Over the years, the number of rugby viewership has risen significantly as more TV stations air live rugby sports. Considered a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen, rugby has seen its fan base multiply outside of North America.
This rapid growth has seen most betting companies compete for a larger share of the pie. Unlike football, where there are many leagues in different countries, rugby is still a relatively new sport in most countries.
Rugby leagues are saturated more within the United Kingdom, France, and Caribbean countries. However, while there are a significant number of leagues in these countries, few invite massive crowds. Here are four popular rugby markets in the globe.
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Canterbury Cup NSW
With its history dating back to 1908, The Canterbury Cup has changed names over the years to accommodate clubs in New South Wales. Currently, it is contested by both New South Wales based National rugby league reserve teams and grade level teams that previously played in NSWRL premiership and don’t have teams playing in the National Rugby League.
Superleague
The super league or the Betfred Super League as it is currently known has been in play since 1996. Currently, the State of Origin odds consider Superleague as the most popular league in the northern hemisphere. It involves 12 teams- 11 from England and one from France.
All teams play 29 games, 11 away games and 11 home games. Another seven games are played, which involves loop fixtures. An additional game is played, the final, which involves the winners of the playoffs. Lastly, the team that has lost most matches is relegated and ultimately plays for the championship.
National rugby league
The National rugby league or the Telstra Premiership is a men’s professional league tournament that is managed by the Australian rugby league. It involves sixteen teams, of which fifteen play for Australia and one for New Zealand. According to, the Telstra Premiership is the most attended and watched rugby sport in the globe.
Started in 1990 after the super league war, the National super league was a partnership between News Corporation and the Australian Rugby League. This joint partnership ran this sport until 2012 when it was dissolved allowing Australian Rugby League Commission took control of it. The Telstra Premiership games ran between March to October, and they are played in both Australia and New Zealand.
Elite One Championship
The elite One championship is the highest league in French rugby. It is a yearly event where it runs between September to April. Typically, each club plays both home and away from where afterwards the winner heads to a playoff which culminates to the grand finale.
Founded in 2002; the Elite one championship borrowed its blueprint from the French rugby league championship where two divisions. This means the same format applied where teams played each other, hence allowing for a playoff where a finalist would be determined. The team that finishes bottom of the table is relegated.
Advantages of betting in these leagues
When it comes to betting, every individual looks at making high rewards with the least risks. This is usually hard if you are not aware of which teams or leagues to bet on. One significant advantage of betting on the above leagues is the high odds. When a league is competitive, odds tend to rise significantly, hence allowing you to make significant returns.
Another advantage is that unlike other unknown leagues, these have several markets that you can choose from. For instance, you can choose which team will win by half time or which team will receive a sin bin first.
