Rugby Betting Guide | How To Bet On Rugby In 2025

Rugby is a full-contact team sport where two sides compete to score more points by carrying, passing, and kicking the ball over the opponent’s goal line or between the goalposts. It comes in two main formats: Rugby Union (15 players per side) and Rugby League (13 players per side).

Rugby Union and Rugby League are two distinct codes of rugby, each with its own rules and style of play.

Rugby Union is played with 15 players per team and features rucks, mauls, contested scrums, and lineouts. It places emphasis on tactical kicking and longer phases of possession.

Rugby League is played with 13 players per team and uses a six-tackle rule, leading to a faster-paced, more direct style. It does not have lineouts or contested rucks, and scrums are largely symbolic.

While Union is more globally followed, League dominates in parts of Australia and northern England.

While both are contact sports with similar-shaped balls, rugby is more fluid and continuous, with fewer stoppages and no forward passing. Players wear minimal protective gear, and there are no downs — possession changes based on turnovers or penalties rather than fixed attempts

In Rugby Union: a try (5 points) is scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area; a conversion (2 points) follows a successful try. Penalty kicks and drop goals are worth 3 points each.

In Rugby League: a try is worth 4 points, a conversion 2 points, and a drop goal 1 point.

Rugby Union and Rugby League matches both last 80 minutes, split into two 40-minute halves with a 10–15 minute half-time break. In knockout tournaments, extra time may be added if scores are level.

A scrum is a method of restarting play after a minor infringement (like a forward pass). It involves players from each team locking together and pushing against each other to contest possession of the ball fed into the middle.

A ruck occurs when one or more players from each team bind over the ball on the ground following a tackle. Players must remain on their feet and attempt to win possession using their feet, not their hands.

Yellow cards results in a 10-minute sin-bin period where the player is temporarily removed from play.

Red cards lead to permanent dismissal for dangerous or repeated foul play, leaving the team a player short for the rest of the match.

Yes, league matches can end in a draw unless tournament rules require a winner. In knockout games, extra time (and sometimes sudden death or kicking contests) may be used to determine the result.