Will the 2023 Rugby World Cup have a First Time Champion?

  • France and Ireland are among the countries looking to win their first Rugby World Cup
  • You can wager on props such as first-time winner (-135) or a Six Nations team (-150) capturing the event   
  • The 20-nation tournament will take place in France from September 8 to October 28

With the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup in France only a few weeks away, let’s look at some of the fun tournament props you can wager on heading into the tournament. Will there be a first-time winner? An all-Southern hemisphere final? Is a Rugby Championship squad poised to capture the trophy?

Before we examine the odds, here’s where you can check out the top Rugby Betting Sites in 2023.

2023 Rugby World Cup Props

BovadaYesNo
All Northern Hemisphere Final+120-155
All Southern Hemisphere Final+135-175
First Time Winner-135+105
Rugby Championship Team To Win-125-105
Six Nations Team To Win-150+115

Will there be a first-time winner?

You can wager on the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup having a first-time winner at -135. If you make the bet, you’re essentially relying on the French and the Irish to get the job done. Both have never won the tournament, but New Zealand (+260) is the only nation with shorter odds than the hosts from France (+275). Les Bleus split their two recent World Cup warm-up matches with Scotland.

Ireland (+500) is also among the event’s small handful of favorites. They defeated France 32-19 in the 2023 Six Nations championship final in Dublin.

Southern or Northern hemisphere?

Will the tournament feature an all-Northern hemisphere final (+120) or an all-Southern hemisphere final (+135)? In nine events since the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, there has never been two finalists from northern hemisphere countries such as England, Ireland, France.

Additionally, there have only been two all-Southern hemisphere finals. Most recently in 2015 when New Zealand toppled Australia. Interestingly enough, the third-place match that year also involved South Africa and Argentina, shutting out the northern countries from the medal games completely.

NoFirst Time Winner
★★★★★
+105
Bet now
YesAll Southern Hemisphere Final
★★★★★
+135
Bet now

Six Nations Team to win it all?

If you bet a Six Nations squad to win the event at -150, you get France and Ireland along with fringe contenders such as England (+1100), Wales (+3300) and Scotland (+4000), as well as Italy (+50000). Of that group, only the English have won a World Cup and that was way back in 2003.

You can also wager on a Rugby Championship team to claim victory at -125. With that bet, you get the favorites from New Zealand along with South Africa (+450), Australia (+1000) and Argentina (+2500).

Best Bets

All of these prop bets come down to your faith in France and Ireland. Les Bleus open the tournament against the All Blacks on Sept. 8. They won their most recent Test versus New Zealand 40-25 in Nov. 2021 on their home field. However, the French are 13-48 all-time and 2-5 in World Cup matches against the Kiwis. And while the Irish are a strong club, they must escape a tough Pool B draw with the defending 2019 World Cup Champions from South Africa and Scotland.

Therefore, we lean towards No (+105) for first-time winner, Yes (-125) on a Rugby Championship team to win the 2023 World Cup, and No (+115) on a Six Nations club to claim victory.

NoSix Nations Team to Win
★★★★★
+115
Bet now

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Steve Starr

Steve is the quintessential American sports enthusiast. He has mastered the art of Sundays, devoting them to football, and barbecue parties. He proudly wears the hats of a good father, husband and a great dog owner. Aside from his decades of contributing to different top-tier sports publications, Steve has also found his niche on Twitter, where he publishes funny and relatable sports-related insights. When he's not busy tweeting, Steve loves to watch each game unfold live. He possesses an innate talent for finding humor in the sports world, appreciating both the thrilling moments and the comedic mishaps that make each event unique.