Rugby World Cup 2023 is one of the most popular sports events in South Africa. This guide will discuss everything you need to know about Rugby World Cup betting, including the best betting sites and reliable predictions.
Rugby World Cup Results
The Rugby World Cup 2021 women’s tournament was rescheduled to October 2022. On the other hand, the 2021 results were as follows:
In the group stages, Japan, New Zealand, England, and Wales were the leaders in pools A, B, C, and D, respectively. Japan led 19 points, New Zealand with 16 points, England with 17 points, and Wales with 19 points.
In the quarter-finals stage of this fixtures, England beat Australia 40-16. New Zealand won against Ireland 46-14, and Wales won narrowly against France 20-19, and in the last fixture, Japan lost to South Africa 3-26.
In the semi-finals, England beat New Zealand 19-7 to advance to the finals, and South- Africa won against Wales to reach the finals. The bronze game featured New Zealand against Wales, where New Zealand crushed Wales 40-17 to carry home the bronze medal.
The finals featured England against South Africa in a tightly contested match, although South Africa edged out England 32-12 to be crowned champions of the tournament.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Predictions
While it’s still early to have rugby predictions, there are outright favourites for this match. Top teams who are likely to be top include South Africa, New Zealand, and France.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Favourites
If you plan to venture into Rugby World Cup betting, you can start researching crucial information. Based on the current team form and previous statistics, here are the favourites to win.
South Africa
South Africa is the defending champion, and they would like to build on these results to perform to the highest level. Besides, they have won the World Cup title three times, and they are looking to break the tie with New Zealand. With this rich history, South Africa is touted as one of the favourites. Additionally, the odds on most Rugby World Cup betting sites are in favour of this team winning.
New Zealand
Apart from winning the World Cup three times, New Zealand has dominated international rugby for a long time. It has won other major competitions and international friendlies. It is the only nation that has won two world cup titles in a row. This dominant performance is intimidating to other nations, so the team is one of the front runners to win the Rugby World Cup 2023 title.
France
The statistics about France is not encouraging, but the country has managed to grace this list for the mere fact that it will be hosting the tournament. Hosts always enjoy the best infrastructure and support from fans. Notably, betting odds for France don’t showcase them as a favourite, but this is likely to change as the event nears.
Rugby World Cup Betting Tips
The tournament is always thrilling if you make the correct predictions. While it can be tempting to place bets supporting your country, it is important to consider other factors.
This is a reasonably old tournament that started in 1987. Since then, there have been dominant teams, including New Zealand and South Africa, which have taken the title more times. In the upcoming 3 events, there is no doubt that these are the teams to watch. As for favourites, it’s not unusual that the best rugby betting sites have placed low odds on these teams. However, they are highly likely to win, and you can increase your chances by exploring various markets.
As the tournament approaches, several tipsters are gearing up to offer predictions about the event. Most of these experts have been in the industry for long, and they know the trends in international rugby. However, before you trust any site, make sure they are legit. To save you the hustle, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of our Rugby World Cup predictions.
France will be the host of the Rugby World Cup 2023 edition. Based on history, countries that hosted the tournament have either won or come closest to winning the trophy. In 1987, New Zealand was one of the hosts, and it went ahead to win the tournament for the first time. There is no doubt that France will enjoy fan support throughout the tournament, so you can expect them to win most of the games and qualify to advanced stages.
You may do everything right, but you will not enjoy the betting session if you settle for a scrupulous betting site. Look for a bookmaker with the best odds to increase your chances. You may also consider the available bonuses allowing you to place more bets.
Rugby World Cup Betting Sites
The event is around the corner, and enthusiastic punters are looking to take advantage of the betting opportunities with bated breath. Conversely, bookmakers have already rolled out Rugby World Cup betting odds for various events leading on to the main tournament. Some of the websites you can bet on the Rugby World Cup include:
- Hollywoodbets,
- Bet.co.za,
- Interbet.
Rugby is a popular game in South Africa as the country has performed exceptionally well in the world cup and other international competitions.
The Rugby World Cup betting sites mentioned above are preparing various markets to make the season a fruitful betting season for every punter. Some of the markets you will encounter include first try scorer, first scoring play, winning margin, handicap bets, and match results. There will be many participating teams, so you can try out different markets in every game depending on the fixtures and the strength of individual teams.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Free Bets
Bookmakers will be jostling for customers in the upcoming event. Such major events often come with bonuses, and the most common is free bets. The free bets will come in various forms. The most common is the welcome bonus.
Additionally, bookmakers may decide to run a promotion at a specific time or game for existing customers. To take advantage of these offers, keep an eye on the promotion section of your preferred betting site.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Live Streaming
This is a major global event. Punters in South Africa and those from other participating countries are looking forward to watching most of the games. Since most fans are also punters, some bookmakers will offer live betting and live streaming options. You will find these services on major Rugby World Cup betting sites.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Schedule
Here is the rolled-out Rugby World Cup 2023 schedule.
Pool A | Pool C |
New Zealand France Italy Uruguay Africa 1 | Wales Australia Fiji Georgia Final Qualifier Winner |
Pool B | Pool D |
South Africa Ireland Scotland Asia/ Pacific 1 Spain | England Japan Argentina Samoa Americas 2 |
Rugby World Cup History
Before the tournament was launched in 1987, there was no formal competition worldwide. Countries and clubs would just play in other tournaments without the organisation of a rugby union.
In the early 1980s, pioneers attempted to initiate a rugby union world cup. The idea could not materialise because of resistance from individual boards and unions in various countries. In 1985, member countries of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) voted in favour of the tournament launched in 1987.
The first tournament took place in New Zealand and Australia, featuring sixteen teams. The tournament has taken place after four years, with Japan hosting the latest edition in 2019.
Rugby World Cup Past Winners
The tournament has only happened nine times since its launch in 1987.
1987- New Zealand
The idea of the tournament had just been mooted, and the then International Rugby Football Board voted to ratify the decision. The first tournament was held in New Zealand and Australia as joint hosts. New Zealand, popularly known as All Blacks, were the runaway favourites, and they delivered on this expectation by beating France 29-9.
1991- Australia
The tournament was held in France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. However, all the hosts were eliminated in the early stages except England, which played in the final. Australia beat the defending champions New Zealand in the semi-finals and later crushed England 12-6 in the finals.
1995- South Africa
This was a special year for the South Africans because it was the first time the competition happened following an end to the apartheid regime. Apart from winning the hosting rights, South Africa was crowned champion. They beat defending champions Australia in the first game to raise their motivation.
1999- Australia
This edition was held in Wales, but the host nation did not advance to later stages. France advanced to the finals by eliminating New Zealand while Australia reached the second finals beating defending champions South Africa. The Australian team was too smart for France, and they won 35-12.
2003- England
The year leading to 2003 ediction was so special for England. The team was in high spirits, beating New Zealand and Australia home and away. For this reason, England was regarded as the favourite to win this tournament. In international competition, the team had humbled South Africa 53-3 in 2002. Indeed, England narrowly edged Australia 20-17 to carry the trophy in the finals.
2007- South Africa
England came to this tournament with the tag of defending champions, although they did not live to these expectations. South Africa was too strong for them, gauging from an earlier encounter where the team demolished England 36-0 in the same tournament. Indeed, the final was one-sided, with South Africa comfortably edging England 15-6.
2011- New Zealand
New Zealand hosted the tournament, but fans had immense pressure to have the trophy stay in the country. New Zealand had been strong in all editions, but there was growing concern why they had only won the trophy once in 1987. Courtesy of the hunger from fans, All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup for the second time by beating France 8-7.
2015- New Zealand
All Blacks built on their 2011 victory to retain the trophy in 2015. This team had been dominant in all the years, so it was not a surprise that it beat most competitors. After defeating Australia 34-17 in the finals, New Zealand holds a record for being the only team to have defended its title in a row.
2019- South Africa
Despite losing their first game to New Zealand, the South African players picked up their pieces and braved the rest of the tournament to win the title. They beat England 32-12 in a hotly contested final. Thus, they are the reigning champions.
Rugby World Cup 2023 FAQ
We will answer some frequent questions now.
The tournament will start on Friday, 8th September 2023.
Choose a reliable bookmaker and select your favourite markets.
Twelve participants will qualify for the event courtesy of their previous performances in the last world cup, but the rest will be taken from the Europe Championship table, Rugby Africa Cup and the Asia/ Pacific and Americas 2 playoffs.
France is better placed because of its recent performances that will be boosted by the home ground advantage.
The best betting sites for bonuses include Hollywoodbets, Bet.co.za, and Interbet.