The ninth edition of the
Rugby World Cup is a momentous one. It’s the first time ever the tournament will be hosted in Asia. In just a few months an estimated half a million rugby fanatics will board aeroplanes in New Zealand, Australia, Zambia, England and South Africa and head for the Land of the Rising Sun.
Twenty nations will battle it out at stadia across Japan and maybe, just maybe, there’ll be brand new champions to hoist the Webb Ellis Cup on high.
Apart from the constant threat of natural disasters - it is typhoon season in the Far East after all - and running out of beer and sushi, Japan is locked and loaded to host Rugby World Cup 2019, one of the greatest shows on earth!
Let’s take a look at a few facts and figures about a sporting event that’s expected to attract more than 4.4 billion TV viewers world-wide.
Competing Nations
Rugby World Cup 2019 will see 20 rugby nations go head to head for world dominance. There are teams representative of Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe and Oceania.
The usual suspects will be out in force to pursue the title for the umpteenth time. England will be gunning for a second title, Australia and South Africa a third and the big guns of world rugby, New Zealand will be hunting down a record fourth Webb Ellis trophy in Japan.
Along with minnows Georgia, Namibia, Tonga and Samoa the only big surprise is the appearance of the Russians. They replace Romania which was disqualified for fielding ineligible players during the World Cup qualifiers last year.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Pools
The competing nations have been divided into four pools of five teams:
The pool stage is a single round robin format. Each team in a pool plays each other over 10 games. Thereafter the top two teams in each pool progress through to the quarter finals.
The opening match between Russia and hosts Japan will take place on 20 September 2019 at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. The final is scheduled for 2 November 2019 at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.
Points are awarded as follows:
4 points for a win
2 points for a draw
1 bonus point for a team scoring four or more tries
1 bonus point for a loss of fewer than eight points
Rugby World Cup Records
Not excited quite yet? Here are a few World Cup records to rouse the blood:
South Africans will love this one - All Black Ben Smith is the first player in the history of the RWC to be yellow carded in the final!
On the flip side, Marc Ellis of NZ holds the record for the most tries scored in a match with six!
The 34 - 17 win in the 2015 RWC final between eventual champions New Zealand and Australia dished up a record five tries. Up until that match only eight tries in total had been scored in the previous seven finals!
At the 2015 World Cup in England, Japan pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament by beating two-time champions South Africa 34 - 32!
The great Richie McCaw of New Zealand holds the record for the most World Cup tackles with 225. South Africa’s Schalk Burger comes in second with 209.
Start betting on Rugby online today
Betway rugby betting is incredibly exciting. Unlike soccer, rugby’s point system (5 points for a try, 2 for conversion, 3 for a penalty kick) means that you’ll always be trying to figure out exactly what your team needs to do to win. Betway offers a large range of bet types for you to choose from when you want to bet on all the latest exciting rugby. Excluding the usual favourites like Match Result or Correct Score, the list includes:
- Winning Margin
- Odd/Even
- Highest Scoring Half
- Handicap 1x2
- 1st Half Double Chance
Regardless of which form of the game you enjoy the most, you’ll be able to find a full range of rugby fixtures to bet on with Betway. You can also use Live Betting to make your rugby viewing experience even more exciting as you place bets during the full 80 minutes while the game unfolds on the field.
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