Rugby Union World Cup betting and odds

Rugby Union / Editor / 21 August 2007 / Leave a Comment

The Rugby Union World Cup offers a wide variety of betting opportunities to followers of the oval ball game.

Holders England defend the William Webb Ellis Cup against odds-on favourites New Zealand and 18 other elite international teams in a month-long tournament which takes place, largely in France, during September and October.

The competition begins with four five-team elimination pools which pit minnows such as Portugal, Romania and Georgia against the established rugby-playing nations.

Betting on these early contests could be a test for the odds makers who must attract punters to apparent one-sided clashes where history shows the underdogs have little chance of causing a Rugby Union World Cup upset.

Argentina and Fiji look good bets to knock out one of the top sides after both came close in Australia four years ago, but the odds are against them qualifying for the quarter-finals.

With two seeded nations in each pool, the four 'home' nations from the British Isles are a good bet to progress to the last eight if they can overcome their respective dates with danger.

The greatest threats to England's quarter-final place look to be Samoa, who pushed them all the way at the same stage in Australia four years ago.

The betting on Wales against Fiji in their crunch Pool B meeting will be close because, unlike their opening match against Australia in Cardiff, it will be played on neutral turf in Nantes.

Italy look primed to cause Scotland problems and could be a good bet that their Pool C-concluding clash in Saint Etienne will be a winner-takes-all affair for a place in the knockout stages.

The Irish face many people's tournament dark horses - Argentina - in Paris in a match which could decide the fate of hosts France as well as the survival of the Pumas.

The French will enjoy home comforts throughout the competition and will attract plenty of betting on the strength of the 'extra man' advantage their vociferous fans can provide.

And those betting on the All Blacks and South Africa to take the Rugby Union World Cup back to the southern hemisphere ought to take note that on the two previous occasions it was held in Europe it was Australia who lifted the trophy.