The faster paced and more physical cousin to rugby union, rugby league football is a version of rugby played with teams of 13, that’s popular throughout the world.
Rugby league is an exciting sport. And you can add to the thrill of it with BoyleSports and our rugby league betting markets. You’ll find competitive rugby league odds right here on this page for all the major rugby league matches and events, from the Challenge Cup to Australia’s National Rugby League.
To get you up and running with your rugby league betting, here we’ll detail more about this action-packed sport and what kinds of bets you can place on rugby league. Plus we’ll give you plenty of rugby league betting tips.
Understanding rugby league
Rugby League Football, also known as Rugby XIII, and more commonly as just Rugby League, is a version of rugby that split from Rugby Union in 1895.
With simpler rules, less focus on contesting possession and fewer players on the field, rugby league is faster paced than rugby union and has less stoppages. It’s considered the more exciting way to play and watch rugby by rugby league aficionados.
Games of rugby league are played by teams of 13 players across two halves of 40 minutes. The ball must be thrown sideways or backwards, but can be kicked forwards. Play is made up of six-tackle sets, where a team has up to six tackles to advance the ball before possession is handed over to the opposition.
Points are awarded in rugby league for a:
● Try: Touching the ball down in the other team’s in-goal area - 4 points.
● Conversion: An opportunity to kick the ball through the opponent’s goal posts after scoring a try - 2 points.
● Penalty goal: The ball is kicked between the other team’s goal posts after being awarded a penalty kick - 2 points.
● Drop goal: The ball is kicked between the opponent’s goal posts from open play - 1 point.
What are the top rugby league competitions?
Rugby league is a global sport played in more than 70 countries, and is the national sport of Papua New Guinea. England, France, Australia and New Zealand all have professional club-level leagues.
The top rugby league competitions to follow and bet on, include:
Super League
Officially called the Super League Europe, but usually just Super League. The top level of British rugby league is contested by 12 clubs: 10 from Northern England, one from London, and one team from southern France.
The regular Super League season usually runs from February to September, and includes the Magic Weekend (six games played in one weekend at one stadium). The top six sides play in the Super League Play-offs in September and October, with the remaining two competing in the Grand Final towards the middle or end of October.
The Challenge Cup
The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league competition that’s been running since 1896, making it the oldest cup tournament in all of rugby. The Challenge Cup is contested by all English rugby league teams from Tier 5 and above – plus the French club Catalans Dragons and occasionally other foreign clubs – with usually around 70 teams in total competing.
The Challenge Cup consists of nine rounds (including the final), and typically runs from January/February to June/July/August.
The National Rugby League (Australasia)
An immensely popular rugby league division, running since 1908, featuring 16 clubs from Australia and one from New Zealand.
The season is typically played from March to October, with the top eight teams progressing to the NRL Finals Series – a four-round knock-out tournament in September, with the NRL Grand Final in October.
The State of Origin Series (Australasia)
A hotly contested yearly best-of-three series played between two Australian state representative sides, the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues.
The State of Origin Series is a massive sporting event in Australia, and is held in different areas of the country each year – usually from May to July.
The Rugby League World Cup
The pinnacle of international rugby league, the Rugby League World Cup is held every four or five years in different host nations, typically from October through to December.
The World Cup usually features between 14 and 16 national teams. The competition begins with a group stage of mini leagues, where teams earn two points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. The top two teams from each group then enter into a three round knock-out tournament, with the winner of the final claiming the Paul Barrière Trophy.
Types of rugby league bets
You’ll find all your essential rugby league betting markets right here on this page. We’ve got the latest rugby league betting odds for games and competitions played throughout the world, from the Super League to the State of Origin Series. Our most popular rugby league bets include:
Match winner
The simplest bet you can make on rugby league. You simply place a stake on which team you think will win a specific match.
Handicap betting
Place a bet on which team will win or lose a match or whether it will be a draw, but with a handicap applied to the favourite team. For example, will Leeds Rhinos beat the Catalans Dragons with a -6 points handicap? Or will that handicap mean the Dragons win, or the match is drawn?
Margin ahead
Bet on which team in a match will go a certain number of points ahead first, such as will the Wests Tigers to go 14 points ahead of Melbourne Storm.
Over/under totals
Bet on whether a total will be over or under a certain number, such as will the total points scored in a match be over or under 40 points.
Prop bets
Prop bets are side wagers on events in a match outside of which team will win. They include the player to score the most points, first try scorer, anytime try scorer, or total number of tries for a player/team.
Tournament outrights
Place an outright bet on which team will win an overall tournament or competition – whether that’s England to win the World Cup or the Queensland Maroons to take the State of Origin Series.
Factors to consider in rugby league betting
Making clever bets involves studying form, stats, and the conditions on the day. When it comes to picking a winning side in rugby league betting, consider:
● Team form and performance: Look at the latest run of results for a club, as an underdog in good form can cause upsets. Analyse past head-to-head matchups to see if a team has a history of success against their current opponents.
● Player statistics and injuries: Pay attention to the recent performance of key players, including analysing player statistics like tries scored and tackles made. Important players in good form can have a big impact on a match. Injuries, however, can take a toll on a team. So keep a look out for injury news too.
● Home and away advantage: Clubs often benefit from a home advantage, but this can be more pronounced for some sides. On the other hand, some teams may have a run where they play better away from home.
● Weather conditions: Weather, especially rain and strong wind, can have a big impact on play. Bad weather conditions can favour sides with good kickers, whilst better conditions can put teams with quick wingers and a good fly-half at an advantage.
Strategies & tips for successful rugby league betting
The more informed your rugby league betting, the better your chances of success. To help place astute bets, be sure to do your research, including:
● Statistics and news: Follow the performance of rugby league teams, analyse player and team statistics, and follow the latest news and pundit analysis to benefit from expert opinion and to pick up valuable rugby league betting tips.
● Statistical models and analytics: For those with a love of stats and the ability to model, statistical modelling can be a powerful way to identify trends and better predict results.
● Odds and value betting: It’s key to understand how fractional odds work (our rugby league betting odds are shown as fractions) when it comes to successful betting. Once you understand odds, and the more you know about rugby league, you’ll be able to identify value bets where you think the bookmaker has it wrong.
● Gamble responsibly: Manage your bankroll effectively and make sure you don’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose.
Responsible gambling in rugby league betting
Betting on rugby league can really add to the excitement of the sport. But to make the most of your rugby league betting, make sure you gamble responsibly by:
● Setting a limit for yourself: By deciding how much money you want to wager on each occasion (your bankroll), and making sure you stick to that limit.
● Never gambling with money you can’t afford to lose: You should only bet with money that’s not needed to pay your monthly expenses.
● Knowing the signs of problem gambling: This includes betting with money you can’t afford to lose, spending excessive time gambling, lying about your gambling habits, and neglecting responsibilities or other interests in your life in favour of gambling.
Rugby League is a fast-paced, aggressive, physically demanding sport that’s played across the globe. From England’s Super League to Australasia’s National Rugby League and the spectacle of the Rugby League World Cup, you can bet on rugby league right here at BoyleSports.
You’ll find comprehensive rugby league betting markets and competitive rugby league betting odds for all those competitions and more.
Create an account with us, check out the latest bets and odds right here on this page and then place a bet on rugby league today with BoyleSports.
