The Rugby World Cup is the biggest stage of all in the sport. Once again the greatest international teams and stars will battle it out for the Webb Ellis trophy in the latest edition, the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
This latest edition of the famous tournament is being hosted in France. As major international sports tournaments go, the Rugby World Cup is fairly new. The inaugural edition was held in 1987 and the 2023 tournament will be just the 10th edition of the event.
The silverware that the Rugby World Cup winner holds aloft is called the Webb Ellis trophy. It is named after a young man who in 1823, supposedly disregarded the rules of football and picked up the ball and started running with it and in the process forging the origins of rugby.
1987 New Zealand
1991 Australia
1995 South Africa
1999 Australia
2003 England
2007 South Africa
2011 New Zealand
2015 New Zealand
2019 South Africa
South Africa are the reigning world champions after defying underdog Rugby World Cup odds in the 2019 Final against England. Having thrashed tournament favourites New Zealand in the semifinals, England kicked off the Final as the favourites in the Rugby World Cup odds for the match.
But the challenge of the Red Rose was undone by a brilliant tactical display from the Springboks, led by their talisman Faf de Klerk. South Africa took the match in Yokohama 32-12 to win rugby’s biggest trophy for the third time, and it was the second time that they had beaten England in a Rugby World Cup Final.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup begins on September 8th. The opening match of the tournament is a blockbuster fixture as well. Hosts France meet New Zealand in what should be an epic Pool A clash to get the Rugby World Cup betting up and running with a bang.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup Final is scheduled for October 28th, 2023 at the Stade de France, the home of French rugby. Follow all the latest news, Rugby World Cup predictions and more at the 888sport blog. Every match will also be covered by our fantastic live betting markets.
The first stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup is the pool stage. There are four pools of five teams, with the top two from each automatically progressing to the quarter-finals. Each of the third-placed finishers from the group stage earns an automatic qualification spot for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Pool A: France, New Zealand, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia
Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Romania
Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal
Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile
Part of the exciting Rugby World Cup betting picture is determining how the groups may play out. Group Winner and Group Runner-Up selections in Rugby World Cup odds are popular picks in rugby odds.
For the quarter-finals, a group winner will meet a runner-up from another group. So battling through to the top spot in the pool stage, can reward a team with a potentially more favourable match at that point.
Host nations France and New Zealand are the pre-tournament Rugby World Cup odds joint-favourites at 11/4. With the two drawn together in Pool A, if they occupy the top two spots then they will go their separate ways in the knockout stages.
So a France vs New Zealand Rugby World Cup Final is a possibility. But reigning Six Nations champions Ireland will pose a major threat to both of them, and the reigning world champions South Africa are never to be written off and won't want to lose their grip on the title lightly.
Australia and England make up the pack of main contenders for success in 2023 Rugby World Cup betting odds.
For Rugby predictions visit our blog
2023 Rugby World Cup Key Dates:
8th September - Opening match of France vs New Zealand
8th October - Final round of Group Stage matches
14th - 15th October - Quarter-finals
20th - 21st October - Semifinals
27th October - Bronze final
28th October - Rugby World Cup Final 2023
Hit the ground running for the 2023 Rugby World Cup betting odds at 888sport. All 48 matches from the tournament will be covered with our extensive rugby betting markets. From the Rugby World Cup outright winner market to Tryscrorer and match handicap options, there is a huge range of rugby betting options available for your betting strategy.
Download the 888sport app for the latest offers for the Rugby World Cup 2023 on mobile, and follow every minute of the tournament with live in-play rugby betting. Accompanied by some terrific live updates of scores and stats, our Rugby World Cup live betting coverage puts you in the thick of the action.
Who has won the most Rugby World Cups?
The great New Zealand All Blacks were the first team to win the Rugby World Cup three times.
Has England ever won the Rugby World Cup?
England won the 2005 Rugby World Cup, the first and so far only nation from the Northern Hemisphere to have done so.
Is there live betting on the Rugby World Cup?
Every game from the Rugby World Cup will have live betting markets for punters to explore, from Next Tryscorer to Total points.
Can I Cash Out Rugby World Cup bets?
Check in ‘My Bets’ to see any active Cash Out offers that are running for wagers on the Rugby World Cup.