Though rugby is one of the oldest active sports in the world today, the game only turned professional in 1995 and in many ways feels rejuvenated and a little bit undiscovered.
The move to professionalism was a long time coming. Though amateurism seemed like a good idea, in principle it just didn’t work, and as a result, the game started to seriously lag behind not just other sports like football, but its other code in rugby league.
Professionalism gave rugby union a chance to restart and reinvent itself, and now nearly 20 years on since the turn to pro, rugby union players no longer switch to rugby league, instead they switch from league to union.
Tactics and player ability has also improved tenfold, while the game has also become infinitely more accessible to teams around the world, most notably in Japan who never won a game vs a Tier 1 side before 1995, and have won six games since. Fiji only won three games vs Tier 1 sides before 1995 and eight since. Tonga, one before ’95 and five since. Samoa, three before ’95, twelve since.
It’s only really Romania and Italy who have gone backwards since 1995 with Romania in particular who have really suffered. Throughout the 70’s and early 80’s especially, Romania were on a par with France and better than Italy, but now Romania lag behind both, and now Georgia too, a team still searching for their first victory over a tier one side.
But despite the emergence of the smaller nations outside the top 10, the status quo still remains unaffected with the likes of England, Australia, Wales, France, Argentina, Scotland, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand fluctuating up throughout the top 10.
New Zealand are still the side to beat as ever, but after Ireland’s two victories in their last three against the All Blacks, they will be feeling mightily confident that they can at least beat their previous best result of a quarter-final finish in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and maybe even win the lot.
And where you can you bet on this potential outcome along with Six Nations action, Rugby Champions Cup, The Rugby Championship, Rugby Challenge Cup, Gallagher Premiership, Pro 14, Super Rugby, and more?
Well at any of the bookmakers featured in the table below, of course!
Using our attributes in the industry we give you expert advice on the internet's best brands.
All brands are responsive and mobile friendly to give you the best experience while playing.
Featured brands hold licenses that comply with the gambling commissions giving you peace of mind.
Disclaimer: Online gambling is illegal in some jurisdictions. It is your responsibility to check your local regulations before gambling online. Only players over 18 years old can register at online casinos. Playing online casinos, slots or bingo should remain a form of entertainment.
© 2021 BettingCircle.co.uk All Rights Reserved.
BettingCircle is a free to access, online resource that offers news, guides and strategy articles for online casino games and provides comparison features of various online casino sites to its visitors. Visitors should be aware that that the owner of this site (Digital Circle Media Ltd) receives affiliate and advertising revenue from the companies that appear on the site, and said remuneration may impact the location and order in which the companies’ banners and offerings are promoted on our site. Visitors should also note that casino rankings can be impacted by a number of different variables and should not be relied upon for accuracy purposes. Whilst we do our utmost to try to ensure all companies advertised on our site are trustworthy and hold the requisite licences for their offerings, the rankings or prominence of any banner/advertisement do not necessarily imply endorsement of the companies or their products by Digital Circle Media Ltd. Except as expressly set out in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this site are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time.
All betting sites display their unique terms and conditions on their sites and should always be reviewed prior to playing. Most bonus offers come with bonus terms and conditions attached to them and are also available on the operator’s website.
The terms and conditions related specifically to BettingCircle.co.uk can be found here.