to win by at least eight points for your bet to come in.

Handicaps help keep things competitive when bookmakers think there’s a gulf in quality between the opposing teams.

Total Points

Put money on whether you think the teams’ combined points exceeds or falls short of a set number.

Quick example: if a match ends 28-21 – totalling 49 – a bet on a line at 48.5 (or less) wins.

If you’re looking at this bet, consider the teams’ offensive and defensive quality, previous matchups and external factors like weather conditions.

First & Anytime Try Scorer

Think a certain player will score first, or score at some point throughout the match? These markets may feature longer odds than others, owing to the complexity of predicting them precisely.

Winning Margin

With this market, you’re betting on the number of points a team wins by, normally grouped into a certain range. Choosing a winning margin of 1-7 means you expect a close match, whereas a 21-25 margin means you anticipate a rout.

Half-Time/Full-Time

Bet on who you think will lead at half-time, and which team wins the match.

In a match featuring England and Scotland, the options would appear as follows: England/England, Scotland/Scotland, England/Scotland, Scotland/England, Draw/England, Scotland/Draw, England/Draw, Draw/Scotland and Draw/Draw. Each option will come with its own set of odds depending on perceived likelihood.

Rugby Union Betting Strategy: Things to Consider

Playing at Home

As in other sports, there’s a particular advantage to being the host team. That’s especially true for international games, where away teams make considerable journeys to play in unfamiliar conditions in front of energetic home fans.

This creates a two-way opportunity when it comes to betting on rugby union matches: backing the home team can carry less risk, and backing the away team who are able to overcome their environment can offer better odds.

Weather

Temperatures – whether they’re hot or cold – and inclement conditions like heavy rain and strong wind can affect how a rugby match plays out. Wet conditions increase handling mistakes, and wind can add a layer of unpredictability to the game, with players choosing to kick the ball less often as a result.

These conditions, and the knock-on effect they have on the strategies a team subsequently adopts, can translate into lower-scoring matches and tighter results than those played in clear weather, so it’s worth checking local weather forecasts before you place a bet.

Teams’ Set Piece Strength

Set pieces like scrums and lineouts are fundamental aspects of the game, and teams who dominate them can control territory on the field and generate scoring opportunities. Equally, teams with weak scrums often get penalised in the form of conceding points and on-field positions.

With this in mind, it’s a good idea to review a team’s set piece success rates in the run-up to a match. A side with a stronger scrum or lineout regularly controls a match despite similarities as far as individual talent goes.

Team Discipline & Penalties

Penalties awarded for infractions provide the non-offending team with the opportunity to kick for goal or touch, or to tap and go.

Teams who concede penalties recklessly and regularly give up possession undermine their own efforts at getting up the pitch. And if they’re up against a team that kicks well, their lack of discipline can only compound their problems.

Equilibrium Between Forwards and Backs

The best rugby teams strike a fearsome balance of powerful forwards that win possession and skilful backs that score.

If a team relies too heavily on one area of the pitch, they run the risk of being easy to predict and, therefore, defend against.

Make note of a team’s strengths and see how they stack up against their opposition’s weaknesses. A strong set of forwards up against a weak scrum can make for interesting viewing, while teams playing with a blitz defence coming up against a team that likes to kick may find themselves in trouble, especially if they start to tire later on.

Team characteristics and play styles are vast and varied, so rather than trying to follow every team and league, focus on one or two teams and get to know them thoroughly. Understanding their tactics, strength, weaknesses and key players helps you spot opportunities.

All About Betting on the Six Nations

One of rugby union’s most prestigious tournaments, the Six Nations takes place every year and features six teams from the Northern Hemisphere: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy. All teams play each other once in the tournament’s five rounds, meaning there’s a total of 15 games taking place.

When Is the Six Nations?

The 2026 Six Nations tournament gets underway in early February and wraps up mid-March. Fixtures and world rankings are already available, meaning you can start delving into the data surrounding two teams getting ready to clash right now.

Matches are spread out across five weekends, with a rest weekend between rounds three and four offering a breather for players and fans alike.

Super Saturday – this year slated for 14 March – is when the last three matches are played to decide who takes home the Championship trophy.

Six Nations Betting Markets

The markets available for the Six Nations are the same as the ones you’d expect in any Gallagher PREM match, though outright markets centre on backing which team wins the championship, achieves a Grand Slam (by beating the other five teams) or takes home the Triple Crown (a Home Nations team beating the other three).

Odds around the winning team shift throughout the tournament, and a team that wins the first couple of games will see their odds shorten considerably.

You’ll get a good idea of which team has a chance of winning a Grand Slam after the first few matches too, though generally speaking only a couple of teams go into the tournament with realistic expectations of doing so. The Triple Crown market can also be an interesting option, depending on how favourable a team’s fixtures are against the other Home Nations teams.

Six Nations Trends Worth Considering

The 2025 Six Nations competition was one for the record books. 829 points and 108 tries were scored across 15 matches; both new tournament highs.

France won the championship having scored 30 tries throughout the competition, the most by any team in a single Six Nations.

England came close second with four wins and 25 tries, their second-highest total in a Six Nations campaign (and third highest by any team).

Ireland recorded four victories – three of which were against the other Home Nations teams, meaning they won the Triple Crown – but came third following their loss to France in Dublin.

Italy avoided taking home the Wooden Spoon for the second year in a row, which is a significant milestone for their development. They beat Wales two years running, with the 2025 win being Italy’s first home victory over the Dragons since 2007. Italy's progress makes clear they're becoming more competitive, but they still haven't finished above fourth.

Wales finished bottom with the Wooden Spoon after losing all five matches. Their defeat to Italy at home dropped them to 12th in the World Rugby Rankings, which, until dropping to 14^th in July 2025, was their worst position since rankings began in 2003.

Scotland showed flashes of attacking quality but couldn’t quite convert opportunities consistently, ending their campaign with just two wins.

Whether it’s France’s attacking dominance, Ireland’s consistency or Wales’ struggles, these trends help provide context when it comes to assessing fixtures and odds. They don’t guarantee anything; they’re simply factors that help inform what the 2026 edition might entail.

Other Major Rugby Union Tournaments

Rugby World Cup

Taking place every four years, the Rugby World Cup is a highlight of the rugby union calendar.

Normally, this tournament features 20 teams grouped into four pools of five; however, in the 2027 instalment, there will be 24 teams. That means there will instead be six pools with four teams each, the top two of which progress to the knockout stages. They’re followed by the four best-performing third-place teams, who are decided by competition points first, then points difference and then try difference. With these changes, total matches played jumps from 48 to 52.

With such a stacked schedule – and the anticipation that accompanies four-year waits – there's a significant amount of betting interest surrounding the Rugby World Cup. Outright markets are available well in advance, and match and player markets prove popular throughout the tournament.

Nations Championship

Taking place biennially, the Nations Championship launches in 2026 and replaces the Rugby Championship in even-numbered years.

It features 12 teams split into two conferences, with the Six Nations representing the Northern Hemisphere and the SANZAAR nations – Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – plus Japan and Fiji representing the Southern Hemisphere.

Teams will play six matches in total: three in July in the Southern Hemisphere and three in November in the Northern Hemisphere, and the round robin format makes it so that each team plays opponents from the opposite hemisphere.

The Finals Weekend, hosted in Twickenham in late November, is the culmination of the tournament, where the top teams from each group compete for the title.

Autumn Internationals

A group of November matches in which Northern Hemisphere teams host Southern Hemisphere opponents every two years. In 2026, however, Southern Hemisphere teams will host Northern Hemisphere teams in July, completing the first three rounds of the Nations Championship tournament.

As they're only a few months out from the following year’s Six Nations competition, these matches are opportunities for teams to test form as well as provide fans with high-profile clashes.

European Rugby Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup

Two tournaments that run concurrently with domestic leagues and feature the top teams from various countries.

The 24 participating teams in the Champions Cup hail from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy and, since 2022-23, South Africa. The Challenge Cup features 18 teams from the same nations, with the addition of teams from Georgia.

In-Play Rugby Union Betting

As one of the most explosive sports in the world, betting on rugby matches live can be intense. In-game events – early tries, red cards and injuries to name a few – can all have drastic effects on a team’s performance, and this is reflected in the ever-changing odds.

In-play rugby union betting rewards watching a match closely and anticipating when its flow might start to change, as well as recognising what’s causing it to do so. Spotting shifts like this can create value if you’re quick enough to notice them.

Tips and Advice for Rugby Union Betting

Make sure you understand how bonus points work

A lot of rugby union leagues, like the Premiership, and competitions, like the Six Nations, award bonus points to teams who score four or more tries in a game, or lose by seven points or fewer (known as a ‘losing bonus point’). A team who wins all of their matches in the Six Nations competition – claiming a Grand Slam – receives three points for doing so.

Keep track of how these bonus points work for the particular event you’re watching, as they often have an effect on final table standings and can illuminate tactical decisions made during a match.

Keep on top of player injuries

A team’s strength as a unit can be weakened when key players are missing through injury. Losing a fly-half or tighthead prop can drastically impact how a team plays, as well as their chances of success.

Bear in mind travel and scheduling

Teams playing through a heavily congested schedule or travelling internationally can be prone to fatigue. Travel times and acclimatisation are especially significant in competitions like the 2026 Nations Championship, which sees Southern Hemisphere teams hosting Northern Hemisphere teams for the first three rounds in July, before travelling to have the favour returned later on in November for the last three rounds.

Appreciate the tournament's history

Certain teams put up consistently strong performances in specific tournaments. Ireland’s recent dominance in the Six Nations and New Zealand’s Rugby Championship record are just two examples of valuable competition context.

Don't underestimate the underdogs

There are plenty of upsets in rugby union games, with lower-ranked teams gaining the upper hand through strong set piece performances, solidity in defence or by taking advantage of the opponent’s mistakes. As a result, you might find value in instances where the odds presented don’t reflect an event in which you think there’s a realistic chance of an upset.