Within this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, including:
- Best World Cup Odds
- South Africa’s Best Rugby Betting Sites
- Best World Cup Betting Offers
- Team Previews
- Rugby World Cup Predictions
- Can South Africa win the Rugby World Cup?
Rugby World Cup Betting Sites
- Betway – 100% deposit bonus up to R1000
- Hollywoodbets – R25 FREE Sign up Bonus + 50 Free Spins
- – 100% deposit bonus up to R1,000 + 20 Free Spins
- PlayaBets – R50 FREE Sign up Bonus + 50 Free Spins
- Gbets – R25 FREE Sign up bonus + 100% First Deposit Bonus up to R1,000
Rugby World Cup 2023 best odds
Here are the latest outright odds to lift the Rugby World from South Africa’s top 5 rugby betting sites:
| Country | Betway | Hollywoodbets | Playabets | Sportingbet | Gbets |
| New Zealand | 3.40 | 2.50 | 3.50 | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| France | 4.00 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 3.85 | 4.00 |
| South Africa | 5.55 | 4.50 | 5.50 | 5.25 | 5.50 |
| Ireland | 5.75 | 5.00 | 5.75 | 5.50 | 6.00 |
| Australia | 12.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 13.00 | 11.00 |
| England | 12.20 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 |
| Argentina | 25.30 | 30.00 | 26.00 | 26.00 | 26.00 |
| Wales | 35.00 | 35.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 | 34.00 |
| Scotland | 36.00 | 40.00 | 34.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 |
Betway Rugby World Cup Odds & Offers
Betway has the best overall odds for the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks priced at market leading odds of 5.55. They also have an incredible offer for punters that back the Boks to lift the Cup. Betway is offering a risk free bet up to R1 000 when you back the Boks for the outright win.
Hollywoodbets Rugby World Cup Odds & Offers
Hollywoodbets have competitive odds if you are looking to bet on the favourites while they offer among the best odds on the outsider teams like Argentina who are available at excellent odds of 40/1.
JOIN HOLLYWOODBETSSportingbet Rugby World Cup Odds & Offers
Sportingbet can rival any of the other bookies when it comes to their Rugby World Cup betting odds but they are also offering a massive odds boost on all accumulator bets with two or more selections at minimum odds of 1.25.
JOIN SPORTINGBETPlayabets Rugby World Cup Odds & Offers
Playabets have competitive odds on the World Cup but they will be offering a 25% Deposit Bonus on Springbok match days, how awesome is that. Don’t miss out on this great offer, once again proving Playabets always has the local punter at heart.
JOIN PLAYABETSGbets Rugby World Cup Odds & Offers
Gbets have one of the most comprehensive betting markets for the Rugby World Cup with them having excellent odds for the top try scorer in the tournament. They also offer an odds boost on all multibets with a minimum selection of two teams.
JOIN GBETSWho are the World Cup Favourites?
The 2023 Rugby World Cup promises to be one of the most open tournaments in recent times as there are four serious title contenders with teams like England and Australia being the dark horses. According to the bookies these are the top 5 favourites for the tournaments, we will be taking a closer look at each of these sides and rating their chances.
New Zealand
It has almost become customary that the All Blacks start every World Cup as pre-tournament favourites. They have won 3(33.3%) of the previous nine editions so it’s no surprise the bookies have given them the favourites title. A first ever home series loss to Ireland in 2022 saw them lose some of their aura but commanding performances in the Rugby Championship this year saw them back to their best. They will be relying heavily on an ageing squad especially with the likes of Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, if they can come through the pool stages injury free then they could become the first side to lift the title for the fourth time.
France
Hosts France were the long-term favourite to lift their inaugural title on their home patch but a cruel injury to their star flyhalf Romain Ntamack has seen them drop to second favourite. There is an able replacement in Matthieu Jalibert although his injury record is not the greatest. Losing the favourites tag could be a blessing in disguise for the French as they have not always handled pressure very well. They will be relying heavily on their talismanic Captain Anton Dupont, widely regarded as the best player on the planet, to have an excellent tournament. If he plays at his best, then it would take a brave man to bet against the home team winning the title.
Ireland
After Ireland beat the All Blacks in New Zealand, the rugby world sat up and took notice of the incredible Green Machine. They continued their impressive run when they picked up this year’s Six Nations crown, going unbeaten in the tournament. The biggest concern for the Irish is their poor record at the global showpiece, never progressing past the quarter final stage. The other obstacle facing them is the availability of their star playmaker and Captain Johnny Sexton. He is currently suspended but should be available for the first match but it is his injury record that is most worrying. If the Irish are to progress to the semi finals and beyond, they will need Sexton to stay injury free as the gap between him and second choice fly half Ross Byrne are miles apart.
South Africa
Statistically speaking the team with the best win record( 42.8%) in the tournament is South Africa as they have claimed three titles from the seven editions that they participated in. They may be only the fourth favourite for the title but the defending champions also entered the 2019 tournament with very little hope of lifting the title and we all know that ended. The Springboks have been severely hampered with injuries to Handre Pollard and Lukhanyo Am, two key members of the squad. They were boosted by the news that inspirational Skipper Siya Kolisi will be fit for this campaign. There is always a chance for a repeat performance from the Boks especially when Kolisi is at the helm.
England
The difference in class between the top four favourites and England is quite substantive but the English do have the benefit of being in one of the easiest pools with Argentina being their main opposition for top spot in the group. The losing finalist from the last World Cup will be hoping that their key players find form early in the tournament so they will have a chance, come the knockout stage. Their preparations have been disrupted with red cards to Captain Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola in the warm up games. Both players could be suspended for the opening matches which will be a major blow to their chances. England will remain a threat if they have a full squad available for selection at the business end of the tournament.
Rugby World Cup Winner Prediction
Our pick for the World Cup has to be host France (4.0) despite them losing star flyhalf Romain Ntamack. The passion of the home fans and the incredible depth of the French squad will be the keys for success. They have the best all round squad with immense power in the forwards and an electric backline to boot. The skills of Dupont are unmatched in world rugby as he is colossal and both attack and defence. No other team will match the French team’s all round game and if they can control their emotions, then they could lift the Webb Ellis trophy for the first time.
Rugby World Cup Top Try Scorer Prediction
There are many pretenders to the crown for top try scorer with the likes of Will Jordan and Damian Penaud leading the way. Jordan has been a try-scoring machine for the All Blacks with an incredible 22 tries in his 22 matches while Frenchman Penaud was the leading scorer in this season’s Six Nations. There are other wingers with excellent records like the Springboks Kurt Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie but they are not first-choice selections for their country. Cheslin Kolbe will always be around the top of the scoring charts with his blistering pace and side-stepping abilities. There are a few hookers that could surprise people in the try-scoring stakes due to the prominence of the rolling maul in the modern game.
| Top Try Scorer | Odds |
| Will Jordan (New Zealand) | 8.00 |
| Damian Penaud (France) | 8.50 |
| Mark Telea (New Zealand) | 8.50 |
| Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa) | 12.00 |
| Caleb Clarke (New Zealand) | 12.00 |
| James Lowe (Ireland) | 15.00 |
| Leicester Faingaanuku (New Zealand) | 15.00 |
| Ethan Dumortier (France) | 17.00 |
| Makazole Mapimpi (South Africa) | 17.00 |
*Odds courtesy of Gbets
South Africa World Cup Predictions
South Africa are in Pool B alongside Scotland, Ireland, Tonga and Romania for the tournament which is effectively the group of death. They will need to beat at least Ireland or Scotland to finish in the top 2 of the group. If they win the group or finish second, they will face either France or New Zealand in the quarter finals. The Boks will need to be at their best if they are to progress to the semi-finals. They will need to be injury free heading into the quarters but that seems like as far as they will progress, although stranger things have happened. If they make the semi-finals then they could be in line to be the first team to ever win the Cup four times.
South Africa World Cup Stage of Elimination Odds
| Stage of Elimination | Odds |
| Winner | 5.55 |
| Runner Up | 6.00 |
| Semi Final | 7.00 |
| Quarter Final | 1.83 |
| Fail to Qualify from Pool | 9.00 |
*Odds courtesy of Betway
South Africa Rugby World Cup Fixtures
- Sunday, 10 September – Springboks v Scotland (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
- Sunday, 17 September – Springboks v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
- Saturday, 23 September – Springboks v Ireland (Stade de France, Paris)
- Sunday, 1 October – Springboks v Tonga (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
- Weekend of 14/15 October – Quarterfinals
- Weekend of 21/22 October – Semifinals
- Saturday, 28 October – Final
SA Rugby World Cup Squad
Forwards: Ox Nche, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman, Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn, Marco van Staden, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert
Backs: Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok, Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Makazole Mapimpi, Willie Le Roux, Damian Willemse
FAQ
Who will win the Rugby World Cup 2023
The bookies favourites are the All Blacks but we feel France will win the Cup due to the home ground advantage.
Who will score the most tries at the Rugby World Cup
Will Jordan is the bookies favourite and we also feel the All Black winger will top the try scoring charts.
What dates are the Rugby World Cup
The opening match of the World Cup is on the 8th September with the pool stages ending on the 8th October. The quarter finals will be played from the 14th and 15th October with the semi-finals due to take place on the 20th and 21 October. The Championship match will be played on the 28th October.
Where will the Rugby World Cup Final be played?
The final will be played at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis on the 28th October.
