Betting on Rugby League

Rugby League is a full contact outdoor team sport, which is extremely popular in England, Australia, New Zealand, and France. The sport originated as a split from Rugby Union Football and later adopted several rule changes to make the sport unique. Currently, rugby league is played in 49 countries with several competitions throughout the year. Fans from England and Australia are well known for their active interest in betting on rugby league matches in most of these competitions. Some even put a new level of excitement to their game by trying live sports betting.

Where to bet at Rugby League

Brand Details & Bonus Data
Winner Logo First Deposit Bonus 100% Deposit Bonus up to £200!
TonyBet Logo Welcome Bonus Welcome bonus of up to €/£200 Offer is available for new customers that make a deposit. Wagering requirements on in-play markets only. enter bonus code LIVEBET. Deposit must be wagered 12 times. Must use bonus in 10 days T&Cs.
Paddy Power Sports Logo Deposit Bonus $500 matched Deposit Bonus!
10bet Sports Logo Welcome Bonus Get 50% up to 100 EUR New Customers; Min. deposit €20 (no Skrill/Neteller); Bonus=50% of deposit up to €100; 6x deposit and bonus turnover (min. odds 1.60 on singles and 1.40 per selection on combo bets), in 30 days, for bonus release; Each bet contributes max. 50% of bon T&Cs.
William Hill Sports Logo Welcome Bonus Bet £10 & get £30 in free bets with promo code C30
Sports Bet Logo Welcome Bonus $150 Sign up Bonus!
BetVictor Logo First Deposit Bonus First bet matched up to £25 in bonus funds
12bet Sportsbook Logo First Deposit Bonus Deposit £10, get £50 after 6 qualifying bets
Marathonbet Bookmakers Logo AdvanceBet AdvanceBet Bonus
Paf Logo
Paf
Random Bonuses Bonuses are ocassionally offered during competition

Types of Rugby League Bets

It is important to learn about different betting markets for the Rugby League in order for you to make the most out of your wagers. Do not forget to compare the odds from various online bookmakers so you can bet on the market that will most likely render positive results.

There are two major types of bets available for rugby league, outright betting and match betting. Outright betting is about predicting various outcomes for the entire tournament. Outright bets are usually settled at the end of the season. Match betting is about predicting various outcomes in a single match, and these bets are usually settled at the end of the match.

Outright betting

Some of the outright bets that are offered for rugby league tournaments are:

  • Grand Final Winner - Bet to pick which team will win the entire tournament
  • Regular Season Winner - Bet on which team will finish highest in the season standings at the end of the regular season
  • Top 4 Finish - Bet to pick if a team will finish in the top 4 during the regular season
  • Top 8 Finish - Bet to pick if a team will finish in the top 8 during the regular season
  • Team Relegated - Bet to pick which team will be relegated to the lower tier league at the end of the season
  • Most Try Scorer - Bet on which player will score the highest number of tries during the regular season
  • Most Points Scorer - Bet on which player will score the highest number of points during the regular season
  • Win First 5 Games of Regular Season - Bet to pick a team that will win the first five games it plays

Match betting

When you visit the leading online bookmakers, you will find that several bets offered for every single match. All these bets will apply only for the 80 minutes of the regulation game time. Some of the rugby league bets that are based on which team wins the match are:

  • 2 Way - This type of bet is to predict which team will win the match
  • 2 Way Handicap - With this bet, the favourites are handicapped by some points, for e.g. -10.5. Bettors have to predict which team will win the match after 10.5 points are reduced from the favourite's final score
  • 2 Way Handicap Alternates - There will be a few 2 Way handicap bets offered with different handicap points. For e.g. there will be bets with -10.5, -12.5, -16.5 handicap points
  • 3 Way - Bettors can pick from 3 options, if either of the team will win, or if the match will end in a draw
  • 3 Way Handicap - These bets are similar to the 2 Way handicap bets, but there will be an additional tie option that bettors can choose. For e.g. if the favourites have a -15 handicap, bettors can choose from 3 options, favourites win, underdogs win, or a tie, after 15 points is reduced from the favourite's final score
  • 3 Way Handicap Alternates - Additional 3 Way Handicap bets will be offered by some sportsbooks by varying the handicap points. For e.g. there will be bets with -15, -20, -25 handicap points

Some bookmakers will also offer various types of odds for bets like:

  • First Scoring Play
  • Highest Scoring Half
  • Team to Win Both Halves
  • Will there be a Red Card
  • Will there be a Yellow Card

Rugby League Basics

Rugby League matches are played on a rectangular field between two teams, with 13 players on each team. During a match, each team tries to score as many points as they can. Points are scored in the form of tries and field goals. While one team attacks the other team tries to prevent the attacking team from scoring. At the end of two 40 minute halves, the team with the most points wins the match.

Rugby League Competitions

Rugby League matches are played as part of both international tournaments and domestic leagues. The most notable international tournament is the Rugby League World Cup, which is held at least four years apart. The Four Nations tournament is the next most popular international tournament conducted biennially, between Australia, England, New Zealand and a fourth team that will be decided from the winners of regional competitions.

Domestic rugby league tournaments are played in 28 countries. The most popular of which are, NRL in Australia, and Super League in the UK. The other popular domestic contest is the Challenge Cup, that is played every year between league teams from different countries in Europe.

Conclusion

Though Rugby League is a minor sport, there is no shortage of good international and domestic league matches during a calendar year. There is also a good interest in betting rugby league matches from avid fans, who believe they are experts in the sport and easily predict match outcomes. To attract these fans, several bookmakers have opened up their rugby league betting odds, offering extensive betting options for every single rugby league match. This has made it a win-win situation for both the fans and the bookmakers.


3