Rugby is an iconic British sport that has remained a huge part of the culture. On top of this, there’s also rugby gambling — something that’s also extremely popular. Here, you can learn about the history of rugby and gambling, where it all first started, and what it looks like today.
Rugby and Gambling — Where Did It All Start?
Rugby itself was first created all the way back in 1845 at the Rugby School, Warwickshire, England. The simple concept was that you carried the ball instead of using your feet, which was quite unusual at the time. For around the next 150 years following this, rugby evolved and grew in popularity around the world before it was officially declared a sport in 1995. Yep, it’s true: rugby has only been an official sport for less than 30 years!
After 1995, this was when rugby gambling started to become a trend. In order to bet on games of rugby, both locally and on TV, fans would have to travel down to local betting shops. Here, they’d place bets and then watch the action on the monitors or head to see the action in person. This is a far cry from how modern-day rugby gambling works, as the majority of it is now done online. If you want to bet on a televised rugby game, most fans use online sports betting platforms.
Similarly, rugby bettors also like to play Casino Games online, such as sports-themed ones. Although there aren’t many rugby slots available to play online, there are plenty of other sports slots to enjoy, such as Soccer Striker, Cricket Star, and Football Star, which are all popular in the rugby community.
Is Rugby Gambling Safe?
The short and sweet answer is yes — rugby gambling is absolutely safe. Just make sure that you only use officially licensed and verified sports betting apps and sites to do this. Also, you have to be above the legal gambling age, which is 18 in the UK, if you want to bet on rugby. If you’re under the age of 18, you’ll have to wait a little longer before you can do this.
Who Are the Best Rugby Teams to Bet On?
The three best international men’s rugby teams to bet on in 2023 are:
- Ireland
- France
- New Zealand
These three teams are the current highest-ranked in the world and can generally be relied on when it comes to placing winning bets.
Over recent years, Ireland has been on red-hot form. This is something that’s surprised many fans, as nobody expected Ireland to rise to such high levels of dominance. The excellent blend of physicality and ball playing, as well as star players like Johnny Sexton, has enabled Ireland to take over the rugby world.
Summary
That just about wraps up this guide on the history of rugby and gambling over the years. Remember, you can easily place bets on rugby in 2023 by signing up with a sportsbook. Make sure to gamble responsibly and only place sensible bets.
