Rugby is one of the most popular contact sports being played around the world. An international rugby game draws thousands of spectators and provides extensive betting opportunities. In the world of union rugby, the ultimate championship tournament is the Rugby World Cup.
Held every four years, the World Cup is contested by the best teams from countries around the world. The winning team is crowned world champions and receives the Webb Ellis Cup Trophy. The trophy is named after William Webb Ellis who was thought to be the first person to invent the game of rugby during a school soccer match.
Before the birth of the Rugby World Cup there was no truly international rugby union competition taking place. The biggest tournament at the time was the Six Nations Championship witch was contested between England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and France.
Ruby union was played at the Summer Olympics but got dropped from the program after 1924. In the 1950’s it was suggested that a World Cup should be held for international teams. The idea was met with opposition and did not come to fruition until 1985 when the New Zealand Rugby Union proposed the establishment of the World Cup.
The First Rugby World Cup Tournament
The First Rugby World Cup tournament was hosted by Australia with New Zealand and took place in 1987. Sixteen nations took part in the inaugural tournament with New Zealand becoming the first ever World Champions. The second World Cup took place in 1991 and was hosted by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. Australia took the honours this time beating out England in the final. Altogether, there have been only 8 World Cup tournaments played to date.
New Zealand hold the record for the most World Cup victories winning three of the eight tournaments. Australia and South Africa have both won two tournaments with England winning one. The most recent Rugby World Cup tournament took place in England in 2015 with New Zealand beating Australia in the finals. The eight teams that make the quarter finals in any tournament automatically qualify for a place in the next World Cup. All other teams qualify through continental tournaments.
Rugby World Cup Bets
The Rugby World Cup offers numerus betting opportunities for online bettors. At the start of the tournament, bettors can place bets on which country they think will be crowned World Champs. Bets can also be placed on which teams will be placed second, third and fourth.
Other bets include which teams will make the qualifiers and which will make it through to the semi-finals. During the tournament, each game offers a whole range of betting opportunities. Before each matchup, bettors can place wagers on which team will win a specific match.
The match itself also offers a whole host of exotic ruby bets, all available live on sports betting apps. In any one match, bettors can place bets on which team will be the first to score a try. Bets can also be placed on how many tries will be scored in the match and which team will have the highest score in the first or second half of the match.