Rugby World Cup Odds Set at +260 for a First-Time Champion, -350 for Repeat Winner
- Will there be a first-time champion at the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
- +260 odds are offered that a country will win its inaugural title
- The odds are -350 that the 2019 RWC champ will be a repeat winner
The 2019 Rugby World Cup starts this Saturday (Sep. 21st) in Japan. Books are out with a prop wager regarding the winner of the tournament.
If you bet that the RWC champion will be new to winning the title, you’ll get odds of +260. Betting on a repeat winner of the tourney gets you odds of -350.
The last three winners and four of the past five RWC champions had previously won the event. The top-three contenders in the Rugby World Cup odds are all countries that are prior winners of the tournament.
Odds 2019 Rugby World Cup Champ Will Be First-Time Winner
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| No | -350 |
| Yes | +260 |
*Odds taken on 09/19/19.
Four countries (Australia, England, South Africa, and England) have won the World Cup before. The last first-time winner was England in 2003.
Is Old School The Best School?
The Rugby World Cup is a tournament that’s held every four years and New Zealand wins.
Okay, that’s now how it actually works. But lately, that’s exactly how it’s worked out.
New Zealand won in 2011. The All Blacks defended their title in 2015.
2019 Rugby World Cup: Past Champions Odds To Win
| Country | RWC Titles | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 1987, 2011, 2015 | +135 |
| South Africa | 1995, 2007 | +400 |
| England | 2003 | +450 |
| Australia | 1991, 1999 | +1400 |
The All Blacks have won 14 consecutive RWC matches.
Springboks Are Back
South Africa had won just 11 of its last 25 test matches when Rassie Erasmus was named coach in February of 2018.
Since he took over, the 2015 RWC semi-finalists have beaten New Zealand and held the All Blacks to a draw.
England Coming Up Roses
If you’re looking for an in-form side heading into the tournament, England is the squad.
The English crushed Wales 33-19 in a pre-tournament friendly last month, halting the 14-match winning streak of the Welsh.
Aussie, Aussie, Oy
Finalists in 2015, two-time champions, it’s not been pretty of late for Australia.
The Aussies went 4-9 in 2018, the country’s worst campaign since 1958. They were crushed 36-0 last month by New Zealand.
2019 Rugby World Cup: Best Odds On Teams That Have Never Won The Title
| Country | Best RWC Finish | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Wales | Semi-finals | +900 |
| Ireland | Quarter-finals | +1000 |
| France | Finalist | +3300 |
| Argentina | Semi-Finals | +5000 |
A First Time For Everything?
Certainly, Wales and Ireland have played some impressive rugby in the lead-up to the RWC, and can’t be discounted.
France is a two-time finalist, but the French have fallen on hard times. They lost to Ireland, Wales and England in the Six Nations earlier this year.
Argentina seem to have fallen off from their surprise semi-final showing of 2015.
Will Irish Eyes Be Smiling?
The Irish have never made it past the quarter-finals in RWC history. They were stunned by Argentina in the 2015 quarters.
Hooker Rory Best, scrum-half Conor Murray and fly-half Johnny Sexton, Ireland’s three best players, have all been off form recently. Irleand almost certainly will face New Zealand or South Africa in the quarter-finals this time around and face a familiar fate.
Depth a Welsh Issue
Head to head in a one-game showdown, Wales can beat any nation. Where the Welsh run into trouble is in a condensed tournament format.
They simply don’t have the depth to survive a rash of injuries. A semi-final exit seems likely for Wales.
Everything Old Is New Again
The best match of pool play will be September 21st when the All Blacks and Springboks clash. It could be a final preview – unless England find a way to topple one of them.
One of these three countries will win the 2019 RWC Cup.
Pick: No (-350)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
