2023 Rugby World Cup Bets Open with All Blacks top choice

With it being such a long way away, how easy is it to predict a winner for the 2023 Rugby World Cup? After South Africa’s stunning victory over England in the Final of the 2019 tournament, you might put South Africa, England, or New Zealand up there as favourites to make it to the Finals next time round - depending on their Group pathways. And 2023 Rugby world cup bets do indeed show New Zealand favourite. Much can change before the tournament begins in three years time, however. The 2023 Rugby World Cup will play out in France during the 200th anniversary year of the invention of the sport by William Webb Ellis. Having already hosted the 1998 Football World Cup, France is well equipped with a plethora of top class stadia, with the final taking place at the Stade de France on October 21st. It will be the third time the country has hosted the Rugby World Cup, having previously done so in 1991 (shared with the UK & Ireland), and 2007. It precedes the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, taking place less than a year before the Olympic opening ceremony.

The tournament is gaining popularity with a worldwide audience

The pinnacle event in international rugby, the World Cup takes place every four years. The sport took a long time to appear on the international stage in World Cup format, so the 2023 tournament will be only the 10th Rugby World Cup since the inaugural event in 1987. Take a look at the enthusiasm, emotion and pride displayed by World Cup nations and fans, however, and you would think it had existed forever. Following one of the most competitive and widely-acclaimed Rugby World Cups to date in Japan, the qualification process is designed to deliver the world's top teams to rugby's showcase tournament, whilst promoting a genuine opportunity for all unions. Of the 20 teams competing in 2023, 12 qualified automatically, having finished in the top three of their respective pools at the last World Cup. Regional qualifiers will determine the remaining eight places, to create four pools of five. The top two from each will advance to the quarter-finals, from where the tournament assumes a knockout format. The 2019 Rugby World Cup broke the record for the most-viewed rugby union tournament. According to World Rugby, more than 857 million people watched the tournament in Japan, with 501 million people watching live. England’s defeat to South Africa was the most-watched final in the tournament’s history, with 44.9 million viewers. You can read more here Rugby World Cup 2019 Winner Predictions about South Africa's victory last time round, when they also became the first country to win the Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup in the same year. So visit online gambling sites in France between now and when the tournament finally gets underway to see what new 2023 Rugby world cup bets and offers will be available.

2023 Rugby World Cup bets - top Contenders

So who are the current favourites to win in France? New Zealand will be seeking to get their hands back on the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth time, and have opened with the shortest odds, KTO Sportsbook giving them 2.75. The Springboks 4.50, meanwhile, will be looking to record their first Rugby World Cup back-to-back. Perhaps unsurprisingly, New Zealand are also the only team to have achieved this to date. And from the Northern Hemisphere, defeated 2019 finalists England 4.50 are in the best shape to lift the 2023 trophy. Things do change, however. Six months after the odds opened, the host nation France 7 has replaced Ireland 11 in the top-four favourites. And Australian rugby has also been on a downturn for a while now, as they enter the tournament ranked a lowly seventh in the world at 15. Despite being one of just four teams to have won the tournament, they will need to perform well above expectations to improve on last years' World Cup run, which ended at the quarter-finals. Generally, Southern Hemisphere nations tend to be stronger than their Northern counterparts at the World Cup, with New Zealand, Australia and South Africa traditionally dominant. Over the years New Zealand have scored three World Cup Rugby Championship titles, most recently in 2015. Current Champions South Africa also have 3, and Australia have 2. The Northern Hemisphere – more specifically western Europe – does, however, produce some of the best teams in international rugby. Former winners England, who became Champions in 2003 with an extra time win over Australia, are usually highly ranked. And countries such as Wales 13, Ireland and France should also be taken into account when considering your 2023 Rugby World Cup betting strategies.

2023 Rugby World Cup bets - some useful statistics

When deciding on betting selections, maybe the best way of predicting the future is to look back at the past. It's worth remembering, for example, that Southern Hemisphere countries have won eight of the nine Rugby World Cups to date. New Zealand have finished in the top eight in all nine of their Rugby World Cup appearances. And the host nation has won the Rugby World Cup three times, which may partly explain hosts France replacing Ireland in the top four. With this in mind, here are some interesting statistics to consider before placing your 2023 Rugby world cup bets: Team Statistics 1987 to present:

Most Titles	New Zealand,  South Africa	3  (1987, 2011, 2015),  (1995, 2007, 2019)
Most Wins	New Zealand	49 (87.5%)
Most Matches	New Zealand	56
Highest Points (Overall)	New Zealand	2552
Highest Points (Match)	New Zealand	145 – 17, 1995 vs Japan
Points Conceded (Overall)	Namibia	Namibia 1323
Best Points Difference (Overall)	New Zealand	+1799
Worst Points Difference (Overall)	Namibia	-1075
Biggest Win	Australia	142 – 0, 2003 vs Namibia
Most Tries (Overall)	New Zealand	347
Most Tries (Match)	Australia	22, 2003 vs Namibia
Most Drop Goals (Overall)	England	21
Most Conversions (Overall)	New Zealand	254
Most Penalties (Overall)	England	147
Most Red Cards (Overall)	Canada	4

With the tournament being so popular, the best sportsbooks will approach the tournament with a range of offers to entice bettors, as competition for custom is extremely high. As the bettor, this works in your favour, as you can capitalize on a range of sign-up offers in particular, many of which will incorporate free bets. So what kind of markets are usually available?

Typical markets for 2023 Rugby world cup bets

Top Try Scorer - One of the most fun and engaging markets at the tournament, as tries are the main attraction. The record number scored at a single World Cup tournament is eight, jointly held by the late, legendary All Black Jonah Lomu (1999), South African Bryan Habana (2007) and New Zealand wing Julian Savea (2015).

Top Points Scorer - More often than not taken by a fly-half from one of the favoured nations at the tournament. Playing at No.10 they can typically contribute points via all forms of scoring in rugby. Usually through conversions and penalties, it can also include the odd try and perhaps a drop-goal or two. Rugby World Cup Dream Team - The World Rugby ‘Dream Team' at a World Cup recognizes those who have performed at an exceptional level in each of rugby’s 15 positions, usually featuring many players from the winning nation. World Cup Best Moment - The best moment in a World Cup isn’t necessarily awarded to the winning score in the final, although it might be – Johnny Wilkinson’s last-gasp drop-goal to beat Australia in extra-time in Sydney, 2003, for example. It may be a rare but memorable moment, such as underdogs Japan beating the mighty Springboks in the group stages at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which won the award that year. Every four years, the Rugby World Cup provides top notch Rugby Union betting opportunities as 20 nations battle it out for the Webb Ellis Cup. Outright winner markets open in the years leading up to the event, and in the days and weeks leading up to the opening game, head-to-head Rugby Union odds open on every match. So when the time comes to place your 2023 Rugby world cup bets, use trusted online sportsbook sites in France to find available odds and offers.

You can discover more about KTO Sportsbook here.