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Rugby World Cup Betting
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2027 will see the 11th iteration of the Rugby Union World Cup, with this popular sporting franchise having started in earnest in 1987. Back then, co-hosts New Zealand were the first to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, with the Kiwis having gone on to win three titles overall.
This event regularly draws huge attendances, with the 2015 iteration in England watched live by a total of 2,477,805 million fans.
The upcoming competition is unlikely to buck this trend, with host nation Australia expected to put on a stellar show after holding the second-most watched tournament in history back in 2007. But who are the favourites to prevail, and what can this tournament’s prestigious history tell us about the future?
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Rugby World Cup Betting Tips
Before we look ahead to the tournament (and glance back towards previous iterations), we thought we’d consider the most popular Rugby Union betting markets.
These markets will all be in play both before and during the World Cup, and they may help you to unlock value and optimise your potential returns.
- Outright Betting: 20 teams will ultimately compete for the Rugby World Cup, although just a handful of these have a realistic chance of lifting the trophy. This creates an excellent opportunity for outright betting, as you look to back the eventual winner of the tournament ahead of their rivals. Defending champions South Africa may be a particularly popular pick amongst punters at present, while Australia, New Zealand and England also offer potential value.
Our Top Tip: With the best teams having already confirmed their place at the tournament, now is the ideal time to back an outright winner. This is because the initial ante-post prices tend to be relatively long, while the favoured nations will only see their odds shorten as punters flock to back them.
- Handicap Betting: Each of the four pools at the World Cup will feature seeded sides and unfancied qualifiers, creating the opportunity for some serious mismatches. Pool D will pit England against Samoa, for example, while New Zealand will take on a yet-to-be-confirmed African qualifier in Pool A. Both England and the Kiwis will be heavy, odds-on favourites to prevail here, but you can deploy handicap betting to lengthen the real-time odds without overly compromising your chances of winning.
"Our Top Tip: Handicap betting requires you to effectively give a points head-start to the unfancied team, creating a scenario where the favourites must win by a fixed margin for the wager to come in. So, try to set a viable handicap based on the respective quality of each side, while only deploying this type of bet in matches where there’s an overwhelming favourite."
- Individual Player Betting: The Rugby World Cup is also home to several individual player markets, across both in-play and ante-post channels. The most common of these is the top points scorer in a particular match or the tournament as a whole, with those who take conversions and penalties (typically fly-halves due to the requirement for them to kick in open play) the most likely to claim this honour. Prolific wingers may also be considered, although their output may diminish as the tournament progresses and the matches become tighter.
"Our Top Tip: As we’ve already said, try to prioritise kickers when betting on the leading points scorers in a match or the tournament as a whole. When backing the leading tournament scorer, try to focus on teams that are likely to go deep into the competition and at least reach the semi-finals (refer to the draw to inform this decision further)"
- Accumulator Betting: If we accept that the Pool stage of the tournament will create various mismatches, you may want to consider accumulator betting early in the competition. Simply select between four and six selections from specific matchdays or weeks within a single wager, building extended odds and potentially sizable payouts in the process. This is an ideal bet for rugby enthusiasts, who understand the sport and have some knowledge of the participating sides.
"Our Top Tip: As we’ve already suggested, you should focus on acca during the pool stage, while limiting the number of selections as much as possible. Also, try to feature heavy favourites in the wager, so that you can strike the ideal balance between risk and reward."
Rugby World Cup Betting Odds – The Early Favourites
Thanks to the high-profile nature of the Rugby World Cup, there’s already plenty of price data and ante-post odds being published by our approved sportsbooks.
We’ve detailed this comprehensively for the 10 most backed participants below, while also providing a brief profile of the three sides most fancied to lift the Webb Ellis trophy.
New Zealand (2/1)
Let’s start with the omnipotent New Zealand, who seem to start most iterations of the World Cup as favourites.
The Kiwis have lost just three of their last 19 games dating back to August 2019, with two of these defeats coming against Australia. However, the All Blacks have been in particularly ominous form of late, thumping the Aussies 33-25 in their recent Bledisloe Cup opener at Eden Park.
NZ produced a second-half blitzkrieg to build a commanding lead over their rivals, before shipping late tries to take some sheen off the final score. Ian Foster’s side extended their unbeaten run at Eden Park in the process, with the side having not lost at the Auckland venue since 1994.
With a typical combination of forward steel and fluid backs, New Zealand certainly look impressive as the 2027 tournament draws near. When you also consider that Southern Hemisphere sides have won eight of the previous nine World Cups, you wouldn’t bet against the All Blacks adding to this number soon!
France (11/4)
The French side has endured some turbulent times in the last few years, but their performance during the 2021 Six Nations highlighted a significant return to form for Les Blues.
Two early, flair-packed wins even raised hopes of a first French Six Nations triumph since 2010, but a narrow defeat to England at Twickenham and a subsequent loss at home to Scotland ultimately derailed their charge.
However, their stunning 32-20 win over eventual champions Wales showcased their immense ability, with the outstanding scrum-half Antoine Dupont at the heart of everything good that the side does.
England (4/1)
England endured an incredibly poor Six Nations this year, finishing fifth overall and losing three times to home rivals Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
The losses to Wales and Ireland were particularly heavy too, with many suggesting that their forensic coach Eddie Jones could lose his job.
However, Jones is expected to lead a rebuild and take the Three Lions to the 2027 World Cup, before potentially coming the next British and Irish Lions coach in time for the next southern hemisphere tour in 2025.
The good news is that both Jones and England have tremendous pedigree and experience, with the side having finished as runners-up in the 2019 tournament. If they can rediscover their ability to grind out tight wins in games, then they may offer some genuine value to punters at an average price of 4/1.
The History of Rugby World Cup
Interestingly, the Rugby World Cup can be traced back to the amateur era of the game, with the inaugural tournament hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand in 1987. There was no qualifying process prior to the tournament, with the 16 competing sides comprising the seven members of the IRFB and the remainder by invitation.
New Zealand eventually claimed the first trophy on home soil, before Australia prevailed in England in 1991. The 1995 tournament was significant as it heralded a historic home win for South Africa, just three years after the side officially returned to the global sporting arena after dismantling the apartheid system.
The 1999 iteration was the first of the professional era, with Australia claiming their second title following a final win over France (who finished runners-up for the second time) in an extended tournament. They lost their title in 2003 to a Jonny Wilkinson-inspired England, however, despite thumping Namibia 142-0 in a group-stage game to set a tournament record for the single biggest win.
The Three Lions also reached the 2007 final despite being considerably weakened, losing by 15-6 to a South African side that won its second crown. Then, a truly great New Zealand side took centre stage, becoming the first side to win consecutive tournaments (at home in 2011 and in England four years later).
