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Rugby union is the most widespread rugby code, having a major presence all over the world, unlike rugby league. For this reason, it is a popular sport to bet on internationally as there are local competitions as well as frequent major events between national teams.

Rugby Union Betting

Rugby union betting is quite similar to soccer betting at many online sportsbooks. For instance, you can usually choose from 3-way game bets, bets on winning margins, and various prop bets.

3-way game bets give you the option to bet on either team, plus the option of a draw. You only win if your result comes up, and this means that a draw causes punters who back either team to lose their bets. This isn't a good option for rugby union betting when the teams are very unbalanced, but it can prove profitable when it looks like punters are betting with their hearts rather than their heads.

Winning margins are based on one team winning within a set margin of points. You only get paid if the team wins within the margin specified – if you bet on a margin of 11-15 points, you would not be paid if the team won by 10 or 16 points. It is quite difficult to pick rugby union winning margin bets, but they can be good value when it looks like one side is sure to flog the other team.

Rugby union prop bets are bets such as which player or team will be first to score, or which teams will make it to the finals in a tournament. These bets are often difficult to pick, so we recommend you try to play the market instead. Look for unbalanced odds across different sportsbooks and try to set yourself up for scenarios where you cannot lose regardless of the result.

Major International Rugby Union Competitions

For most players, the two major rugby league competitions for betting purposes are the UK Super League and Australia's National Rugby League AKA the NRL. We'll take a quick look now at the common betting strategies in these markets, but please visit our specific pages for more detail on UK Super League betting and NRL betting.

We assume you already know about your local competition, but there are many rugby union betting opportunities in international rugby league competitions. These tend to be among teams made up of the best of each nation's rugby union stars, so you generally only need to make yourself familiar with the biggest names in the sport. Incidentally, this can also give you a start on learning about the local rugby union competitions of other regions, but you should start with a solid foundation in the big international events.

Some of the biggest international rugby unions competitions include:

Rugby World Cup – This is held every 4 years and consists of 20 top teams from all over the world. This is the biggest event in rugby union.

Six Nations Championship – Played each year between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. This is one of the oldest international contests having started in 1883, though it originally only included those nations in the British Isles and Ireland.

Tri Nations – An annual contest between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It should soon also include Argentina and be renamed the Four Nations.

All of these competitions see a lot of action at online betting sites, and there is definitely an element of national pride in the betting that makes for some lucrative betting opportunities.