Rugby Betting at Betiton NZ

Last Updated: 08-01-2024 16:40

Us New Zealanders are mad about sports betting, and there are not many sports out there that we will not bet on. Rugby is a huge sport in New Zealand, so it will probably not come as too much of a surprise to hear that rugby sports betting is extremely popular. Its popularity is the main reason why we decided to create this useful rugby betting guide that will take a closer look at the variety of markets and different tournaments that you bet on, as well as provide some quality betting tips. So, let’s get cracking!

Bet on Rugby Your Way

When it comes to rugby betting, there are actually two different types that you can place your hard-earned money on. The more popular code in the world is Rugby Union, which is also called “footy” by us Kiwis, and the other code is known as Rugby League, which we simply call league. A rugby betting guide that does not discuss both of these codes is, in our opinion, one that is not complete. Likewise, a sportsbook that does not offer a variety of markets and competitive odds for both formats is slacking. Thankfully, whether you are a fan of footy or league, you will find plenty of betting options available to you here at Betiton.

There are a number of differences that exist between the two formats, so let us take a look at some of the main ones now. The biggest difference is that rugby league sides are made up of two teams with 13 players on both sides, while rugby union teams are made up of 15 players aside. In rugby league you can make ten substitutions during the match, while only eight are allowed in rugby union.

The two codes also differ when it comes to tackling. In a rugby union game, when a player gets tackled, a ruck is formed and both teams can try and challenge for the ball. In rugby league, however, when a player is tackled, they have to be allowed back to their feet, and they pass the ball to a team member. The team in possession will have a maximum of six tackles to try and score – if they do not, they have to give possession to their opponents by kicking the ball to them.

The points that are on offer also vary between codes. A try in rugby union is worth five points, while in rugby league a try has a value of four points – Conversions are worth two points apiece in both formats. A penalty and drop goal in rugby union are worth three points, while in rugby league they are worth two points and one point, respectively.

Rugby Betting Markets

One of the main reasons why rugby union and rugby league betting is so popular nowadays, even among those who are not huge fans of rugby, is the fact that there are many different types of markets that bettors can place bets on. Betting on the winner of a game or the overall winner of a tournament is fun, but things would get really boring if this was the only thing that you could bet on rugby.

If rugby betting is something that is new to you, then read the following section carefully as this guide is now going to be looking at some of the popular markets that rugby bettors can place their money on.

1X2

With the 1X2 market, what you need to do is try and do is predict the team that will the rugby match in question. So, what do the numbers represent? Well, the 1 represents the home team, the two represents the away team, and the X indicate the draw. However, it is important for us to stress here that draws are pretty rare in rugby, when compared to other popular sports such as football.

Winning Margin

With the winning margin, you are trying to guess the margin that the winning team will win the game by. Such a market is usually available for those matches where one of the participants is considered a huge favourite, for instance with New Zealand vs Italy. The All Blacks will always be huge favourites to overcome Italy, so you could consider placing a wager on them to win the game by 30 points or more.

Over/Under

With this market, the sportsbook that you have signed up with will give you a number for a particular market, and then it is down to you to predict whether the final outcome will be higher or lower than the figure that they gave. If you are after markets with high odds, then over/under markets might not be what you are looking for since the odds on offer are never high.

The total points scored in a game is a very popular over/under market. For instance, we will give you a number such as 38.5, and then you have to decide whether the total points scored will be 38 or fewer (under) or 39 or more (over).

Asian Handicap

In a match such as New Zealand vs USA, the All Blacks will be the huge favourites once again. Now, there will be little point on betting on New Zealand because their odds will be really low and you will need to place a big wager in order to receive a payout worth talking about, while betting on USA could be like throwing your money away. This is where handicap betting comes into play – you can give a team a hypothetical points advantage or disadvantage to alter the odds more in your favour.

New Zealand might start their games against the USA as 15.5-point favourites – if you bet on USA to win with a +15.5 handicap, it means that they will theoretically begin the game 15.5 points ahead. If they lose the match by less than 15 points, your bet is a winner. If New Zealand destroy the USA and win by 16 points or more, your bet is a loser. With an Asian handicap, a .5 is added to eliminate the possibility of a draw.

European Handicap

A European handicap is more or less the same concept as an Asian handicap, with the main difference being that a European handicap allows for a draw. As a result, you will not find any .5 added to the options that your bookmaker gives you. For example, in a match such as New Zealand vs Fiji, the All Blacks, unsurprisingly, will be the favourites to go on and win quite comfortably, so their odds will not be too enticing. Likewise, although the odds for a Fiji win will be high, their chances of being successful are pretty slim.

Your bookmaker might allow you to give New Zealand a -10-points handicap to increase their odds, meaning that they would need to win by 11 points or more to secure you a win. If they win by 10 points, it will be considered a draw, and your bet is lost.

Double Chance

Sometimes, you might be quite confident of a team going on to win a match, but you have a tiny bit of doubt that is making you unsure as to whether you should place the bet or not. If such a case arises, then you should think of using this double chance market as two possible outcomes will be covered for the same match, decreasing your odds of losing.

However, since you are lowering the chances of you losing, it should come as no surprise to find out that the rugby betting odds will be lowered too. Bookies that have double chance markets will give you these three options:

• 1X – Home win or draw
• X2 – Away win or draw
• 12 – Home or away win

1st Half Double Chance

This market gives punters the chance to wager on two possible outcomes for the first half of a rugby match. It works in exactly the same way as we explained above, with the main difference being that it is for the result at half-time and not the result at the end of the 80 minutes.

Draw No Bet

Do you think that one team will go on to win a match, but you want a little bit of insurance cover? If so, then the Draw No Bet market is one that is worth looking at. With this market, you bet on a team to win the game, but if the match then goes on to end in a draw, you will receive your stake back. If your team goes on to lose, then you get nothing back. Due to the fact that you are covering yourself, the rugby betting odds will be lower than those on offer for the match winner.

Highest Scoring Half

Rugby matches are divided into two halves of 40 minutes each, and all of the best sports betting sites will give you the option of betting on the half that you feel will see the most points scored. With this type of wager, the winner of the match matters not, so long as you manage to predict the half with the most points.

Half Time/ Full Time

With this market, you are tasked with predicting the outcome of the first half and at the end of the match. It is popular among those who like to do a spot of football betting, and it is increasing in popularity among rugby bettors. There are nine different outcomes that you can bet on with this market, and they have been listed below for you:

• Home- Home
• Home – Draw
• Home – Away
• Draw – Home
• Draw – Draw
• Draw – Away
• Away – Home
• Away – Draw
• Away – Away

1st Half Odd/Even

With this market, your aim is to try and predict whether the number of points that will be scored in the first half will be odd or even. Since this is a 50/50 market, you cannot expect to receive high odds here, but it is an entertaining market nonetheless.

Rugby Betting Promotions

If a sportsbook does not stand out in this super competitive sports betting industry, then it will go out of business pretty quickly. One way to try and stand out in a severely saturated market is to offer quality welcome bonuses and a variety of promotions that will keep players coming back for more.

If you decide to open an account with Betiton so that you can start placing rugby bets today, then there is a $20 free bet up for grabs. In order to claim this, you will need to deposit at least $20, and then place a wager of at least $30 with minimum odds of 2.00. There are terms and conditions that apply, so make sure that you give them a read before you go ahead and claim the welcome offer.

For our existing punters, we have a “Boostiton Offer” where you can earn extra winnings on any successful accumulators that you place. For example, if you decide to make a four-fold accumulator and it goes on to win, then 4% will be added to your winnings. Or, if you jump to the other end of the spectrum and make a 15-fold accy that is a winner, you will get a 77% profit boost. With accumulators, please keep in mind that you need to get all of your selections correct in order to win your bet.

We also offer a top cashout feature, which gives you the chance to take control of the bets that you make. If you think that your currently winning wager is in danger of going on to become a losing one, then you can click on “Cash Out” to ensure that you at least walk away with some sort of profit. We offer both full and partial cash outs, so you can select whichever option is best for you at the time.

Why Bet at Betiton

Why should Betiton be your place to go to bet on both rugby union and rugby league? Well, there are plenty of reasons why, and you can find these out in the following table:

Rugby Union Competitions

When it comes to betting on rugby union events, you will not be lacking in options as there are many top competitions that take place throughout the year. In this section of our guide, we are going to discuss all of the main ones so that you know which ones to keep a lookout for. At Betiton, we are proud to be able to tell you that we will offer odds and markets for all of these events.

Rugby World Cup

With regard to international rugby union competitions, the Rugby World Cup is the biggest international event that exists. Every player dreams of getting their hands on the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup. This tournament, much like the FIFA World Cup, is played every four years, and the next edition will be taking place in France in 2023 between the 8th of September and the 28th of October.

South Africa are the reigning champions as they won the 2019 Rugby World Cup by beating England in the final – this was the third time that they have won it, which is also the same amount as New Zealand. Australia have lifted the title on two occasions, while England have won it once – they are the only northern hemisphere team to have lifted the title.

France have lost in the final no fewer than three times, although according to the current Rugby World Cup odds, there is a very good chance that they will go one step further this time around. Ireland have never made it beyond the Quarter-Final stage of the RWC, but with the quality that they have at their disposal, they have a really good chance of going on to win the title.

Are you wondering how to bet on Rugby World Cup? Well, if so, the answer is simple – At Betiton, we know just how popular Rugby World Cup betting is, which is why we will make sure that we offer a range of markets and competitive odds for it. Whether you are looking to bet on the winner of the whole event or a different aspect of an individual match, we have got you covered. We will also soon have our own Rugby World Cup betting guide, where you will even be able to find our very own predictions.

Women’s Rugby World Cup

The last edition of this competition was played in 2021, and it was won by New Zealand for the sixth time – England (2) and the United States (1) are the only other two teams that have lifted the title. The 2025 edition will be held in England, and the Kiwis are bound to be the outright favourites by some distance.

Now, this competition obviously does not have the same sort of prestige as the men’s World Cup, but this does not mean that you will not be able to find Women’s Rugby World Cup odds here at Betiton. If you are a punter that enjoys betting on women’s rugby, then be sure to have a look at our rugby betting section when this competition rolls around in two years.

The Rugby Championship

The Rugby Championship is a yearly competition that sees New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Australia battle it out to be crowned the best team in the southern hemisphere. Usually, each team will play each other twice, once at home and once away, but in World Cup years, the teams play each other just once. It used to be called the Tri Nations, but it had to change its name when Argentina was added to the competition in 2020.

Due to the strength of the four teams that compete, there is no shortage of entertaining rugby on display. In the first round of the 2023 Rugby Championship, there were no fewer than 17 tries scored – South Africa beat Australia 43-12, while New Zealand beat Argentina 41-12. The All Blacks have been the most successful team in this competition with 19 titles, while Australia and South Africa having won it four times. The current Rugby Championship odds have New Zealand as the favourites to go on and lift the 203 title.

Six Nations

The 6 Nations is one of the most popular rugby events, with rugby fans from all over the world waiting eagerly for it each year. This prestigious event takes place in February and March and sees Ireland, France, England, Scotland, Wales, and Italy fight it out for the right to be called the best European team. Ireland are the reigning champions as they swept away all who challenged them, claiming the Grand Slam.

When it comes to overall success in this competition, Wales and England have had the most as they have won the title 29 times each. Italy have been playing in this competition since the year 2000, but they have never come anywhere close to winning the title. In fact, they are usually the whipping boys that end up sitting at the bottom of the table and claiming the wooden spoon.

Due to this competition’s prestige as well as the fact that we know that there are plenty of Kiwis that enjoy watching and placing bets on it, you should not be surprised to hear that we also offers a nice range of markets and competitive odds for it. To top it off, if you want some Six Nations betting advice, you can have a good read of our Six Nations predictions.

Women’s Six Nations

This is one women’s rugby competition that fans look forward to every year, so we make sure that we have some odds and markets available to those who might want to place bets on it. It is played in the months of March and April, and the most successful team in the history of the competition is England – they have won the title 19 times, including a staggering 17 Grand Slams.

They have been the dominant force in previous years, so when the Women’s Six Nations odds come out for the 2024 edition, you can expect to see England as the huge favourites to add to their trophy collection. However, it will not be worth betting on them to win as the odds will be really low, but we will have other markets on offer that you can try and take advantage of.

Autumn Internationals

The Autumn Internationals, which also go by the name of End-of-Year Tests or November Internationals, are a series of Rugby Union games that get played each year in November. The top rugby playing nations from Europe invite the best southern hemisphere teams to their home ground to play against them. Each team will end up playing three or four games, so entertainment and betting options are in abundance.

At Betiton, we will offer our punters a range of markets and rugby union odds for all of the Autumn internationals that are being played. However, there will be no regular Autumn Internationals in 2023 as this is when the aforementioned Rugby World Cup will be taking place in France. The first match of the Autumn is bound to be a cracker as it will see France take on New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris.

Super Rugby Pacific

This is a tournament that involves club teams from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific islands – it did use to even include teams from Japan, South Africa, and Argentina, but this is no longer the case. There are 12 teams in total, and these are:

• Blues (New Zealand)
• Brumbies (Australia)
• Chiefs (New Zealand)
• Crusaders (New Zealand)
• Drua (Fiji)
• Force (Australia)
• Highlanders (New Zealand)
• Hurricanes (New Zealand)
• Moana Pasifika (Pacific Islands)
• Rebels (Australia)
• Reds (Australia)
• Waratahs (Australia)

The Crusaders are always the favourites with the Super Rugby betting odds due to the fact that they are the most successful team in the tournament’s history by some distance. They have won the title no fewer than 12 times, and won it in 2022 and 2023. The next successful team is the Brumbies with five titles, which just goes to highlight the dominance that the Crusaders have shown down the years.

At Betiton we know just how mad Kiwis are about this competition, which is why we make sure that we offer our punters Super Rugby odds for a range of markets. Soon we will even have a dedicated Super Rugby betting guide, so keep an eye out for that.

Bunnings NPC

The National Provincial Championship, known as the Bunnings NPC for sponsorship reasons, is a yearly round-robin domestic competition in New Zealand. It has been in existence since 2006, and has been dominated by Canterbury – out of the 17 editions that have been played, they have won nine of them. The 2023 version will be played between the 4th of August and the 20th of October, with each of the 14 teams playing 10 matches in total. Once all the teams have played 10 matches, the top eight in the table will advance to the Quarter-Finals.

Like with all of the other big rugby union events that we spoke about above, you can be certain that we offer plenty of markets and odds for the Bunnings NPC when it is being played. So, check out our offerings when the time comes.

Rugby League Competitions

If your preferred code happens to be Rugby League, then you will also have plenty of competitions that you can place bets on and, just like we did for Rugby Union above, we shall now take the time to have a look at some of the big Rugby League competitions that New Zealanders can put their hard-earned money on. As we said, we have got our rugby fans completely covered here at Betiton.

Rugby League World Cup

The Rugby League World Cup sees the best 16 national teams in the world compete for the right to be called the best Rugby League team. The rugby league code is really popular Down Under, when compared to other countries, so it should not come as a shock to hear that Australia have won the trophy no fewer than 12 times – they are the reigning champions and have won the last three editions of the event. Great Britain have a total of three titles to their name, while New Zealand have won it just the once. So, as you can see, the Aussies really are in a class of their own when it comes to this code.

The next Rugby league World Cup will take place in France in 2025, and when it comes to the Rugby League World Cup betting odds, we can already tell you that Australia will be the overwhelming favourites to win another title. However, the odds that will be available will not be favourable, so you might be able to find an option where you can bet on the winner “without Australia”. If you can, then perhaps New Zealand and England are good bets as, despite the fact that both nations prefer rugby union, they have been steadily improving in this format, slowly closing the gap to Australia.

Due to the fact that plenty of New Zealanders will be looking to bet on rugby league when the RLWC rolls around, we are planning on dedicating a specific page to the Rugby League World Cup. This is something that you will definitely want to make use of when it becomes available.

Women’s Rugby League World Cup

Usually, to increase the levels of exposure, the women’s version of a big sporting event, such as a World Cup, will be played at a different time to the men’s version, but the 2025 Women’s Rugby League World Cup will take place alongside the men’s Rugby League World Cup.

Like in the men’s game, Australia have had plenty of success at the World Cup having won it a total of three times. The New Zealand women’s rugby league team have had more success than their male counterparts, winning the World Cup on three occasions, while no other teams have lifted the title. We will not offer our punters as many rugby league odds for this event as we do for the men’s, due to supply and demand, but we will still give you the chance to place bets, should you wish to do so.

NRL

The NRL, which is short for the National Rugby League, is a huge Rugby League event that is played in Australia and New Zealand every year. The competition is composed of 16 Australian teams and one Kiwi team. Each team, throughout the season, will play a total of 24 matches, and the team that sits at the top of the table when the season draws to a close will claim the Minor Premiership.

The teams in the top eight then take part in the Play-Offs, until there are just two teams remaining – these two teams will then play in the NRL Grand Final, which is one of Australia’s biggest sporting events. Not only is the final a match that is watched by millions around the world, but there is also a lot of Rugby League Grand Final betting placed. As a result, you can rest assured that we will offer quality rugby league odds for a range of markets for all the matches.

Who has had the most success in NRL history? Well, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have 21 titles in total, while the Penrith Panthers are the reigning champions as they won the 2022 Grand Final by beating the Parramatta Eels 28-12. In fact, they also won the title in 2021 too, beating the South Sydney Rabbitohs 14-12.

World Club Challenge

The World Club Challenge is a yearly competition that sees the winners of the European Super League and the National Rugby League compete for the right to be called the best rugby league club in the world. The first World Club Challenge match took place in October of 1989, and it has been a regular fixture since then. St Helens are the current holders as they overcame the Penrith Panthers 13-12 in the 2023 edition, while the Sydney Roosters are the most successful team with a total of five titles.

When this big rugby league match is happening, make sure to check out our rugby league betting odds because we will be offering a nice variety of markets for those who would like to put some wagers down on this event.

State of Origin

This is a yearly best-of-three series that sees the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons battle it out for bragging rights. When it comes to rugby league rivalry, you will struggle to find a bigger one than that which exists between these two teams. When these two sides are scheduled to play against each other, there is not an empty seat in the stadium.

The Queensland Maroons have had the better of things down the years having won the series 24 times compared to the 16 times that New South Wales have been victorious. The most common overall series score is 2-1 as this has been the outcome on no fewer than 32 occasions – So, if you are considering betting on the series score, this is something that you will want to keep firmly in mind. We will offer normal betting and rugby league handicap betting options for this big event, but even if you do not want to place any wagers on it, we really do recommend that you watch the matches because they usually always provide plenty of entertainment.

Rugby Betting Tips

Rugby league betting tips and rugby union betting tips are bits of advice on what you should place wagers on, whether that is for an individual game or a competition as a whole. The tips are given by experts and tipster who spend a lot of time analysing and researching team form, player form, and all other types of data that can help them provide a solid analysis.

They will then put their tips online – sometimes for free and sometimes for a small price, usually in the form of a subscription. We always want to help our customers out, which is the reason why we provide top-quality predictions that have been written by rugby experts. We regularly provide predictions for big rugby union events such as the 6 Nations as well as Autumn Internationals predictions, and also predictions for those who like to bet on the Rugby World Cup.

Our predictions are free and written by rugby experts, so it is definitely a wise move on your part to give them a read. As well as our predictions, we also like to give other top pieces of advice that can help you out when placing your bets. Therefore, below you can find some useful pieces of rugby betting advice to keep firmly in mind when you are betting on rugby union or rugby league.

Keep Updated with Team News

Before you bet on a match in either of the codes, it is wise to make sure that you are up to date with the team news. Both these codes involve huge hits, so injuries are not rare. Every team will have players that are more important for their success than others, so if they are not available, due to injury, suspension, or illness, then their absence could have a big outcome on the result.

So, before you go ahead and finalise a wager, do plenty of your own research to check whether important players will be sitting out. If you find out that the team that you were thinking about betting on is missing key players, then it is probably wise to forget about betting on them, and putting your money on a different outcome. Yes, they might still go on to win, but you need to weigh up the risks.

Pay Attention to the Weather

Many inexperienced sports bettors that enjoy betting on outdoor sports usually forget to consider the weather when placing their wagers, but it is a mistake to do so. The weather can play a huge role in the type of rugby match that plays out.

For example, in wet conditions, the ball can become really slippery, increasing the rate of basic handling mistakes. Additionally, if it is raining, the pitch will soak up the excess water, making it soft, and much harder for the players to keep their footing. Therefore, when the conditions are like this, the players will play a forwards dominated game, trying to force their opponents into giving away penalties. In such conditions, points can be rare, so do not forget this if you are thinking about betting on how many points will be scored.

On the other hand, if there is not a cloud in the sky and the pitch is dry, then the backs will be happy as they will have the perfect conditions to showcase their handling and running skills since they will not have to worry themselves about dropping a slippery ball or slipping on the wet turf. Obviously, this is a much better spectacle for rugby fans as we will get to see more exciting rugby, and there should be plenty of points on offer.

Look at Team Stats

Before you bet on any team in any sport, one thing that you should do is check out the from that the team is in before finalising your wager. Class is permanent, but form is not, and putting money on a team which has no form is an easy way to end up being on the losing side. If the team that you want to bet on has lost a good number of matches recently, then we really do recommend that you think about betting on some other market.

If a team that you want to bet on has been showing some good form, then the next thing that you should do is have a look at their head-to-head record against their opponents. In rugby, it is common for a team to have some kind of hold on another, and when it happens it is hard for a team to shake. A good example of this in rugby union is England vs Australia – out of the last ten matches that they have played, Australia have been victorious on just the one occasion. So, when betting on the outcome of such a fixture, this is something you need to take into account.

Don’t Go Overly on the Accumulators

Some inexperienced bettors get a little carried away when it comes to accumulators. Such bets are enticing because they combine multiple odds into one to create bigger payouts from small stakes, but what you need to keep in mind is the fact that you need to get all of your accumulator selections right in order for it to be a winner. If you place an eight-fold acca and get seven predictions right, it was a good attempt, but you still walk away with no profit.

So, our advice to you is to not go overly on your accumulators. Yes, they have enticing odds, but the chances of getting every selection right is quite slim. You might think that if you bet on all the favourites that you are bound to win, but trust us when we tell you that it never works out this way. More often than not one of the favourites will play poorly and lose, ruining your accy. It is perfectly fine to place accumulators every so often to chance your luck, but do not make it a habit.

Other Popular Sports to Bet on in New Zealand

While there are plenty of rugby union and rugby league matches and competitions that New Zealanders can bet on each year, we understand that you might not want to bet on footy or league all of the time. Variety is something that is needed in life, and at Betiton we make sure that our Kiwi players can place bets on all of their favourite sports. Below you can find links that will take you to odds and markets for other sports that New Zealanders love to try and win money on:

• Cricket betting
• Horse betting
• Greyhounds betting
• Harness racing betting

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