Welcome to our guide to the best rugby betting sites in South Africa. We’re going to explore the best sites for betting on rugby and will explain many aspects of placing wagers on one of South Africa’s most popular sports. We’ll start with a list showing you some of the best welcome bonuses available when signing up with a sportsbook for rugby betting.
- All
Top Rated
100% Bonus Up To R1,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R1,000
- Points Fest rugby promo
- Rugby tips at Bet Central blog
- Money back on losing rugby bets
9.8
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11The bonus amount must be wagered 6 times (Sports bets must be taken at single bet min odds of 7/10 or 0.70, Multiple Min Odds of 12/10 or 1.20 and each leg must be 2/10 or greater) prior to bonus funds and associated winnings becoming withdrawable.
Up to $100 in Bet Credits
22/04/22Up to $100 in Bet Credits
- Huge worldwide betting company
- Extra Time Extra Chance rugby promo
- Bet Boosts on rugby games
9.7
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim Bonus11Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.
First Deposit Bonus 100% Up To $100
22/04/22First Deposit Bonus 100% Up To $100
- Receive Rugby acca boost
- Play ‘The Masters’ betting tournament
- Weekly reload bonus
9.6
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11This offer is only available to new customers, who have registered and made their first real-money deposit at Sportaza. THe Bonus is 100% of a player's first deposit bonus up to 8,000 INR. In order to qualify for the bonus, hte player nmust play through the full amount of hte first deposit at least once with odds no less than 1.50. All bets must be settled.This offer is only available to new customers, who have registered and made their first real-money deposit at Sportaza. THe Bonus is 100% of a player's first deposit bonus up to 8,000 INR. In order to qualify for the bonus, hte player nmust play through the full amount of hte first deposit at least once with odds no less than 1.50. All bets must be settled.
Bet $10 Get $40
22/04/22Bet $10 Get $40
- Daily boosted rugby odds
- Acca boost and insurance
- Comprehensive rugby section
9.4
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim Bonus11T&Cs apply. 18+
R25 Sign Up Offer
22/04/22R25 Sign Up Offer
- Long established South African brand
- Regular betting competitions
- Use Bet Builder on rugby
9.3
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Once you activate your Hollywoodbets account and you will receive a R25 Sign-up Bonus! For more information, contact our helpline on 087 353 7634. Terms and conditions apply.
200% Bonus Up To $130
22/04/22200% Bonus Up To $130
- Great live betting section
- Wide range of regular offers
- Enhanced specials on rugby
9.2
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Register with 1xBet. Fill in your personal profile in My Account and enable the function "Take part in bonus offers". Deposit any amount from 1$. The bonus is automatically credited to a customer's account after they make a deposit.
100% Bonus Up To R10,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R10,000
- Huge amount of rugby markets
- Multiple bet bonus
- Rugby statistics and live scores
9.1
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.
R50 Sign Up Bonus
22/04/22R50 Sign Up Bonus
- Detailed rugby stats section
- Good live section with streaming
- Win big with lottery games
9.0
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11R50 Bonus to be rolled over 3 times at 11/10 or better before it can be withdrawn. Please note that stake will not be returned to your bonus wallet.
100% Up To $100
22/04/22100% Up To $100
- Become a VIP with Yonicoins
- Slick rugby statistics available
- Super for eSports
8.8
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Bet on multiple games (total minimum betslip : 1.85 ; 2 items minimum ; one item must be at minimum 1.40 odds). Wager 10x on the bonus amount. If the wager is not reached after 14 days, or if the bonus is cancelled, the bonus winnings and the associated bonus are deleted. - The minimum bet is 1 to be counted in the wagerBet on multiple games (total minimum betslip : 1.85 ; 2 items minimum ; one item must be at minimum 1.40 odds). Wager 10x on the bonus amount. If the wager is not reached after 14 days, or if the bonus is cancelled, the bonus winnings and the associated bonus are deleted. - The minimum bet is 1 to be counted in the wager
Best Runner Boosted Odds Twice A Week
22/04/22Best Runner Boosted Odds Twice A Week
- Use Bet Builder on rugby games
- Compete on sports leaderboard
- Acca insurance on rugby multiples
8.4
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Opt-in is not required for this promotion. This promotion is available for selected runners each Wednesday and Saturday (Wed 16.30 - 19:00 & Sat 12:00 - 16:00 (GMT+2) Single bets only. Max stake per customer: €10.Winnings have no wagering requirements and can be withdrawn immediately.List of Best Online Rugby Betting Sites
You’ve seen the welcome offers available for our favourite rugby betting sites. Here’s a little more information about them.
- Bet.co.za – Amazing rugby package
- Bet365 – World leader in betting
- Sportaza – Reload bonus for rugby
- BoyleSports – Irish rugby site
- Hollywood Bets – Big name in SA betting
- 1xBet – Competitive rugby betting odds
- PlayaBets – Bonus on rugby multiples
- SupaBets – Great for rugby statistics
- YoniBet – Collect Yonicoins
- NordicBet – Insurance on rugby accas
Ranking the Best Rugby Betting Sites
Having looked at our list of the best online rugby betting sites, you may be wondering how and why we decided to rank them in the order we did. In this section we’re going to go through the criteria that we consider when evaluating betting sites for rugby.
- Offers & Promotions
A generous welcome offer is always a bonus when opening a betting account. It gives you some extra money to play with, which helps you to get used to a new site, without risking too much of your own cash. Just as important are regular promotions and offers for existing customers. For this particular review, we were naturally on the lookout for offers that were specific to rugby betting.
- Rugby Betting Markets
Covering a lot of games is not enough in itself. We like to see a deep number of different betting markets for each rugby game. There should be a lot of options for different handicap betting and winning margins, along with plenty of try scorer markets. Outright markets are also important, such as the winner of a tournament, or relegation from a league. Live betting markets for rugby are essential, giving players the chance to place bets, during the game.
- Rugby Competitions
We expect the betting sites that we’ve reviewed to provide comprehensive coverage of both the international and club rugby game. When it comes to club rugby, providing coverage for competitions involving South African teams, such as the Currie Cup and United Rugby Championship betting markets is important. So too is covering international club rugby from Europe and Southern Hemisphere tournaments, with Super Rugby betting odds expected to be found.
- Payment Options
When it comes to payment options, the more available to the user, the better. Many people want to bet on rugby these days using cryptocurrencies and it’s good to see that more and more betting sites are providing this option. Deposits always hit a betting account instantly, but withdrawal times can widely vary, so this is another aspect that we examine.
- Rugby Betting Odds
We looked for sites with very competitive rugby betting odds. These days it is pretty easy to use odds comparison sites and to discover the bookies that consistently offer the best odds for rugby. Providing competitive Rugby World Cup betting odds is easy enough for most sportsbooks, but how do they fare with lesser competitions that don’t attract so much money?
Rugby Union Betting Sites
Of the two codes of the sport, it is rugby union that is far the more popular sport in South Africa.
Part of the reason for that has been the success of the South African national rugby team, known as the Springboks. They’ve won the Rugby World Cup on three occasions, which is the joint most wins along with New Zealand. This is despite the fact that South Africa were not able to compete at the first two Rugby World Cups, due to the sports boycott during the apartheid era.
South Africa are generally one of the stronger sides in the international games and are once again one of the favourites in the betting odds for the Rugby World Cup 2023. They won the last tournament in 2019, beating England 32-19 in the final.
As you would expect, South African betting sites tend to prioritise rugby union over rugby league. The Rugby World Cup is likely to be a massive event for South African sportsbooks, which can only be good for punters, with lots of rugby promotions and bonuses set to be available.
Betting Odds for the Rugby World Cup 2023
South Africa will play in Pool B of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The main opposition for the Springboks will likely come from an Ireland side that finished second in the 2022 Six Nations Championship. Also in Pool B, will be Scotland, Romania and a yet to be decided team, from either Asia or the Pacific region.
South Africa are rated as the fourth favourites to win the next World Cup, which could prove to be good value considering their strong record in the competition. Here’s a rundown on the current odds for all the top contenders.
Best Rugby Betting Sites Competing Nations Rugby World Cup Betting Odds 
France 3.25 New Zealand 3.5 
England 6.0 South Africa 6.5 Ireland 10.0 Australia 13.0 Wales 23.0 Scotland 41.0 
Argentina 41.0 Japan 151.0 United Rugby Championship Betting
For many years South African clubs competed in the Super Rugby competition, against teams from the Southern hemisphere. With Super Rugby, betting sites in South Africa had a competition akin to the Champions League in European football. It attracted a great deal of interest, both from spectators watching the event and punters betting on the games. That all changed in 2020 when SA Rugby announced that all South African teams would be leaving the competition and joining an expanded Pro14. The Pro14 had featured two South African teams since 2017 and in 2020 this was expanded to four sides, competing in an 18 team league that also featured clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Renamed as the United Rugby Championship, the new competition began in the 2021-22 season. The South African teams to feature were the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers.
Bookies in South Africa have embraced United Rugby Championship betting, with the matches being heavily marketed on their websites. United Rugby Championship betting odds tend to appear at the top of rugby sections on South African sportsbooks, which is a good sign that the competition has been accepted by rugby fans in the country.
Betting on Rugby Union – Other Competitions
United Rugby Championship betting might be attracting a lot of attention these days, but there are also a host of other competitions from across the world, that remain popular with South African rugby fans.
Six Nations
The Six Nations sees the cream of European rugby go up against each other every year, in a competition that started in 1883. England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales are the teams involved. Such is the quality on offer and the rivalry between the teams, the Six Nations is heavily featured on rugby union betting sites across South Africa.
Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship
Formally known as the Tri-Nations and now going by the name of The Rugby Championship, this is the Southern Hemisphere’s answer to the Six Nations. Launched in 1996, it originally featured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with Argentina added to the mix in 2012. South Africa have won the competition on three occasions, including 2019, when they also won the World Cup. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Rugby Championship was not played in 2020 and went ahead in 2021 without South Africa. When the tournament returns in full in 2022, you can be sure that it will be a massive event for South African rugby betting sites.
British & Irish Lions Tours
The British & Irish Lions are a team comprised of players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, that tour every four years. These tours rotate between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with the latter hosting the Lions in 2021. South Africa won that series 2-1, with the Lions also playing the Lions club team, the Sharks, the Stormers and South Africa A. With the Lions touring so rarely, it’s always a big event when they visit South Africa, for both fans of the sport and rugby betting at sportsbooks.
Super Rugby
South African sides might have left Super Rugby, but it remains a popular competition to bet on. With it being a staple of South African TV schedules for many years, the teams involved are very familiar and Super Rugby betting odds tend to still be prominently displayed within the rugby section of online bookies.
Rugby League Betting Sites
Rugby league lives very much in the shadow of Rugby Union in South Africa, despite a few attempts to popularise the sport. With rugby league being a popular sport in rugby union playing nations such as Australia, England, France and New Zealand, it’s perhaps a surprise that the game hasn’t really taken off in South Africa.
Though rugby league has failed to become a major professional sport in South Africa, it is played on an amateur basis, in competitions such as the Rhino Cup and Protea Cup. Many South African rugby union players have also switched codes to play rugby league in other countries, which adds to domestic interest in the game.
Rugby league betting sites cover club rugby from abroad, such as the NRL Premiership featuring sides from Australia and New Zealand, and the Super League, which sees teams from England and France compete. International competitions also attract interest, such as the Rugby League World Cup, which will take place in 2022.
If looking for a bookie to bet on rugby league, we’d suggest using one from the UK, where there game is popular. Bet365 do a good job of covering the sport.
Most Popular Rugby Betting Markets
In this section we’re going to explore the most popular betting markets for rugby. If you were to be looking at a popular competition, such as United Rugby Championship betting odds, then these are the markets that you’d expect to see.
Full-Time Result
The first market that you’re likely to see when you click on any match is the full-time result. Quite simply, you have to pick out the result of the match, which will either be a home win, an away win, or a draw. With the draw quite a rare occurrence in rugby, this will be available at a big price and most punters will be picking a team to win. Hollywood Bets are a good bookie for match result rugby betting.
Try Scorer Markets
Try Scorer markets see the punter try to pick out a player to score a try. In the anytime try scorer market, you are simply picking out a player to score a try at anytime in the game. Then there are first and last try scorer markets, in which you select a player to score the first try of the game, or the last. As you’d expect from these markets, the odds are much bigger than in the anytime try scorer market. We like Bet.co.za for try scorer markets.
Rugby Handicap Betting
Handicap betting is very common in rugby. The favourite to win the game is given a points deficit, while the outsider is given a surplus amount of points. So when South Africa play Romania in the World Cup, you might see the handicap set at South Africa -33.5 v Romania +33.5. South Africa would need to win by a 34 point margin to win the bet. We like sportsbooks to provide a wide variety of different handicap markets, with a variety of points options. Sportaza is a great site for handicap markets.
Winning Margin
In this market you have to predict the team that will win the match and the margin of victory. Obviously this is a lot more difficult than simply predicting the result and the odds on offer are much bigger. This is a good bet when the winner of the match is fairly obvious, with the punter being able to find some value in predicting the extent of the victory. We like 1xBet for winning market bets.
Outright Betting
In outright betting, rugby betting sites offer odds on which team will win a competition, such as the Currie Cup or Rugby World Cup. These markets attract a lot of attention before the tournament starts, but then continue to be available once the action starts, with teams dropping out when they can no longer win and the odds fluctuating in response to results. Playa Bets are a nice choice for outright rugby betting.
Common Rugby Betting Offers
When you sign up for an account with a sportsbook, you can expect to receive a welcome bonus. Beyond that, bookies like to reward their loyal customers with further bonuses and promotions, with some being specific to rugby. Here are some of the offers that you can expect to receive.
Acca Boosts
An acca boost gives an extra percentage of winnings to a successful rugby multiples bet. The rate at which your acca is boosted is often down to how many selections you choose, with the more you select, giving a bigger percentage bonus. Other sportsbooks just give a straight rate, with Sportaza offering a 10% boost to any winning acca with three events or more.
Acca Insurance
How many times have you placed an acca bet, only for the majority of the selections to win, but for one unsuccessful choice to let you down? With acca insurance, if only one of your choices loses, you’ll receive your stake back. Playa Bets go even further and are a great choice if you like accas with lots of selections. If you have 7+ selections and one fails you get your stake back. If it’s 11+ you get double your stake, 15+ sees your stake multiplied by five, while you get ten times your stake for 21+ accas.
Free Bets
Free bets are often used by bookies to reward customers. Sometimes the bets are specific to a big event and must be used on a certain game, while on other occasions they can be used on anything, including rugby. When you receive a free bet it’s a great way to have an extra wager, without risking any money. 1xBet give you a free bet on your birthday.
Money Back Deals
Money back deals see you get your money back if your bet is a loser and certain conditions are met. Generally it works like acca insurance, with the user receiving their stake back if their bet loses by a narrow margin. Bet.co.za offer two money back deals specific to rugby. They will give you your stake back as a free bet if you lose a rugby handicap bet, but your teams scores over 35 points. You will also get your money back if your rugby handicap or total points bet loses by 0.5 points.
Best Rugby Betting App
Mobile betting has really revolutionised the gambling industry. Users can now place bets whenever they want and wherever they are, adding to their convenience.
When it comes to rugby, you can now place a bet while watching a game on TV, without having to reach for you clunky laptop. You can even attend a game and place a bet from your seat in the stands. These apps have all the functionality of the main website of a sportsbook, even including live streaming.
We think BoyleSports has the best rugby betting app currently available.
Rugby Betting Tips
In this section we’re going to give you a few rugby betting tips, that will help you when having a gamble on the sport.
Tip 1: Knowledge is Power
The more you know about a rugby match before betting on it, the better. Look at stats sites that will give you the lowdown on past results, recent form and current trends, to help you sport opportunity. Keep up to date with any team news that could have an impact on the odds. Watch as much rugby as you can, to gain an advantage on the bookie, while also reading advice from trusted tipsters.
Tip 2: Look For Value
A value bet is where the odds on offer are more generous than they really should be. So for example, if the odds suggest that a rugby team only has a 50% chance of winning, but you have reason to believe that the true probability is closer to 80%, you have found a value bet. Finding such opportunities is not an exact science. Experience helps, as does the knowledge that can be acquired from following our first tip.
Tip 3: Approach With Caution
It pays to be cautious when betting on rugby, or indeed any sport. To start with, never bet more than you can afford to lose, setting strict budgets for yourself. With many bookies now offering a cash out feature, it can make sense to take an early offer if your bet is in a winning position during a rugby game. It’s better to have some guaranteed returns, rather than leaving a bet to run and keeping your stake at risk.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our guide to rugby betting in South Africa. As you’ll now know, there are a number of good options for fans of rugby, who want to place bets on the sport.
Rugby remains a hugely popular sport in South Africa and betting companies that operate in the country, reflect this with their offering. We’d recommend any of the sites featured in our list for rugby betting, with Bet.co.za being our favourite.
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Dan Fitch
Dan Fitch
